MECP certification

[italiancorolla]

I am wanting to get certified for 12v basic installation. I mean I already know the proper way to do 12v but I feel better if I had certification behind me. HAS anyone here taken the basic version before? I am talking about the MECP certification

[GradeA_TireFryer]

yep i am a ex-master mecp cert.
i have cell phone cert, security cert, you can test at you local library if they offer testing centers, study the book, know the terms backwards and forwards, unfortunantly Florida shops dont care if you are mecp cert or not! Where i worked in Co the more cert i received the higher % i got on a job - master paid 55% of labor install price!

[Notladstyle]

if you are hoping it will aid you in getting a job, it wont in florida. But in other states mecp is required by most shops.

The website (mecp.com) provides you with study guides and proctor locations

[bjd]

it will help u get a job at bestbuy or ciruit city or even sound advice. most custom shops do give a shit if u have it or not, as long as u know what ur doin. ur interview will prob consist of installing some stuff for the custom shop, for a paying customer, and NO u will not be paid for it.

[Notladstyle]

You got ripped off if you ever installed ANYTHING without getting paid - interview or not, you always get paid man.

And no, most private shops don't care about MECP. Every shop I applied at gave me a very simple alarm to install and if you can do it as fast and as clean as they want, you are hired. I think you get a $1 - $2 pay raise if you have MECP as best buy and something similar at CC.

[GradeA_TireFryer]

nope not a $.10 difference if cert at bb! they want you to be but is not enforced. but @ $8-9 hr they pay most installers will that matter?
I would not let a $8-9 hr person change my oil let alone install a radio, alarm :-o , amp, ect - most of time when i worked there was fixing other intallers mistakes (from other stores) they scheduled me all the bullshit knowing it will be fixed correctly - you would not believe how many insurance claims i saw from faulty installs, and was told to be quite about it! Go ahead schedule to have your free deck intall and wait 3 weeks for a kid with little to no experience work on your car. Then have to bring it back a couple times to fix what they did wrong the first time.... these big chain stores do more harm than good to this industry.

[OTS Mobile Audio]

MECP certification means nothing in the Custom stereo industry. Most of the best Installers in this area don't have it and don't care. I worked with a few Installers that where certified and they didn't know crap! "The proof is in the puddin"

[GradeA_TireFryer]

"or it in the install !!!!!"

[OTS Mobile Audio]

I think I was quoting the great philosopher Bill Cosby.
(The man loved puddin!)"
The proof is in the pudding'' is actually a shortened version of a very old proverb, "the proof of the pudding is in the eating.'' It means that the real worth or success or effectiveness of something can only be determined by putting it to the test.

[MilanoCivic97]

MECP dosen't mean jack. its all about experience, even at bb and cc. i learned a few cool things but it was overall a waste of my time and money.

[My Honda Is Slow]

i called best buy asking about employment about 6 months ago and the first thing they asked was "do you have your mecp?" i said no and they said work on getting that first, then apply.

[integralsgreen]

it never hurts to have something over the next guy. i am not mecp certified but i have the icar electrical certification. i plan on taking the test for mecp tho. my employer is all about training there employees and getting them all the certification they can. for instance they will buy mecp study guides and pay for me to test. they also send me to classes every year.

[pnrcaraudio]

All schools and certifications serve a purpose and can help you in some situations but what it boils down to is if you do shit work you will be found out and let go anywhere you go , here in Florida most shops do not give the first hoot about schooling or certifications because it does not mean you are a quality installer being a quality installer comes from hands on experience and also being able to do it the way the shop wants you to do it, another words if you are not a team player most shops will not keep you around for very long.

[the727kid]

yep i am a ex-master mecp cert.
i have cell phone cert, security cert, you can test at you local library if they offer testing centers, study the book, know the terms backwards and forwards, unfortunantly Florida shops dont care if you are mecp cert or not! Where i worked in Co the more cert i received the higher % i got on a job - master paid 55% of labor install price!

Umm you've passed the master exam???:-o:-o Only a handful people in the whole world are master installers (I think less than 100)...including people like Gary Biggs & Mark Elderidge..............

[GradeA_TireFryer]

yes i did- years ago - the master cert only is good for 2 years and you have to retest - i moved back to florida and got out of the Car Audio game full time - just do it for fun and a little extra spending money (mostly to fund my chevelle)

[Notladstyle]

yes i did- years ago - the master cert only is good for 2 years and you have to retest - i moved back to florida and got out of the Car Audio game full time - just do it for fun and a little extra spending money (mostly to fund my chevelle)

ehh I'm a little skeptical that someone with such bad grammar could pass an exam that would challenge a college physicist. :roll:

[TJElite]

First, I think the new 'master' is different than what Grade A is talking about. When I was at CES in January, they mentioned a brand new 'master' level...the test and book had not been written yet. This new level is to be the 'best of the best'. I got one of the first study guides, but haven't looked it over yet. It covers all sorts of stuff from Hybrids to drive by wire to vehicle data bus systems to welding to painting.

Second, as an employer, I'll tell you that MECP does matter to me. If I had two guys who were fairly equally qualified, and one had mecp, he'd be the one I'd hire. If nothing else, it says to me that he wants this career bad enough to spend some extra time and money on qualifications.

I can't speak for any other shops, though.

Toby

[GradeA_TireFryer]

toby, any news on the machine we were talking about?

[TBSpyder]

To say MECP doesn't mean jack is ridiculous. Any reputable shop is not going to just completely blow off an MECP certification...if nothing else, it atleast shows an employer that you're willing to take that extra step. Does being certified automatically mean you're a good installer? No. That's where experience and references come in. Go for it. It's atleast good for brushing up on the basics and more technical side of mobile electronics, not to mention it's cheap.

[italiancorolla]

I am sell LED accessoried for cars and motorcycles and will start installing them soon. I know I am iffy on someone touching my car so I wanted to know if MECP meant anything or not. LOL, I has a degree and drafting and design and it didnt get me anywhere, :(

Thanks