Becoming an Installer

[Mastrcruse]

I was just thinking about becoming a certified installer for a company such as Best Buy or another.

I was wondering if anyone knew of where I could find information about the test that one has to take to be certified and what other material I might need to become certified?

I was reading and to be a Master Installer you have to go through a class or an apprenticeship. I dont' want to be a master installer though, I would like to just be a "helper" installer. Usually Best Buy has 1 Master installer and 2 or 3 other installers at their instal bays.
Thanks for the help,
DJ

[StereoInstaller1]

DJ, I don't know where you got your info, but there are only about 20 certified "Master" installers in the entire industry.

None of them work for best buy. Or Circuit City, or Tweeter.

I am too lazy to certify at all, but I was part of the original MECP test program...back in 1987, '88. If you want more info, go to MECP's site. Take the online test, get the book (or I can if you want, about $50 plus shipping).

Very few serious installers work for a chain. All of us who are driven to make real performance installs work in small shops...generally for less money.

If you want to work in a shop like best buy, you need a pulse, some tools, and you can go apply. It is the best way to get your foot in the door.

Pay is shit, hours are shit, work ethic is non-existant. Keep in mind installers are nothing but a tool to make sales with. Important to the company? Sure...they need sales! If you work really hard you might make $30,00/yr, after 3 to 5 years.

I made $60,000 in 1985. In 1995, I made about $35,000...with more tools and more experience. Plus, a reputation up and down the entire west coast.

This industry is dying. Let me tell you the top few reasons. Climb into a bone stock E30M3. Roll the windows down, cruise down the freeway at 70. You can barely tell what song is playing on your casette, right? I mean really, they sound like crap.

That was one of the best factory stereos of its day.

Then, go to your local Kia dealer. Climb in their cheapest pile of crap and perform the same test...not too bad, huh? Clear sound (well, kind of) but decent performance...in a $6500 car. How many people replace that? Very few, let me tell you.

Decent sound comes with every car now. That is the #1 reason why our industry is dying.

Combine that with the fact that the general impression is that the installer is gonna make your car rattle from all of the missing screws, steal shit from your glovebox, copy your key and go to rob you, PLUS if you want an aftermarket stereo you have to spend billions of dollars to "Pimp Your Ride", or so people think. You would be amazed at what people say to me, much less what they say behind my back. Believe me, I don't look like a "hood".

I have been a professional installer since 1980. I have also been trying to get out since 1982...but I love what I do. Even though I am in pain all day, every day, I fucking LOVE my work. Ask anyone who has watched me work, I twist my fat ass in positions you cannot imagine a bald old fuck like me doing, then stay there and wire shit! Many times tears roll down my face because my muscles burn so bad just from crimping wires. I am sitting with a heat pad on my back as I type this, just so I can sleep tonight.

To make all of this worse, I am planning on opening a trade school! I wanna teach others to install in an attempt to keep my beloved industry alive.

Believe me, I can go on for hours on this topic. I am easily the most experienced installer in the entire state of oregon. One of the most experienced in the world...certainly top 100, if not top 50. If you want, call me at my shop number sunday morning, about 10:30 pacific time. I would be glad to tell you a bunch about this industry, and maybe you will understand why I love it so much.

Even after 26 years.

Luke Fisher
541-747-1171

[Mastrcruse]

Thanks for all the info Luke. I am glad you feel so strongly about what you do and I have seen some amazing work from some people, but really only on tv.
I don't think I want to get as serious into the industry as you are, I just wanted to do this for Best Buy, Circuit City, ect. for a "college" job in hopes to bring in more money and have some experience in it so I can do most of the things I want to do by myself.

I think that the online test, and book route is the way I was thinking or thought some one told me about to just get one of those jobs just to pay the rent and I have worked at Target for 3 yrs so retail hours really don't bother me.

I will look at the website and learn some more. I appreciate all the very valuable info that you have provided me with so I don't waste my time doing things I don't really have to do.

Thanks
DJ

[StereoInstaller1]

DJ, there is no better job for getting through college. On a good day, when things work smooth, I can make $120/hr for 4-5 hours at a time. I have many times made over $600 in a day. Just make sure to do good work, NEVER lie to a customer, and learn as much as you can.

I have used my installer skills to do more things than you would think - for example, fix a dryer. At 3:00AM. Full of wet diapers. Broke as shit, couldn't buy any more. I also fixed the Coke machine that is in my shop. I can fix damn near anything. I owe it all to being an installer for all of my life.

If I can help in any way, let me know.

Luke

[Mastrcruse]

So lets say I don't have any experience and just pass the basic certification exam. Where would be the best types of places to work? I can't find a link to just the requirements on Best Buy's installer jobs so I dont even know if they require me to have a basic certification but thats not the only place that I would be interested in working at.

[Mastrcruse]

I just applied to Best Buy in Columbus for an install technician. They prefer but do not require certification so we will see.

[StereoInstaller1]

If I were starting off today, here is what I would do:

1. Do the whole study guide/MECP test: certify basic
2. Apply at all big box retailers until employment is found
3. Go to college, get a degree, get a real job
4. Find a high-end shop where you can do your thing for the love of it (and $10/hr), because you don't need the income.

Let me emphasize the importance of step 3.

Now that I am basically on my way to being a crippled old man, I want to sell medical equipment. I have a very technical mind. I am able to explain difficult comcepts to people without making them feel stupid (unless I want to...). I am an extrordinary salesman.

Imagine the comission on a million dollar CAT scanner!

I have been trying for 9 years or so to get into that field. Several headhunters have contacted me. None will even accept an application without a bachelors' degree.

I am a 9th grade dropout.

Installing is such a sweet job. Don't get swallowed up like I did. Kids, responsibilities, drugs, alcohol, cars, big stereos, or whatever all take their toll. All make it diffucult to walk away from a decent paycheck to go back to school. Especially when TONS of people tell you how fucking great you are every day.

Luke

[Mastrcruse]

Luke, Do you know if this is the book that I will need to pass my basic certification?

http://mycea.ce.org/Default.aspx?tabid=44&action=INVProductDetails&args=266

Thanks for all the advice. I am in college right now, 3rd year, and I am in Business but really would like to stop asking daddy for rent money so I want a decent job that I would have fun in and learn stuff. I am in the marketing and accounting program, would like to become a certified accountant but would like to do this until I get my degree.

I am just trying to find out, and have been helped a lot by your info, to where I should start out to getting the most oppurtunity to get a job. How long do you think the process takes? It just seems like I read the material well and take the test and I am certified if I pass correct?

Once again thanks for all the help.

[Mastrcruse]

Actually I just searched and received the answers to my questions at

http://www.mecp.com/downloads/prepare.doc

[808BMW]

You don't need certification to work at best buy, those guys are retards. Throw in 5 decks that work correclty and you'll already be the master installer.

I say start there and do it for a while, see how you like. Any smart customer will ask you if you can show them previous work, I doubt they'll ask you to bust out your MECP certification.

Oh and FYI, I've seen certified installers (at 2 seperate shops, locally) do horrendous jobs (blown equipment, rolls of extra wire tucked away instead of trimmed, mysteriously stupid runs of power wire, 3ways just screwed down into the sheet metal). Just because you have the paper doesn't necessarily mean you know what your doing.

[1991 318is]

My wife has a 2005 Civic with the upgrade package. 15" alloy wheels, leather wrapped wheel, and in dash 6 CD-MP3 changer. It sounds great!
The whole package was $1000. Manufacturers scope out their cars acoustically, design the system to fit the car, and then buy a gazillion of them.

[netcsk]

You should turn to the dark side, Luke. Move over to the OEM market and work toward killing the after market work :). Just kidding, but really, there is a guy at work that used to be a hardcore installer too, and he's probably the most knowledgeable guy in the engineering dept.

I agree though.. The more things advance, the harder it gets to change stuff out. If you look at the newest stuff (starting to move into Acura in a couple years), there is even the noise cancellation. The electronics have to be matched to the speakers to work correctly, not to mention that the head units are no longer Din, Double Din, etc.

And I will admit that the newest Acura MDX (probably the best system we make at this moment in time) sounds better than my car.

[browntown]

Ask anyone who has watched me work, I twist my fat ass in positions you cannot imagine a bald old fuck like me doing, then stay there and wire shit!

This is the truth, I came by luke's shop and bullshitted with him for an hour, he didn't stop working the whole time up in some old supra's dash, didn't miss a beat in the conversation.

A side note, medical device sales is a super tough gig to get. I sell pharmaceuticals which is a highly sought after career, and every pharma rep wants to do medical device sales and rarely get a chance to make that kind of move.

Met a guy at the hospital a couple months ago that sells some heart surgery gizmo. Besides selling the thing, he scrubs in with the cardiologists, and is in surgery in case there is a question or a problem with the software. After hours of surgery, he changes into his suit and makes sales calls in the afternoon. Tons of dough, hard work, impossible to get. But yes, baseline in both pharma and med. device sales is a bachelors degree; never met anyone that got around that requirement.

[Mastrcruse]

Just because you have the paper doesn't necessarily mean you know what your doing.

Definately know where you are coming from. This would be a learning experience because I haven't really had very much experience but thought it would be cool to start and thought Best Buy or a store like it would be the best way to start. Like I said I am in college and this is just to pay the rent and maybe alittle something else on the side.

Thanks for all the comments guys, if you want to add, keep it coming.

[Mot]

I love luke. He is the audio man... k thanks bye.