What You Need to Participate
To participate in the online career club, you need:
1. A Gmail account. Here's more information on signing up for Gmail.
2. A Google Plus Account. With your Gmail account, you're halfway to creating your Google Plus account. Just follow the online instructions to complete your G+ profile.
3. A computer with a webcam, speakers and a microphone. (Note that most newer computers come with these things standard) You can also participate through your iPad, iPhone or Android. See the instructions below for further information.
4. An Internet connection, preferably through a cable modem or DSL. High speed connections definitely work best.
IMPORTANT: If you are using your iPhone or Android phone to participate, you can also use your 4G phone connection to connect. HOWEVER--please make sure that you have an unlimited data plan if you choose to connect with the Hangout this way. If you use your 4G phone network and have to pay for data, this will be very expensive. If you're going to use your phone, we suggest that you use a wireless network to connect!
IMPORTANT: If you are using your iPhone or Android phone to participate, you can also use your 4G phone connection to connect. HOWEVER--please make sure that you have an unlimited data plan if you choose to connect with the Hangout this way. If you use your 4G phone network and have to pay for data, this will be very expensive. If you're going to use your phone, we suggest that you use a wireless network to connect!
Setting Up Your Computer to Participate
To participate through your computer, you will need to do the following to get your initial set-up complete:
1. Use Mozilla Firefox, Google Chrome or Safari (for Macs) for your browser. Hangouts can work with Internet Explorer, but we've had more problems with people who try to connect using Explorer, so we suggest using Firefox, Chrome or Safari (if you're on a Mac).
2. Using either Firefox, Chrome or Safari as your browser, install the Google Voice and video plug in on your computer. To install it, visit this link and follow the instructions.
After you've done these two things, your set-up should be complete. You can scroll down to the section on Participating in the Hangout to see what you need to do to join a session.
If you run into problems, use these links to troubleshoot
- System requirements for using Hangouts
- Help if the plug-in won't install
- Trouble-shooting audio/video issues
Setting Up a SmartPhone or iPad to Participate
To use Hangouts from your smartphone (iPhone or Android) or from your iPad, you will need to download the G+ app to your device. The app is free and should be available through the App store (for iPhone and iPads) or through Google Play on your Android phone.
Simply download the app and then link it to your G+ account by following the instructions after you launch the app.
Again, please note that if you intend to use your smartphone, unless you have an unlimited data plan, you DO NOT want to use your 4G network to connect to the Hangout. Make sure that you connect using a wireless network or you will have major data charges!
Participating in an Online Session
To participate in the online Career Clubs and other online learning sessions, you will need to follow these instructions.1. Register for the Career Club event(s) you want to attend ahead of time. Note-- we MUST have your Gmail address to be able to add you to the Hangout so please be sure to provide it in the registration form. Also, since Hangouts limits us to 10 people, we need to have your registration as early as possible so we know if we need to close a session.
2. At the date and time of the Career Club event, log into your Google+ Account and look for the link to join the hangout. It should be in your news feed on your G+ home Page. You can also find it in the red notification section in the upper right-hand corner of your G+ page.
NOTE--If you are participating through your smart phone or your iPad, you will get into your G+ account by tapping on the G+ application you downloaded onto your device.
NOTE--If you are participating through your smart phone or your iPad, you will get into your G+ account by tapping on the G+ application you downloaded onto your device.
3. Click on the link in the event to join the Hangout. If you run into problems joining, here's info on troubleshooting. You can also send an email to michelemmartin@gmail.com and I'll see if I can help you out.
Remember--this is VIDEO chat, which means we can see what you're wearing, where you're sitting, who's sitting with you, etc. Just be sure that you go to a reasonably quiet place to participate and that you're wearing appropriate clothing. Also be sure to check your background and lighting before logging on.
Troubleshooting
If you run into problems joining the Hangout, try these things first:
- Make sure you are using Chrome, Firefox or Safari as your browser (if you are using a computer).
- Try exiting the session and re-joining.
- Try re-starting your device.
If none of these things work, then send us an email at nccareerclub@gmail.com to let us know what's happening. Please include a phone number where we can reach you.
