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I ordered the MECP basic installers guide a couple of days ago and im pretty eager to dive into it. i been thinkin of tryin to get a job at a customs place but i figure imma need some experience before all that, something like circuit city or best buy maybe? i was wondering if anyone has ever held an audio job and what advice they might have. like where should i be looking to get started, a place like best buy, or circuit city? or are there better options? and is the basic install exam difficult?

i own my own shop and i have people weekly who want to work for me who have never done anything other than hook up their own stuff, thats cool and all but they want me to look at their install and it honestly is usually terrible and sometimes unsafe......so me being the ass i am point out that i dont do work like that at my shop and maybe they need some experience somewhere with better insurance before i could hire them....

i guess what im saying is you definitely need some experience, but aside from that you need to teach yourself the skills needed to work in a custom shop and that is not something youll get at best buy or circuit city......for the most part those places do drop in installs.......learn how to make baffles and squeeze a 6.5 where a 4x6 was or how to fiberglass, or how to build a custom box......those are the things that even though they dont get done everyday are the things that will seperate you from most installers....also, do your wiring nice and neat.....learn to solder, learn to be creative and sometimes just starting something is the only way to get it done, when it seams there is no logical way to start, just start somewhere...

im sort of learning as i go along with my own installs, i plan on doing some customizing of some kind, whether it be an amp rack or my own box, im gonna start with something a little simpler then jumping into fiberglassing and fabrication and all that. but all the while i wanna get the easy stuff down, so while best buy or circuit city may not be the best choice i think it'll be good for a temporary job until i can transfer into a custom shop or something else

maybe you should start at BB and CC, so you get the hang of things, and even doing drop in installs, you can still learn a bit..

Most private owners won't accept people without a lot of experience. Your best bet is to work at BB or CC, then after 5-6 years look into a private company. No company will hire you with less than that (at least no good company).

Another good idea is to find a mentor...
someone that has been in the industry for a good while that does good work.
Not always easy to find, but if you do and can learn simple stuff at BB or CC and have him/her to teach you other stuff on the side... Then you'll get where you want to be much faster

I dont even think Best BUy or Circuit City will hire you unless you know your shit.

Nobody will hire anyone that doesnt know a fair amount.

THink about it, they wont pay you $10/hr to sit there and scratch your head while trying to figure it out all day. Especially with the customer sittign there watching your every move...

Your best bet is to gain some experience with your own install and know ALL the basics before even applying anywhere.

MECP off the bat wont hurt though.

yeah circuit city and bestbuy require MECP basic i think.. or they train you and then you can get it. osmething like that

i've got my MECP book, havn't read it yet. will look into it more when i get ready to start on my system

i need to focus on the haynes manual for my truck right now.

i'm sure if you got some decent experience doing stuff for your friends, self, and other people... and then got close with a manager/owner at a shop, you could probably wiggle yourself in even if its starting at sales or doing shit work (sweeping floors, getting shit, sales, whatever) you could probably eventually get worked in as a installer... again.. thats theoretical.

i think the best start is to show up at there shop with some cash, buy a system, and then do a great install.