FIFTH ESTATE: HELP DESK: WEBINARS

FIFTH ESTATE

HELP DESK: WEBINARS

I remember first hearing about Microsoft PowerPoint in the late 90s when I was working in broadcast news.

My friend told me I needed to learn the software.

"Why", I asked.

He said, "So you can make slide show presentations for meetings."

"Um. I work in television news. We make presentations called news packages. We tape interviews and footage that we call "A" and "B" roll. I voice it, which we call a voice-over and 'voila' it airs on the 6 o'clock news. So, why would I want to make a slide show presentation", I asked.

It seemed a little archaic to me.

However, PPT wasn't archaic for corporate America, it was a standard and decidedly cheaper. Today, another corporate money-saving standard is the Webinar, an internet-based seminar.

If you find yourself outside of Corporate America, however, you may not be aware of it, or even have access to these cyber-presentations.

If you do have access, maybe you fall into this category; someone has invited you but you decided not to participate because you didn't know what to expect?

If so, then let this post serve as your personal Help Desk primer courtesy of Keith Brooks, President and Founder of PlanOnce, LLC.
Mr. Brooks' firm produces webinars and other web events.

In fact, he will be producing and moderating the Resume Remix Webinar, this Saturday, February 26, 2011 @ 1 PM EST.

I caught up with Mr. Brooks who graciously agreed to share a bit of his time and expertise to give us an insider's look at Webinars.

What is a Webinar?
"A webinar is a seminar presented over the internet. You may hear the terms “web conference” and “online meeting” used in this context as well. We use web conferencing software to configure presenter and audience PCs for communicating."

How does one participate?
"Once you’re logged in and we start the webinar, I will give the audience a tour of the features and functions. Think radio, conference call, and chat room blended to form an interactive communication session."

The webinar is interactive?
"Yes! We want a two-way communication stream. My team and I will monitor the chat window and answer as many questions as we can. We will also run a real-time poll or two."

How will we know we are connected?
"Users logging in prior to the published start time will either see a cyber-curtain or a greeting page titled “The Resume Remix.”

"What equipment do we need?
"Your computer (PC or Mac), a high speed Internet connection (cable modem or phone company DSL is fine), computer speakers, and a drink or snack of your choice.
Okay, the drink and snack are optional. :smile:

Most corporate firewalls are configured to allow web conferencing traffic, but it wouldn’t hurt to check with your network administrator if you will be attending from your office.

Most attendees will login from home and that should be fine.

Do make sure the kids aren’t playing Internet video games during the webinar as this could negatively impact your bandwidth."

Are there any other special instructions for participants?
"It’s a good idea to test your Internet connection prior to the webinar. Go to www.speedtest.net and www.pingtest.net. You can run a quick test from these sites(less than 60 seconds each) to determine the speed and quality of your connection. Typically, it’s best to have an upload speed of at least 350kbs or better.

Users should NOT use a Wi-Fi or wireless connection since connection and packet loss are prevalent with this technology.
Ethernet connection is highly recommended."

Up Next: How to get into the Mix
Resume Remix Webinar:
Resumes for Today's Ultra Competitive Job Market