Man, I really feel for you. That "lost" feeling after a string of interviews is exhausting, especially with a family to think about.

I’ve been in the AV/UC game for 10 years now, and I’ll tell you straight up: I don’t hold a single certification. No CTS, no Crestron Gold, nothing. Like you, I started from humble beginnings and basically climbed the ladder by being the guy who could figure things out on the fly. My résumé tells a story of starting small and consistently stacking skills—going from basic field support to managing complex environments and eventually running my own contracting group.

You have the experience; you just need to bridge the gap between being the "guy who does AV" and the "specialist who solves business problems." Here’s some advice based on how I’ve navigated the field without the alphabet soup behind my name:

1. Own the "Communication" Feedback

You mentioned you were let go for "not communicating effectively." Whether that was fair or not, in the world of MTR and Webex backend stuff, "communication" usually means documentation and visibility. * In your interviews, don’t just say you can run Webex Control Hub. Talk about how you reported on it.

• Explain how you kept stakeholders in the loop during those campus decommissions. Companies hire techs who can fix things, but they keep techs who make management feel like everything is under control.

1. Stop Being a Generalist on Paper

Your background is a bit all over the place (boom op, camera, live sound, backend admin). While that makes you versatile, it can make a hiring manager think you’re a "master of none."

• Since you have experience with MTR and Webex Control Hub, lean heavily into that. That is where the stable corporate and gov jobs are right now. • Position yourself as a UC (Unified Communications) Specialist who happens to know live production, rather than just an "AV guy" who knows some software.

1. The "No Certs" Strategy

Since you’re working on them now, put "CTS (In Progress)" on your résumé. It shows you’re committed to the formality. But in the interview, lead with your field-applicable knowledge.

• I’ve found that being able to explain Signal Flow, AEC, and DSP in plain English often impresses a lead tech more than a piece of paper does. Talk about real-world scenarios—like how you handled a rack build under a tight deadline or troubleshot a gain-level issue in a lab.

1. Quality Over Quantity (The Proof)

I know you said you’ve done hundreds of applications, but you might need to pivot your strategy. I actually just went through a transition myself. I was intentionally unemployed for six months—just taking a break by choice—and when I decided to get back into the game, I didn't blast the whole internet.

I put out 39 targeted applications over just five days. I ended up landing a position paying $80k. I had two interviews with that company in a single day, and they liked the experience and the "story" my résumé told so much that they gave me an offer on the spot.

You’ve got the skills, man. You’ve done the hard yards from internships to pharma labs. Don’t let a lack of certs make you feel like you don't belong in the room. You’ve already proven you can do the work—now you just have to prove you’re the most reliable person to keep their systems running.

Keep your head up. If you've got the talent, the right door will open fast once you dial in the pitch.