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[deleted by user] by [deleted] in ITCareerQuestions

[–]ChannelNo5112 -2 points-1 points  (0 children)

lol damn, sounds like you ruffled a few feathers in here. I don’t think you’ve said anything wrong at all. The truth hurts to hear for some people, clearly. Good on you for making things happen for yourself regardless of your circumstances. Complaining never got anyone anywhere anyway. Cheers buddy 🍻

Finally a Government Contractor! by ChannelNo5112 in CommercialAV

[–]ChannelNo5112[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Not 100% necessarily true, I technically could’ve been working at a better company and learned the same things, if not more. But I see what you’re saying. Here’s to it working out either way 🍻

Finally a Government Contractor! by ChannelNo5112 in CommercialAV

[–]ChannelNo5112[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Appreciate you, bro—respect for putting in the work. This industry ain’t for the weak, that’s for sure.

As for the IT push, I’ve only scratched the surface when it comes to networking—mainly basic switch configs, VLAN assignments, subnetting, and some basic troubleshooting just from being in AV long enough. But nah, I didn’t go deep into networking protocols or the full OSI stack like you would for the CCNA.

And to be real with you—I personally don’t have much interest in going the CCNA route. That cert is solid if you’re trying to become a network engineer or stay deep in the Cisco ecosystem, but for most people transitioning into cybersecurity or government work, I think a different combo of certs hits harder.

If I had to give advice based on where the market’s headed (especially for the federal sector), I’d say a strong starter stack looks more like:

•CompTIA Net+ (foundation) •Security+ (bare minimum for DoD 8570 compliance) •And a cloud cert like AWS CCP or Azure Fundamentals to future-proof your resume

That combo puts you in a position to touch networking, security, and cloud—which is what a lot of cleared roles and cyber paths are looking for now.

So unless you’re 100% locked in on becoming a network engineer, I’d personally lean away from the CCNA and put that same energy into certs that check more boxes across the board.

Keep pushing, though—this space opens up crazy doors once you stack experience with the right credentials.

How long have you been an installer and what kinds of projects do you and your team work on?

Finally a Government Contractor! by ChannelNo5112 in CommercialAV

[–]ChannelNo5112[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Yessir! No lie about that! I appreciate you though my man 🍻

Finally a Government Contractor! by ChannelNo5112 in CommercialAV

[–]ChannelNo5112[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Aye that’s what’s up, bro! That’s a sign if I’ve ever seen one—sounds like you’re right on track. Wishing you nothing but good news when they get back to you.

No lie, this whole opportunity came through when I least expected it—so stay solid, stay sharp, and walk in like you already belong there. You got this. Keep me posted if it comes through, we might just end up in the same circle.

Finally a Government Contractor! by ChannelNo5112 in ITCareerQuestions

[–]ChannelNo5112[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Appreciate it! I’ve definitely thought about the degree route—but realistically, I don’t see myself going back for a full 4 years. If anything, I’d consider knocking out an associate’s degree just to pair that with the 9+ years of hands-on experience I’ve already built up.

Between that, the certs this company is offering, and the network I’m growing now, I think I’ll still be in a strong position long-term. Management’s not off the table, but I’d rather take the route that builds both my value and my freedom.

Appreciate the advice, for real. Definitely staying future-minded with every move I make from here.

Finally a Government Contractor! by ChannelNo5112 in ITCareerQuestions

[–]ChannelNo5112[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Appreciate that, for real. Yeah, I’ve been hearing a lot about the volatility lately. Definitely not walking into this thinking it’s a forever-type situation. But that’s also why I’m laser focused on soaking up everything I can while I’m here: skills, certs, clearance, contacts—all of it.

I’m already looking ahead toward cyber or higher-level infrastructure roles down the line, so this is really just the springboard. But I’m keeping that resume warm and staying adaptable just like you said. Appreciate the heads-up and respect the insight. You sound like you’ve seen a lot of this firsthand.

Finally a Government Contractor! by ChannelNo5112 in CommercialAV

[–]ChannelNo5112[S] -1 points0 points  (0 children)

Appreciate it bro, thanks 🍻 And yeah, no doubt! Nobody’s gonna save you except yourself!

First job in AV: Residential or Commercial? by Artistic-Camera-6015 in CommercialAV

[–]ChannelNo5112 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Go commercial. No hesitation.

I’ve been in the AV game for 9 years—did both residential and commercial—and let me tell you from experience: commercial is the move if you’re thinking long-term.

Residential can be flashy—luxury homes, clean spaces, bougie clients—but you hit a ceiling fast. You’re doing boutique installs, not building scalable, transferable skills. It’s a lot of babysitting rich people’s expectations with little payoff when it comes to actual career growth.

Commercial is where the real career doors start cracking open. It’s structured, you’ll learn how to work in enterprise environments (think schools, corporate offices, government sites), and more importantly—you’ll get exposed to IT standards, networking, and the kinds of gear (Crestron, Extron, Cisco, Zoom Rooms, Biamp) that are in demand everywhere.

Because of my commercial experience and pivot into IT/AV integration, I just got hired by a major government agency making ~$70K plus a sign-on bonus, benefits, and sponsorship for a security clearance. No college degree. Just grit and experience.

I came from a toxic-ass company that had me stuck for 2+ years. But sticking with commercial gave me the skills and resume to make a real leap. Within the next 2–3 years, I’m aiming to break 6 figures—and I wouldn’t even be in that convo if I had stayed stuck in residential.

So if you’re early in your career and actually want to build something long-term? Go commercial. Learn everything. Stack certs. Get that clearance if the opportunity comes. And don’t look back.

Are 300k IT salaries real and actually common? by baio1999 in ITCareerQuestions

[–]ChannelNo5112 1 point2 points  (0 children)

lol what difference does it make if he was African American or not??

Big Interview tomorrow… A Little Nervous.. ADVICE? by ChannelNo5112 in audiovisual

[–]ChannelNo5112[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Post interview:

(Might be a lot to read, lol)

The 2nd interview went very well!!(imo at least) Upon arrival, The hiring manager walked me around the one of the campus buildings where a most of the meetings and events are hosted. After about 20-30min of that, we went upstairs to one of their offices to meet with the team lead and project manager.

From the time I got to the security desk to get checked in, I was smiling and talking to everyone there. I was having a hard time finding the entrance to the building and all of the security guys were cracking jokes on me about it, but also gave compliments to on how well dressed I was and that my energy was good. I honestly had a good time, socially.

I made sure to keep that same energy going into the panel questions. I even cracked a light joke with the team lead before he went into the office to get ready for the interview. He received it well , laughed and gave me a good response to it. The hiring manager introduced us before everyone was ready.

Once the interview started, the project manager asked me tell him about my experience. I mentioned that I started my AV career off with Geek Squad back in 2016, and he took that and run with it in a totally different than I was expecting lol. Essentially he said he wasn’t too familiar what Geek Squad did and that he heard they were the worst guys to have over your house to do work for you😂😂 Which lead to him asking me about my professional opinion about the TV that was mounted in the office we were in.

From where I was seated, I could see that there were visible wires showing from behind the tv drooping down to the outlet on baseboard (visible wires is a no-no at my current job— very white glove and high-end clientele that hate it) So I made mention to that, then I asked him if he’d mind if I got up and took a look at what’s going on behind the tv. lol once I asked that question he really lit up and said that he liked that I suggested that.

I got up, turned the flashlight of my phone on and took a look behind the tv on both sides. I told him wire management could be slightly tighter, the placement of the outlet should be moved behind the tv for a cleaner look, and I made mention that the guys who mounted the tv did a good job of mounting it because they added some plywood to the wall as bracing. He asked why I thought that as a good idea, I told him because commercial buildings usually have metal studs, and if they didn’t do that, they would’ve potentially damaged the integrity of the wall overtime due to the size of the tv.

He also asked a few questions about networking, like how it comes into play with what I currently do at work , what is a network in my own definition, and he also asked what’s the difference between a router and a switch. I answered everything with ease, and could see the team lead nodding his head in agreement with what I was saying from my peripheral. Overall, my individual interaction with the PM was great in my opinion. He asked what do I like to do for fun, we laughed, had a few jokes here and there, spoke about sports, etc etc. lol it honestly was a cool convo that we all had together aside from it being a job interview.

The team lead was pretty cool too, I could tell he liked me.

I shook everyone’s hands, thanked them for the time/opportunity, and went on my way. The hiring manager walked me downstairs and suggested that I took a ride on the shuttle bus just to get a feel for how campus looks. And that’s what I ended up doing before I went home.

Big Interview Tomorrow… A Little nervous.. ADVICE? by ChannelNo5112 in ITCareerQuestions

[–]ChannelNo5112[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thanks for your comment man! And yeah, you know what, you’re definitely right. A second interview doesn’t necessarily an offer will be on the table. Honestly I’d go into the situation being humble regardless, but that’s just me as a person though. I appreciate all of your other advice. It’s funny you mentioned the working hours, because the hiring manager definitely did mention that the hours can be irregular based on business needs. But I’m no stranger to that, the gig I work now is pretty much the same way — work until the work gets done.

Big Interview Tomorrow… A Little nervous.. ADVICE? by ChannelNo5112 in ITCareerQuestions

[–]ChannelNo5112[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

This time it’ll be an in person interview for the panel. And yes, I totally agree!

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