When I decided that I loved car audio equipment enough to want to make it a career, the reaction from my parents was, "You want to do what?!" That was a couple of decades ago. While studying Engineering at my local university to humor my parents, I maintained a part time job as an installer, and immediately returned to mobile electronics when I was finished with my education (I later discovered I was never really "finished"). From there it has been a long, exciting and enjoyable transition through various segments of the mobile electronics industry.
Some things never change, especially when I hear parents today ask the same question. The misconception of the general public comes from a small understanding of a large and diverse industry. It also does not clarify the situation when our industry has its own evolutional capabilities - as conditions change, the industry evolves to compensate. I wrote an article a couple of years ago on how to go about your first step for getting into the business, but I didn't have the space to expand on what happens next. Here is a look at what the mobile electronics industry holds as a future for eager participants.
Is it Really a Career?If you were to look only at the small retailers and shops that have carved out a niche as a specialist you might be led to think that mobile electronics is a pretty small time business. Yet major retailers like Best Buy and Circuit City as well as small regional chains like Al & Ed's Autosound, Magnolia Hi Fi and Boomer have a vested interest in building the mobile electronics industry.
The Consumer Electronics Association finalized a Standardized Occupational Code that added mobile electronics specialist to the occupational register. This is the first step in formalizing the trade as a true occupation in the eyes of the government; and surprisingly it is happening during the time when some industry insiders are already reaching retirement age in this field. In addition, governments at every level are beginning to create formal licensing schemes for mobile electronics installation technicians. This generally happens when an industry begins to become a larger force, not at the end of a technology when the industry begins to fade. The authorities are finally recognizing the importance of mobile electronics as a new career despite its long history.
The Profile for SuccessYou may be surprised to discover this: teens that struggle through school and seem to care about nothing except car audio make some of the more successful industry members. I have found that in many cases, high school graduates who seem unable to get excited about any job thrive in car audio. It's the intense interest in the field that allows an individual to excel. What looked like a lack of motivation reveals itself as a person simply running on the wrong fuel. An aspiring installer will learn algebra because he discovers he needs it to design the cool ideas exploding in his creative mind, but good luck trying to teach it to him in high school. As an educator, I believe that applies to any vocation.
Different from the TradesOne major difference between what are thought of as "trades" (electrician, plumber, mechanic...) and careers in car audio is that traditional trades are entered into as an occupation, while mobile electronics starts as a paid hobby and a real passion. This has not changed significantly in over 25 years, where a teenager with a strong interest and wide awareness of mobile electronics is asked by a friend, "Can you install my stereo?" Half of the independent one-store retailers everywhere have started from beginnings like this, and have simply made the jump from doing the job for free to actually charging a fee! The next logical choice was to open their own businesses.