MECP certified.

[95BlackGA 5,000+ posts]

Not necesarilly, doing installs, but have been influenced by car audio for that long. I never really did my own install 'til I was about 12-13 years old, by then I was hooked. Everytime I heard a loud car bumpin' down the road, I'd either run out and try to talk to the person with the car, or imagine what they had in their system. Being loud is my nature, and I might as well express it in my own car, family/friend's cars, and hopefully soon to be future customers cars. Once I get certified, I will begin the process of starting my own car audio shop, which I will take several years to do so, as I know anyone that just tries to start anything without experience, it doesn't go as planned, so I HOPE to get good creditentials with the local shops around here, and become good friends with the shop's owners, so I can get experience in running a business and how to stay on top of the install shops around the area once I do finally open a shop.

 

[htownplaya456 10+ year member]

Good luck on trying to becoming an installer. I just hope it's easier for you than it was me. I went to school at Acoustic Edge and most people that I would want to work for would just laugh and didn't really care about MECP. Sure I'm certified and it looks okay but it's really not necessary. First step to becoming an installer is just do a bunch of reading and keep doing installs of your own or your friends stuff and go kiss *** to the local shops. Maybe someday they will let you hangout and let you watch installs and help around the shop and not get paid. Do that for a couple years and you might have enough exp. and shop knowledge to be trusted to do stuff on your own and not mess up an expensive car and actually get paid to do what you do. Anyways I'm not trying to sh!t on your dreams bro but it's a lot more than taking the easiest test I've ever taken in my life and jumping into a shop. You might get into Best Buy or something but they aren't very reputable. I'm almost a year into my career with being an installer and I only got the job because of my brother and the people he knows. It's been mostly doing grunt work and not getting paid much at all but I learn new things everyday and that makes up for it. Don't get me wrong I love my job and I love the industry just isn't as easy as it seems your making it to be. I honestly do wish you luck in getting into the industry.

 

[95BlackGA 5,000+ posts]

Good luck on trying to becoming an installer. I just hope it's easier for you than it was me. I went to school at Acoustic Edge and most people that I would want to work for would just laugh and didn't really care about MECP. Sure I'm certified and it looks okay but it's really not necessary. First step to becoming an installer is just do a bunch of reading and keep doing installs of your own or your friends stuff and go kiss *** to the local shops. Maybe someday they will let you hangout and let you watch installs and help around the shop and not get paid. Do that for a couple years and you might have enough exp. and shop knowledge to be trusted to do stuff on your own and not mess up an expensive car and actually get paid to do what you do. Anyways I'm not trying to sh!t on your dreams bro but it's a lot more than taking the easiest test I've ever taken in my life and jumping into a shop. You might get into Best Buy or something but they aren't very reputable. I'm almost a year into my career with being an installer and I only got the job because of my brother and the people he knows. It's been mostly doing grunt work and not getting paid much at all but I learn new things everyday and that makes up for it. Don't get me wrong I love my job and I love the industry just isn't as easy as it seems your making it to be. I honestly do wish you luck in getting into the industry.

Could it just be your installs/attitude that's keeping you back? I have talked to a few people around here that are certified, and a few people that are the forums. They all have said once you become MECP/ASE certified, it's pretty easy from there. I have talked to several installers at the 2 biggest shops in town, and showed them my work, and they have all be pleased with it. I have talked to one of the shop owners on several occasions, and I had been just chillin' around at his shop for a few months until I moved away. I know its not easy as some seem to make it, but seeing I have been friends with several installers, and a shop owner, I have had experience for the past 6 years doing my own installs, where I call the shots, and having been around car audio for so long, it's not going to be the most difficult thing, as you seem to think it is. It may have been difficult for you, but I'm positive you were the influence of it in some way or another. I'm not trying to be on the 'defense' here, but you seem to think it's as hard to get into a car audio shop to become an installer as it is to get into Harvard and become Valedictorian. Yeah, it's going to be difficult since there are many certified installers at the shops already, but I am friends with several, and they'd vouch for my work, and help me find a great job.

EDIT : Thanks for kind words though, and I hope I can find the job I want, and be able to support myself while starting my business. I also hope you the best of luck getting to where you want to be in your career, without having to do the 'grunt' work.

 

[htownplaya456 10+ year member]

The first time you do a $17k install come talk to me. We don't touch anything under $5k so yeah it's a little different I don't get to jump into every install and do stuff. I will grunt but I'm learning to become a fabricator and installer at the same time. I know I could go jump into a shop that builds boxes at the most and installs amps HU subs and speakers and make a killing. I don't want to though.

 

[Fiercetimbo17 10+ year member]

mecp is a good thing to have, its not a very difficult test but it shows whereever your trying to get a job that you care enough to get certified so maybe you will actually care about your job.

But other than that its really just piece of paper, nothing beats hands on experience

 

[95BlackGA 5,000+ posts]

The first time you do a $17k install come talk to me. We don't touch anything under $5k so yeah it's a little different I don't get to jump into every install and do stuff. I will grunt but I'm learning to become a fabricator and installer at the same time. I know I could go jump into a shop that builds boxes at the most and installs amps HU subs and speakers and make a killing. I don't want to though.

I know what you mean. That pricest install I have been apart of was probably about $4k in equpiment, not including all the wires/batteries, and paid wages for the guys that did the work. In total, it was probably about $6k. All I'm focused on right now is becoming an installer. I have all my tools needed, well not all the tools I could use, but the majority of hand and power tools. I still need a table saw (Yeah, most shops have one, but I'm not doing this to be in someone elses shop for a long time frame.) and a few other misc. items that would make installs a lot easier. But, yeah, a $6k install is pretty much nothing compared to a $17k install. I've been messing around with building boxes, kick panels (so far, I'm 0-4 //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/laugh.gif.48439b2acf2cfca21620f01e7f77d1e4.gif ), and custom stereo bezels. I'd much rather do the actual install than any other thing right now.

 

[spoonraker 10+ year member]

Good luck on trying to becoming an installer. I just hope it's easier for you than it was me. I went to school at Acoustic Edge and most people that I would want to work for would just laugh and didn't really care about MECP. Sure I'm certified and it looks okay but it's really not necessary. First step to becoming an installer is just do a bunch of reading and keep doing installs of your own or your friends stuff and go kiss *** to the local shops. Maybe someday they will let you hangout and let you watch installs and help around the shop and not get paid. Do that for a couple years and you might have enough exp. and shop knowledge to be trusted to do stuff on your own and not mess up an expensive car and actually get paid to do what you do. Anyways I'm not trying to sh!t on your dreams bro but it's a lot more than taking the easiest test I've ever taken in my life and jumping into a shop. You might get into Best Buy or something but they aren't very reputable. I'm almost a year into my career with being an installer and I only got the job because of my brother and the people he knows. It's been mostly doing grunt work and not getting paid much at all but I learn new things everyday and that makes up for it. Don't get me wrong I love my job and I love the industry just isn't as easy as it seems your making it to be. I honestly do wish you luck in getting into the industry.

I don't think it's quite that involved, although I do agree for the most part.

Basically a local shop (other than BB/CC) won't really give you a second look if they don't know you. MECP certification helps and will definitely move you up the list of potential candidates, but when you hand in a resume, take the time to put together a portfolio of work you've done. Also, buy stuff from them! Seriously, get to know them, even if you do all your own installs, buy connectors, fuses, and crap like that from them.

Even with no professional experience, if you prove that you're dedicated by getting certified, showing them your work, and establishing a good client relationship with them, they will definitely put you at the top of their list.

Also remember this when applying for a car audio job : An installation shop is not a big business, they generally have a very small number of employees and for the most part those employees keep their jobs for a long time. There just aren't many positions available, and that's the hard truth of it. I applied for a job as an installer over a year ago, since then I got a job as a computer programmer, and in the middle of the day in my second week of working there, the shop called me and told me they were ready to hire and I was at the top of their list. I had to turn them down because they can't even touch the pay here //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/frown.gif.a3531fa0534503350665a1e957861287.gif

 

[Lil Poot 5,000+ posts]

//content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/laugh.gif.48439b2acf2cfca21620f01e7f77d1e4.gif get your ged before mecp. believe me, its going to prove to be a lot more helpful in whatever career line you choose.

i'm mecp basic certified. it was a joke //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/fyi.gif.9f1f679348da7204ce960cfc74bca8e0.gif

wish i'd saved my money.

 

[spoonraker 10+ year member]

The test is easy and everybody knows that, it still shows potential employers that you have some knowledge and put more effort in than most.

 

[ramos 5,000+ posts]

The first time you do a $17k install come talk to me.

I have , now I'm here . Where are you so I can come and talk to you ? //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/smile.gif.1ebc41e1811405b213edfc4622c41e27.gif

 

[95BlackGA 5,000+ posts]

//content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/laugh.gif.48439b2acf2cfca21620f01e7f77d1e4.gif get your ged before mecp. believe me, its going to prove to be a lot more helpful in whatever career line you choose.
i'm mecp basic certified. it was a joke //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/fyi.gif.9f1f679348da7204ce960cfc74bca8e0.gif

wish i'd saved my money.

I'm working on this at the same time. I can't do anything until I hear from the Board of Education, though.