Simon Goodwin of Goodelectrics explains why a CEDIA education can support you at every stage of your smart home technology career.
Education is important at any stage of your career, but particularly when you’re at the start of entering into a new market. Having worked in the electrical industry for several years, I’m now turning my passion into my career and have turned to CEDIA to support me on my path into the smart home industry.
My journey into the smart home world officially started in March 2007, but my interest in all things tech began as a child watching James Bond movies. Who doesn’t like the motorised moving walls and the tilt and turn table with Goldfinger’s master plan for Fort Knox? Who wouldn’t want that level of security and access control when you watch 007 enter MI6?
Looking back to 2007, I was working for a company based in Stockwell in South London – Audio Visual System. The Managing Director, Tony Flynn, gave me a chance to join his small, highly knowledgeable and experienced team, and this allowed me the opportunity to see the most decadent and luxurious properties in London and the South of France.
An introduction to CEDIA
Around this time, Tony put me on a three-day CEDIA introductory course at its HQ in St. Neots, which was logistically easy for me as I live in Cambridge.
I’ll always remember this course as CEDIA took a photograph of me in class and used it in one of its brochures for around a decade after that. I always had a laugh when I saw it, but it also gave me a little bit of sadness that I didn’t get to pursue the knowledge and experience further at that time.
Three months later, I found myself back in the electrical installation world and working for myself. I started Goodelectrics in 2013 – www.goodelectrics.com – and I kept quite busy with the standard electrical work.
Last year, I decided that it was time to dip my toe back into the smart home industry and to do that, I knew I needed to get on the training ladder with CEDIA. I started this journey by booking onto both the five-day Smart Home Technician Essentials course and the five-day Smart Home Technician Further Skills training. From there, I completed the Home Cinema Design Workshop.
The teachers were Simon Buddle and Geoff Meads. I enjoyed every second of every day of learning. It really did bolster my knowledge. Not only that, but they had great energy and livened up the room.
Classroom time wasn’t just filled with the likes of rookies such as myself, there were some decade-long experienced guys and gals present as well, which made for a nice mix.
While at CEDIA, I met Matt Nimmons, Managing Director, and he made me feel very welcome, easing any worries I had about setting up as a smart home professional. Emma McMylor, Education Coordinator, was brilliant and made the booking process a breeze. The team at CEDIA is excellent!
I have since attended Leslie Shiner’s one day business course, Using Today’s Numbers to Build a Profitable Financial Future, which was excellent – I’ve taken so much away from this course and it’s great that CEDIA provides the business training as well as technical.
Measuring success
One of the questions that I ask myself when working out whether my CEDIA training has been successful so far is: “Do I feel confident that I could design and install a media room system with some basic networking, a TV, a 7.1 speaker system to match the room dimensions and a little well-thought lighting design and control?”
These days the answer is ‘yes’, based on what I’ve learnt in class and some ‘dabbled in’ experience previously.
Something that lights up my enthusiasm is high end audio and acoustic treatments – a niche within a niche. The possibilities within this particular sector are so vast that it can leave potential new entrants in a place where they don’t know where/how to start.
The reality is that you do need to make a start, and I’m delighted that I chose CEDIA as my ‘go to’ for the standards, knowledge and support. If you’re in a similar position and looking to make a start in this industry, you’d would be well advised to speak to CEDIA.
Get more details about CEDIA’s smart home training and education here
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