just like it says anyone here or know anyone thats mecp certified? where did you take your test and did you go to the school before taking? how much more are you making if so. just looking for some info on it if anyone has any

 

i took mine at the Santa Clara library, they charged $35 to proctor it and send it out for you. Thats only lvl 1 though. i think you have to go to a retail store or a pre-determined location for the higher levels.

 

yeah i would be happy with a level one that would at least get me in at like best buy or circut city did you study for it? or was it even a challenge? i figured you would chime in lol

 

I had mine proctored at the Oldsmar Public Library for free. Just had to pay for the study guide and test. If I'm not mistaken, CC and BB do not require mecp certification, atleast they didn't last time I checked (several years ago). You'll definetly want to study for it, but it's not rocket science. You're not going to make much more with it, installers don't make shit anyways.

 

Bb Is A Gray Area On That, And I Dont Think Cc Requires It At All, You Will Make Like $1 More A Hour, Starting Out In The Business Expect To Get About $8 A Hour, Ask Spider How Much Installers Make At Sa - I Think They Are The Best Paid In The Area, Unless You Find A Shop That Pays You Piece Work Then That Depends On How Fast You Are And How Busy The Shop Is

 

www.mecp.com should have all the answers.

I took the level one while over at the Installers Institute taking an advanced fab class. Really didn't intend to, but the rest of the class was taking it, since they were part of the full training schedule at II. Since I had to sit there while they took it, I figured I'd might as well. I think it was like $50, with the study guide. Level 1 is actually only good for year, and then you are supposed to take the advanced test. I haven't gotten around to that yet.

Like John said, not rocket science. How much you'll have to study depends on how much you already know about stuff like ohms law, relays, safety, etc. IMO, the study guide is pretty good, and makes a good resource if you aren't familiar with these things, and even if you are, its still good.

It ended up being a good thing that I took it, because Pioneer wants at least one MECP person at your site before you can carry the line.

As a shop owner, I wouldn't necessarily pay more to someone with MECP, but it would be an extra qualification come hiring time. I most likely wouldn't hire someone without this basic knowledge at all, but actually having MECP says to me 'hey, I'm serious enough about this field to go an extra step'.

Toby

 

thanks guys great info so far, i called best buy a few days ago and asked the installers if they were hiring first thing they asked is if i had my mecp cert. they said i had to have that to be an installer

 

They're probably just trying to weed people out. Car stereo shops (especially the big chain stores) are called and asked almost daily about install positions. Even with mecp certification, it is a very hard field to break into. Most places won't even give you the time of the day unless you have atleast 1-2 years experience.

 

meh, just tell the shop owner/manager you install alarms and you are 100% guaranteed a job... at 7.50 an hour. at least in my experience.

 

Did they say what the starting rate is? Just curious.

BB and CC might be good ways to get yourself in the door, but they don't do any real custom work (if they do any at all), so you really won't learn or get any real experience. I get people in here looking for jobs saying 'I have been at best buy for 3 years' and they expect me to hand over the keys to the shop.

If you are really serious about a career in car audio here's what I'd suggest...

1. get your MECP

2. take some other clasess, like from the Installer Institute over in Daytona, if you can afford them

3. get in the door somewhere

4. get 6 months under your belt, all the while reading and learning everything you can about car audio

5. get resumes and apps out. Concentrate on shops you actually want to work at, that do the kind of work you want to do. While BB or CC on an app is a slight plus in my mind, there are some shops out there that can actually be a negative on your resume.

6. Be confident, but not cocky. If the right shop offers you a job cleaning toilets, take it. I started out working for free. Show them that you are serious about making a career out of this. Once you are in the door, you are one step closer than your competition on the street, and you are interacting with the installers, managers, sales people and customers every day. Experience can trump training in many instances.

7. Find pleasure in the job, not just the income. This is true anywhere, but like John said, don't expect to get rich doing stereos. Believe it or not, there is a lot more to life than income. I left a 6 figure job with GE to open my own shop, and I couldn't be happier with my decision. I don't expect to ever make that kind of money again, and I'm ok with that.

Toby