HELLO EVERYONE. I BASICALLY KNOW NOTHING ABOUT CAR AUDIO BUT WANT TO LEARN REALLY BAD BECAUSE THE FIELD INTERESTS ME A LOT. HERES THE DILLEMA THOUGH: I'M PLANNING ON GOING TO INSTALLER INSTITUTE IN DAYTONA, FL AND I'M WORRIED BECAUSE I KNOW NOTHING ABOUT CAR AUDIO AND THINK THIS WILL BE A PROBLEM BECAUSE ONLY EXPERIENCED PEOPLE GO TO THESE SCHOOLS. ITS GOING TO TAKE ME A LONG TIME TO LEARN EVERYTHING AND I DON'T THINK IM READY TO GO TO SCHOOL YET. I MEAN DO ANY SCHOOLS TAKE NON-EXPERIENCED PEOPLE?? DOES ANYONE HAVE ANY SUGGESTIONS ON WHAT I SHOULD DO??
Replies (7)
cplkittle on 01/20/2007 01:35:09
first of all, please release the caps lock button. The icons that appear in your post are a result of certain words in caps.
If you hang out here for awhile, I gurantee you will learn a few things. I started out here, and in 2 years I was managing a car audio shop. Pay attention and take notes on the replies we post, and feel free to ask us why we recommended certain things.
ShootuhMcBustaCap on 01/20/2007 03:24:56
Welcome to CK! I have been wanting to go to an installers school for some time here, and the golds and other members are the most knowledgable people I have ever discussed audio. I have learned a lot il the last few months, thanks to these guys.
Kit how did you get your foot in the door of the business? I will lose it soon not working on systems for a living continues........
ttocs on 01/20/2007 10:08:57
again welcome and X2 on the caps lock........
As they said there are alot of nice people here that dispence knowledge for free everyday. There are a few like myself and kittle that have been working in the industry for a while now, I guess I am going on 13-14 yrs myself and enjoy helping people.
As for schools I don't know. If you do not know as much as you would like I would suggest trying to get into a sales job. Big box stores like circuit city and the home of the piss yellow price tag are good ways to get into the industry and learn(they will hire almost anyone). I started in a big box store(point proven!) and learned I like the smaller ones myself, but either spot is a starting point. I have seen people come out of the schools and didn't know anything but now thought they knew everything. I would probably tell you to wait a little bit, the best expereince you can get is this industry will not be a class room..... If you want a job in sales the best thing to do would be to NOT go in and act like you know everything, but more importantly do not know more then the people in the store. We have guys walk in everyday that say they know everything and act like it, we can read them like a book with a clear cover and know that they know nothing. Go in, tell them you are interested in learning and if it is a small shop might even work as an intern at a discounted rate for a period to show your interest. Shops are almost always looking for good cheap work but you might be sweeping the floors and cleaning the bathrooms for a bit. This is as much of a test to see if you are interested as much as it might be they need the stuff cleaned. Don't let them walk on you but you will have to pay your dues like everyone else did.
MrBrownstone on 01/20/2007 16:39:40
Learning Car audio is a game of experience. The installer institute will teach you how to make the complicated enclosures...so it'd be best if you have some fiberglass & woodworking experience before attending.
If you've done general wiring, there haven't been a whole lot of inventions since the early 1990s, so it's mostly learning fiberglassing, acoustic work, effectively using electronics for optimum sound. I doubt they'll teach a lot of basic things.
Keep in mind, the job of the installer isn't to shove products into a hole in the dash, but to maximize the installation, speaker placement and to maximize the potential of the equipment.
cplkittle on 01/20/2007 21:45:26
I started part time at a small mom and pop shop. They were really flexible on the hours I could work. If you chose a big box retailer like ttocs recommended or a smaller store, you will be jumping in to the frying pan. It's a sink or swim world. Ask alot of questions and listen. You will meet some people that can BS their way out of anything, so the best advice I can give is to listen, but research at the same time. Alot of newbies in this business like to think they know everything, and will try to impress you with nonsense, listen to the experienced installers and always ask why.
We hired a bronze level MECP certified installer once. He lasted 5 days. Dumb as a rock!! I don't know what they teach in the schools, but it is not common sense. I second everything said in this post, especially that you might want to get some of the basics down before you go. You will understand and learn more if you have something to build on.
swez on 01/20/2007 22:25:37
Fear of the unknown is a healthy sort of fear if it does not immobilize a given person. There's a lot of great advice here already and it may be very heplful to request an overview of the schools' program guide. (Syllabus)
1. What they teach
2. What skills one needs to be off to a good start
3. How much time on theory VS hands on shop work
4. Credentials you get after the course is completed
5. Work placement help after graduation
Things like this are good to know up front. Afterall, the fees are coming out of your pocket and you should have a good handle on what you will get for your investment.
Finally, read up on the FAQ's and DIY articles in this site. They have a lot of good ideas, tips and tricks to save time and get optimal results too. Get used to asking lots of questions as you go. There's a lot of details in this kind of work and lots of false BS spread about on many other car audio forums. The trick is sorting out the wheat from the chaff.
Good luck and welcome to CK,
Swez
MrBrownstone on 01/22/2007 04:25:29
There are a lot of people with sheepskin on the wall yet not enough qualifications to live a productive life. Check the average homeless shelter. At least one guy has a master's degree. No joke!! What matters is experience and skill.
You can get As in school, but if you aren't able to apply your knowledge, you are essentially uneducated. I like the story of the MECP certified guy. If I or a number of former shop managers could tell you the number of times we cleaned up after someone was done 'installing' it would make you wonder if MECP is valuable at all.
Just like a high school diploma, it's just a passed test. I know a large number of kids today that passed english, yet do not know the functional difference between 'there', 'their' and " they're". Funny, but although it seems so easy. We're not talking about typos or simply lazy spellchecking...we're talking usage. (or should I say were, weir, wey're?)
At any rate, in the field is where you learn everything. Studying & schooling are merely preparation for the big game. The game is where you truly accomplish something. My team defeated defending world champions in DB Drag in our first outing. We had no degrees, certifications, and online stores were the bast*rd children of the industry. After that day, we scared many manufacturers ***cough***memphis***. Too bad we couldn't scare some of them into sponsoring us...other than MA Audio :=)
END RANT
Replies (7)
cplkittle on 01/20/2007 01:35:09
first of all, please release the caps lock button. The icons that appear in your post are a result of certain words in caps.
If you hang out here for awhile, I gurantee you will learn a few things. I started out here, and in 2 years I was managing a car audio shop. Pay attention and take notes on the replies we post, and feel free to ask us why we recommended certain things.
ShootuhMcBustaCap on 01/20/2007 03:24:56
Welcome to CK! I have been wanting to go to an installers school for some time here, and the golds and other members are the most knowledgable people I have ever discussed audio. I have learned a lot il the last few months, thanks to these guys.
Kit how did you get your foot in the door of the business? I will lose it soon not working on systems for a living continues........
ttocs on 01/20/2007 10:08:57
again welcome and X2 on the caps lock........
As they said there are alot of nice people here that dispence knowledge for free everyday. There are a few like myself and kittle that have been working in the industry for a while now, I guess I am going on 13-14 yrs myself and enjoy helping people.
As for schools I don't know. If you do not know as much as you would like I would suggest trying to get into a sales job. Big box stores like circuit city and the home of the piss yellow price tag are good ways to get into the industry and learn(they will hire almost anyone). I started in a big box store(point proven!) and learned I like the smaller ones myself, but either spot is a starting point. I have seen people come out of the schools and didn't know anything but now thought they knew everything. I would probably tell you to wait a little bit, the best expereince you can get is this industry will not be a class room..... If you want a job in sales the best thing to do would be to NOT go in and act like you know everything, but more importantly do not know more then the people in the store. We have guys walk in everyday that say they know everything and act like it, we can read them like a book with a clear cover and know that they know nothing. Go in, tell them you are interested in learning and if it is a small shop might even work as an intern at a discounted rate for a period to show your interest. Shops are almost always looking for good cheap work but you might be sweeping the floors and cleaning the bathrooms for a bit. This is as much of a test to see if you are interested as much as it might be they need the stuff cleaned. Don't let them walk on you but you will have to pay your dues like everyone else did.
MrBrownstone on 01/20/2007 16:39:40
Learning Car audio is a game of experience. The installer institute will teach you how to make the complicated enclosures...so it'd be best if you have some fiberglass & woodworking experience before attending.
If you've done general wiring, there haven't been a whole lot of inventions since the early 1990s, so it's mostly learning fiberglassing, acoustic work, effectively using electronics for optimum sound. I doubt they'll teach a lot of basic things.
Keep in mind, the job of the installer isn't to shove products into a hole in the dash, but to maximize the installation, speaker placement and to maximize the potential of the equipment.
cplkittle on 01/20/2007 21:45:26
I started part time at a small mom and pop shop. They were really flexible on the hours I could work. If you chose a big box retailer like ttocs recommended or a smaller store, you will be jumping in to the frying pan. It's a sink or swim world. Ask alot of questions and listen. You will meet some people that can BS their way out of anything, so the best advice I can give is to listen, but research at the same time. Alot of newbies in this business like to think they know everything, and will try to impress you with nonsense, listen to the experienced installers and always ask why.
We hired a bronze level MECP certified installer once. He lasted 5 days. Dumb as a rock!! I don't know what they teach in the schools, but it is not common sense. I second everything said in this post, especially that you might want to get some of the basics down before you go. You will understand and learn more if you have something to build on.
swez on 01/20/2007 22:25:37
Fear of the unknown is a healthy sort of fear if it does not immobilize a given person. There's a lot of great advice here already and it may be very heplful to request an overview of the schools' program guide. (Syllabus)
1. What they teach
2. What skills one needs to be off to a good start
3. How much time on theory VS hands on shop work
4. Credentials you get after the course is completed
5. Work placement help after graduation
Things like this are good to know up front. Afterall, the fees are coming out of your pocket and you should have a good handle on what you will get for your investment.
Finally, read up on the FAQ's and DIY articles in this site. They have a lot of good ideas, tips and tricks to save time and get optimal results too. Get used to asking lots of questions as you go. There's a lot of details in this kind of work and lots of false BS spread about on many other car audio forums. The trick is sorting out the wheat from the chaff.
Good luck and welcome to CK,
Swez
MrBrownstone on 01/22/2007 04:25:29
There are a lot of people with sheepskin on the wall yet not enough qualifications to live a productive life. Check the average homeless shelter. At least one guy has a master's degree. No joke!! What matters is experience and skill.
You can get As in school, but if you aren't able to apply your knowledge, you are essentially uneducated. I like the story of the MECP certified guy. If I or a number of former shop managers could tell you the number of times we cleaned up after someone was done 'installing' it would make you wonder if MECP is valuable at all.
Just like a high school diploma, it's just a passed test. I know a large number of kids today that passed english, yet do not know the functional difference between 'there', 'their' and " they're". Funny, but although it seems so easy. We're not talking about typos or simply lazy spellchecking...we're talking usage. (or should I say were, weir, wey're?)
At any rate, in the field is where you learn everything. Studying & schooling are merely preparation for the big game. The game is where you truly accomplish something. My team defeated defending world champions in DB Drag in our first outing. We had no degrees, certifications, and online stores were the bast*rd children of the industry. After that day, we scared many manufacturers ***cough***memphis***. Too bad we couldn't scare some of them into sponsoring us...other than MA Audio :=)
END RANT
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