Great post and I just want to add to this post. I used to work for 3M and I was just a production worker there and I asked some of the maintenance guys there that went to school and got their degrees in mechanical or electrical engineering what they actually used in their day to day jobs ? All of them responded that they used less than 10 % of what they learned in school in their current jobs at the plant !
What I'm trying to say is that you can take the course, do the test and go and work out in the industry......... but, what you end up using in the customers vehicle is your hands and some common sense. Knowing your limititations and using prior experience IMO will save you time, money and head aches. What you learn in the customer's vehicle is something that no school or book can teach you & you will remember this experience for the rest of your days as an installer. Using the theory portion of the course will eventually come in handy, but 90 % of installation is hands on experience, not theory.
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Jeff
Velocity Custom Home Theater
Mobile Audio/Video Specialist
Morden, Manitoba CANADA
I made it a personal goal to become mecp certified. And it payed off. I got hired as an installer at Best Buy within a week after becoming certified. I am now going to shoot for the First Class certification. I figure i'll learn a thing or two and i get a little more money in my pocket. I think everyone should try and get certified if they plan on working in the field.
nouseforaname wrote:
zerepdivad wrote:
I made it a personal goal to become mecp certified. And it payed off. I got hired as an installer at Best Buy within a week after becoming certified. I am now going to shoot for the First Class certification. I figure i'll learn a thing or two and i get a little more money in my pocket. I think everyone should try and get certified if they plan on working in the field.
i don't know if working at best buy is what i would call paying off (i work there too). but i agree, everyone should at least try it out cause you really can learn a few things. just don't do it to say you got it.
Well i mean it's a requirement in order to work there. And i figure you gotta start somewhere.
heck, i own my own shop (have for over 25 years now) and i still made the effort to get myself MECP certified... i am all for any kind of industry standard certification program that will help to lend a certain degree of legitimacy to our industry.....
too many people still think of car audio installers as some 18 year old kid who couldnt get a "real job".....
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Kevin Gerry
Certified Electronics Technician
MECP First Class Installer
Owner/Installer
Classic Car Audio
since 1979