MECP vs. Experience

My friend has never installed professionally... I've been doing it for 2 years... he's trying to get me to go to mobile dynamics in arizona for the 2 month course... An experience of a lifetime for the both of us... But also free for him and probably $7,000-$9,000 out of my own pocket for me... Now what i'm wondering is will it be worth it for me to go to get certified... What do they teach you about everyday installing that you wouldn't learn after a few years experience... THANK YOU IN ADVANCE!!

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Whoa, hold your horses. Well the course will be better suited to you, seeing as you already have some experience and what they teach you will mean more. With that being said, taking the course just to get certified is way overkill. Certification is cake, get a study guide and read through it paying attention to ohms law and resistances and you are good.

If you have the money and time, go for it and take the course. If you are like most installers and don't have either then just get the study guide. FYI, I took the course in 98(haha only 2g's back then) and it was great and fore mentioned is still my opinion.

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Certified Security Specialist
Always check info with a digital multimeter.
I promise to be good.
Tell Darwin I sent you.

I've been sick lately, sorry I won't be on much.

Some people excel with schooling, some people excel by working hands on, some people need a combination of both and some people are doomed to fail no matter what the combination is. What kind of person are you? Figure this out and then if you must take the exam for a piece of paper in order to secure employment, then you know what you must do.

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Top Secret, I can tell you but then my wife will kill me.

My group of friends "in the biz" have always refered to being certified as having proffesionally caught something on fire......and gotten paid for it!   I have 15 years under my belt and as of yet  am NOT certified  (my definition).

Hands on in many different locations with many different installers is, in my opinion, the best way to get your brain learned..  Ohms law never helped my rip a car appart and and make it start stop and lock and BOOM!!

Plus like auxe said.....time and money    something most of us just dont have enough of

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Certification is for installer's wanting to work for other shops or businesses. If your interested in starting your own business eventually and work at it, then certification is of no use to you. The average customer doesn't care if the person has certification or 25 years experience, they just want a nice clean and reliable installation done without any hassles of coming back with problems to their vehicles.

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Jeff
Velocity Custom Home Theater
Mobile Audio/Video Specialist
Morden, Manitoba CANADA

Well around this area employers are looking for MECP if you have less than 3 to 4 years experience...But having both are a plus

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~The Rookie~
Rookie of the year that is...
Don't let the smoke out of your equiptment..it doesn't go back in.

Thats what I figured... Experience is better... I mean I still get caught up on some installs and try to fix it myself... and usually only get help from another installer if I'm really drowning on an install... But some vehicles I ask to do if I see them up front because maybe I had a bad experience with the last one I did so I want to get a chance to redeem myself and make sure I get that car down to a science... We mostly work on GM vehicles where I am so I have alot of experience with buicks, pontiacs, c/k pick ups, and SUV's... Some lexus and lots of fords... But we usually won't touch a VW for a remote start, Audi's are pretty much declined, Some Saabs we'll do if the customer dosen't mind losing a $150 key... Mercedes, no way...   BMW... doubtful... But I guess thats just our clientel I guess... I hate sounding under qualified but its not my shop either... I'd rather have my boss say yes we can do your 2004 Audi A6 but labor is gonna cost you about $500 maybe less and we need your vehicle for the whole day... Not $80 for a 2 hour cell phone install in a 2005 VW Toureg, that the dealer won't even touch... and if I could find time and the money which (I'M POOR RIGHT NOW) So unless I win powerball anytime soon... I dunno... I've built sub boxes but i've had to teach myself so far and some of my techniques could definately use some refining... So I guess i'd like more experience on fabricating... But inorder for me to learn something I have to do it a buncha times... so I guess schools not right for me...

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