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Let's Talk Cabling!
Beyond Credentials: Building Your ICT Career Path
Knowledge is power! Make sure to stop by the webpage to buy me a cup of coffee or support the show at https://linktr.ee/letstalkcabling . Also if you would like to be a guest on the show or have a topic for discussion send me an email at chuck@letstalkcabling.com
Chuck Bowser RCDD TECH
#CBRCDD #RCDD
Wednesday night, 6 pm, eastern Standard Time. That can only mean one thing Live after hours with your favorite RCDD, chuck Bowser. You know that's me. Welcome to, let's Talk Cabling, your gateway to the world of ICT. Get ready to dive deep into knowledge and power. Don't even try to pretend like I'm not your favorite RCDD. You know I am when I answer your questions on installation, design, certification, qualification, career path, a little bit of everything.
Speaker 1:Remember, we always start off with every live stream on Wednesday nights with what are you drinking, what are you drinking? And if you know me and you've been around the show for longer than two episodes, you know I'm drinking zevia, ginger ale. That's the soda that has no sugar in it, no caffeine, no additives. Tastes just like ginger ale. So tell us in the chat box what are you drinking? Mom, if my mom is drinking pepsi, nice, kaylin, what are you? What are you drinking? What are you drinking? Let's turn on the chat on the other live stream so I can see the people talking.
Speaker 1:Also, the acronym challenge. Can't forget the acronym challenge. The acronym challenge for tonight is it's an easy one IDF, idf. What does that acronym mean? Go ahead and tell me in the chat box. I got 10,000 vanilla coke. That's cool, mr Kalen. I got 10,000 points to the first person who can tell me what the acronym IDF stands for. I'll give you a few seconds while you're typing that in.
Speaker 1:Did you catch the show? This week I did a show on how the 50% copper tariffs are going to affect the cable industry. So I had a special guest on from a regional distributor and we talked about how those impact the industry. Idf still waiting for someone to type in that answer. Nobody's going to type it in. Okay, it's Independent Distribution Frame. That's the old acronym and now we call it the Telecom Room. But the old acronym. We used to call them IDFs, mdfs and IDFs, but they don't call them that anymore. They don't, they don't.
Speaker 1:So tonight's show I'm not doing questions, I'm doing something a little bit different. A little bit different because what I'm doing is I get a lot of questions Chuck, should I go for my RCDD first? Chuck, should I go for my tech first? Chuck, should I go for my RTM first? Which one do I need to go first? I get that question a lot, a lot, and while the answer to every single person asking me that is going to be different because it's going to be tailored to each person.
Speaker 1:But that's the theme tonight, right? The theme is getting a certification to move your career forward. Who doesn't want to make more money, right? Who doesn't want to go up in the corporate ladder to to get that dream job, that dream position? You know, whatever that dream position may look like for you some people it's estimating, some people it's project management, some people it's quality or training everybody's got their own niche, their own niche.
Speaker 1:So so, first thing is again, I appreciate everybody. Hey, put it in the chat box. Where are you watching tonight's show from? Put the chat box when are you watching tonight's show from? Put it in the chat box. Where are you watching tonight's show from? Just out of curiosity, west Central Florida here, yes, about an hour north of Tampa, yeah, we were. Tampa got up to 112 degrees yesterday. 112 degrees. Plant City's in the house, north Carolina's in the house, tennessee's in the house. I wonder where Shotzi is tonight. If he was here, he'd be saying I'm in Ohio, chuck, ohio. So welcome everybody.
Speaker 1:So why do certifications matter, right? So here's the thing A company wants to hire somebody who has experience. How are they going to know if you have experience if they don't hire you. It's kind of like the the double-edged sword, right? Let's be honest, experience is king. People with the most experience, the best experience they're going to be the ones making the most money. So how do you get in the door? Low power mode I had that phone on charge all day how do you get in the door if you can't show the company how you work right Certifications?
Speaker 1:Certifications help prove that you know your stuff right. Kalen's thinking about getting his PMP certification. That's a tough one to get, buddy. The PMP is a harder certification to get than an RCDD certification. So yeah, the certifications will open those doors to positions that you may want. It might even be a qualification for that position. You might have to have that RCDD or that Bixie Tech to get there right, so it's going to get you in that door.
Speaker 1:Now here's the thing the RCDD. It doesn't matter if you're going into design, it doesn't matter if you're going into leadership. It helps you stand out in the job market, because there are two types of people in this job market for low voltage those who have certifications and those who don't. The people who don't have certifications they fall into two separate pools those who want to get their certification and those who are absolutely against getting their certification. And I get it. Some people are against getting their certification because you know what I did my 12 years and I got out of high school. I don't want to go to school anymore. I get that. I get that. I used to. Of high school, I don't want to go to school anymore. I get that. I get that. I used to be that way.
Speaker 1:But in this industry you have to be a constant learner. Constant learner Because our industry just changes way too fast. I mean just looking back 15 years ago. 15 years ago Cat 5E was the top cable cable. Now it's cat 8, so got to be a constant learner. And you don't. You know so and there's so people don't like to take tests.
Speaker 1:So I would easily say that 75 of people in the industry either have some type of credential now. It could be the rcdd, it could be the tech, it could be the rtpm, it could be the theCDD, it could be the tech, it could be the RTPM, it could be the PMP, as Kalen says he wants to try to get his or the CFOT they know one of them certifications, and then the other 25% are those who are trying to get it someday in their career. Okay, so the vast majority of people are going to tell you in this industry that credential is going to really help them. So let's talk about so. I mentioned the Bixi Tech, I mentioned the RTPM and the RCDD. Let's talk about who is the best person for each one of those credentials and what is the key focus. So the Bixi Tech we'll start off with that one. That's really going to be for installers and technicians. It's going to help you prove that you've got that field-level installation.
Speaker 1:My mind is just pulling a blank on me tonight Installation experience, the abilities and also testing expertise. Installation experience, the abilities and also testing expertise. And if you go for the tech certification, there's even some project light, project management, light project supervision in there. Right, I've been in Louisville, dc, for two and a half years. Wouldn't Bixie what? I'm missing the other half of your comment there, jillian. Yeah, you're missing the other half of your comment there, jillian, and some people will use the Bixie Tech certification to help get them to their RCDD. Would it help you get me to pay more? Absolutely, companies are willing to pay more for people with credentials.
Speaker 1:There are customers out there when they put out their request for proposal, request for quote. They usually put in that contract documentation that you have to have X amount of RCDDs on staff, x amount of Big C techs on staff. So companies are always looking for people who have those certifications so that way they can make sure that they can respond to those bids and maybe get that work. So the Big C tech is really going to be the field stuff, right, the field stuff, and some light project form type of stuff, the RTPM, the Registered Telecommunications Project Manager. That's going to be for your project leads, that's going to be for your project manager.
Speaker 1:Now, that's not going to focus on installation. That's actually going to focus on installation. That's actually going to focus on um, on managing the schedule, managing the material budget, the labor budget, um, being able to do project close up, being able to do risk management for your, for your low voltage project, also known as your ict project, was uncertified a year ago but got plt installer one, one and two Tech month out test for RCDD. Can't wait, don't wait, don't wait to get your RCDD because every new version of the TDMM, which is the book you have to study, they put more information in it and they're going to start working on the new revision in probably about a year, so I would not wait. And so who is the RCDD for then? I already mentioned who the Bixi Tech was for, who the RTPM was for, who is the RCDD for? The RCDD, it's best suited for designers and estimators. But there's a lot of people who get their RCDD credential, who never do estimating, who never do design. Now, I did both design and estimating but you know what it helps you in any kind of role that you have, any kind of role that you have in the low-voltage industry. It truly does.
Speaker 1:I know people who have RCDDs in sales. How's that going to help you in sales If you're a salesperson? Let's be honest here salespeople, customers, tend to have a reputation. They tend to have a reputation, not all of them. There's a lot of great salespeople out there. So customers tend to build up this wall because they realize they've got to deal with all that extra fluff from a salesperson. If the salesperson has their RCDD right, then that's going to help break down that wall a little bit faster. A little bit faster.
Speaker 1:Bob Berger, clearly I know more than you. Good for you, bob. I'll be the first to tell you I don't know everything. There's a lot of people in this industry who are way smarter than me, a lot of people. But there's also people who have the RCDD, who have, who have go into quality, they go into, they go into training and again, that just helps in that, in that whole process.
Speaker 1:So let's take a deep dive into into the decision framework, right? So? So for the Bixi Tech, you know what are you going to give that certification. The Bixi Tech, you're going to know how to dress cabling. You're going to know how many cables you should have in a bundle. What is the maximum number of cables you can have in a bundle? Should you use tie wraps or Velcro? How far apart should those J-hooks be? How far above the ceiling should it be? How far apart should you be from electrical right?
Speaker 1:It's going to also help you terminate not just copper but also fiber and shielded cabling. I've got a class coming in on Friday, a company who wants to learn how to do shielded terminations, a company who wants to learn how to do shield determinations. Now, shield determinations is not something that a lot of people in the US do. It's. Most projects in the United States tend to be UTP, unshielded, twisted pair cabling and that's fine. You really don't need shielded twisted pair cable 90% of the time. You just don't need shielded twisted pair cable. 90% of the time you just don't, Right. So it's going to teach you how to terminate that, because the way you terminate a shielded cable is different than the way you terminate an unshielded cable, and that's going to show you how to test that cabling as well. Right, it's going to teach you how to know the difference between what is a certification test, a qualification test, a verification test, and to know which tester to use, based on what you're trying to get. Are you trying to get a manufacturer's warranty or are you just trying to troubleshoot a cable that's just not working right? That's all covered in the Bixie Technician certification and, like I said earlier, it is a great foundation for doing your RCDD. There's a lot of stuff in the Bixie Technician material that's also found in the RCDD stuff, so it's also it's a really great. I've known probably 25 to 30 people who got their Bixie Tech just under the sole reason to be a foundation to go to the RCDD. So that's fine.
Speaker 1:So the RTPM okay, the RTPM. So what are you going to get with that certification? Well, with that certification. You're going to get knowledge like a lead tech stepping into a project right. You're going to learn about scheduling, gantt charts. You know why is it important. Why do you have to have who are the stakeholders on the projects? Right, who are the stakeholders and what is risk management? Right, because the stakeholders isn't just the project manager and the customer. Stakeholders can be a lot more people. The general contractor can be considered a stakeholder, distribution can be considered and do one as well.
Speaker 1:And then also you learn how to communicate and document. Right, communicate and document. And that's going to be. You want to be successful in this industry, you better learn how to communicate and document. I have a website and on that website it's got 147 pro tips, and pro tip number one is document, document, document. Pro tip number two is communicate, communicate, communicate. It's funny because we work in the communications industry but we suck at communicating and it's just kind of weird that it goes that way. So that that RTPM is also going to make your day smoother because it's going to help you do it. So it's got, you know, a lot of people. A lot of people call themselves project managers but they can't tell you what is the budgeted cost of work performed. If you can't tell me what is the budgeted cost of work performed, you are not a project manager. You are not a project manager. So there you go.
Speaker 1:Now RCDD. It can really consider the design authority credential in our industry. It's almost considered and this is a Chuckism, I don't think I've ever read this but it's considered the gold credential for the low voltage industry. The gold credential because so many people look up to it. Some people are trying to get it and it does help you out. I've said this on many occasions Once I got my RCDD, within 30 days I was offered another job making $20,000 more a year, just because I had my RCDD. So it is considered the gold standard and that's going to focus on making sure that you can design a structured cable plant that's going to be code compliant, standards compliant, it's going to perform.
Speaker 1:It also talks about other things too. It talks about nurse call cabling, patient monitor cabling, av systems, right, lots of stuff there. There's a lot of stuff in that credential that's going to help you with your career and it's a high value for estimators, designers, sales engineers and consultants. So the RCDD is the good one and I know people who only have that I know some people. As a matter of fact, the gentleman who helps me teach the RCDD study class. As a matter of fact, the gentleman who helps me teach the RCD study class, he has an RCDD tech certified trainer and, like five other certifications, his badge has like 17 banners on it. It's just absolutely, absolutely, just long. So let's talk about what is the cost and the time commitment to get each one of those three certifications.
Speaker 1:So the Bixi Tech, and now this is provided that you don't go purchase any extra classes, if you just try to do it just by buying the books and paying for the flashcards and the exam fees. So the Bixi Tech, that credential, is going to cost you $500 to $600, right, if you go take the Bixi course, the Bixi course will cost you. Last time I priced it, I want to say it was $2,200, $2,300, something like that. And I do recommend. I do know somebody, well, I know somebody, I know lots of people actually who have decided they're going to get the Bixie Tech without going to the class. Right, and here's the thing. There are things they teach you in the class that could be on when you do the, when you do the exam, you have a hands-on exam and a and a written exam. Studying the book is only going to help you with the written exam. It's not really going to help you with the hands-on exam. I know somebody who failed their Big C Tech hand-on test because they didn't know about the two-finger loop for Cross Connect on 66 blocks and that's not anywhere in the book, anywhere in the book, but that is something that they teach in the class.
Speaker 1:When you're trying to get your Bixie Tech credential, I'm going to tell you you really need to study for that for at least two weeks. I mean hardcore studying, not just telling everybody you're studying but you're not studying. I I mean hardcore studying, not just telling everybody you're studying but you're not studying. I'm talking about hardcore studying For the RTPM, the Registered Telecommunications Project Manager credential. That's going to cost you a little bit more. It's going to cost you probably $600 to $700. You've got to buy the Bixie Project Management Methods Manual. Say that three times fast. Yeah, and a lot of people again. They got the title project manager but they're not real project managers because they've never had to balance a budget, a labor budget, a material budget, or create a schedule or a critical pathway for scheduling and stuff like that. That's all stuff that a project manager is going to know.
Speaker 1:So again, I would suggest get that book, get into it for two weeks. They do also have the classes for that as well. And then there's the RCDD, the Registered Communications Distribution Design. It's a credential Again, $700 or more, right, that's going to be the exam fee. That's going to be. Then you're going to have to really put in, I know, the credential. The RCD study handbook says 100 to 150 hours of study time. I'm going to say double that. Double that, because you know a lot of people they'll read through the, the tdm, which is the book that that credential is based off of, and they'll read through and they go.
Speaker 1:That's not the way we do it in the field. Well, if you want to pass the exam, that's the exact answer you got to know because you know what you were taught wrong. And that's the difference. You know a lot of people say, ah, you don't need those credentials, just get somebody you know, get in an apprenticeship program, get in a you know, get somebody to mentor you. What if they were taught wrong? I'm just saying you know two wrongs don't make a right. It just doesn't right. So hey, tell me in the chat box. Tell me in the chat box. Tell me, chat box. Um, which tech, which search credential are you going to go for next? I already know kaylin's going to go. Try to go for the pmp certification, bob. What certificate, what credential are you going to go for next, right? Uh, shotsy, what credential are you going to go for next, right? So there you go.
Speaker 1:I am not reading from a script, bob. I am not reading from script. I got notes but I'm not reading from a script. Not, I'll prove it to you. Ask me a question and I'll prove to you. I'm not reading from a script. So the real.
Speaker 1:Here's the thing. So you know, after you, kind of, it's always best to kind of map out your career path, right? So, so that way you know, the journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step, right? So you got to figure out how to view if your long goal is to become a designer. How are you going to get there? He doesn't know these things. Yeah, okay, sure, sure, I don't know anything, bob. That's why I'm, that's why I've got the, the award from Big C, right? That's why I've got my credentials. That's why I got 40 plus years. You're just a troll brother, just a troll, and that's the last time I'm going to address you anyway.
Speaker 1:So here's the thing there's three people that I've mentored recently. That that really, that really, in fact, one of them just came across today. One came across today. I met him at a Bixie conference last year and I'm not going to say who it was, but they were going through some life problems and they came across the podcast. They came across. You know, you know me talking about treat it as a career, not as a job, and they just got their rcdd, just got, and it was because I inspired them to do that, and that's just really cool.
Speaker 1:Then there's Jake. Jake who used his, he got his Bixie Tech credential and he used that to get into a project foreman role, a leadership role, and the project foreman role is the first step to working your way up to project supervisor, project manager, program manager. You know, again, very, very few people start their career in this industry at a program manager level, which is above project manager, by the way. Right, a lot of people discredit Bixby because they can't pass the test. That's a lot of truth. Right there, a lot of truth. Right there, a lot of truth, right? There's a lot of people out there that they're afraid of the test. So they talk bad about Bixie.
Speaker 1:And I'm going to tell you it took me two times to pass the RCDD test. And the key is don't let it get you down. And our industry is not just men. There's another mentee of mine, sophia, who was a site foreman. Sophia went and got her RTPM and she now manages eight-figure projects we're talking multimillion-dollar projects all because they got their RTPM. Now, some would say she might have gotten there without it, maybe. But I tell you what it probably expedited it. Getting it there expedited it.
Speaker 1:And then there was Marcus. Marcus is an estimator that I know. I met him at a conference and he finally decided to go for his RCDD. He got his RCDD. It helped him with his work. But now he's doing something that I bet a lot of people in our industry don't do. He's paying it forward. He's now using his credential and he's speaking at not just bixie conferences but other conferences, right? So so that way he's helping raise other people.
Speaker 1:And again, again, just just remember this these aren't just letters after your names, these are keys to the next level in your career path. So that's why I said I'm always going to be a proponent of getting your credential. It doesn't mean you can't be successful in this industry without it, but you are going to be a lot more successful with it. You need to get into Chuck's study group if you want to get your RCDD. Thank you, bc. I appreciate that. I'm going to be starting up another study group soon, but I'm going to do it a little bit differently. I'm going to be doing just chapters once a week and stuff. So a little bit different, but I'm doing it.
Speaker 1:So now let's talk about this. Do I need a degree for any of those credentials? Let's talk about this. Do I need a degree for any of those credentials? The, the Bixie tech, the um, rtpm, the RCDD, no, no, um. I had mine when I got those credentials, but you know what? It didn't really, didn't really help it, because it's really focused to the industry.
Speaker 1:Which one pays the most? That's kind of a hard question to really answer, because pay is a result of the company's need for that position. Are they just trying to fill a position or do they need one so bad because they're not going to lose work because of it? What is your ability to negotiate? Some people can negotiate salaries better than others. And do you have experience and do you have credentials? See, the whole salary thing is all that stuff rolled up into one ball of wax. But if you have your credential, absolutely, it absolutely is going to help you land the job that you want quicker and make more money. It just is. It just is.
Speaker 1:So the RTPM, the RTPM, right. Hey, chuck, good to see you. Are you still running the CERT classes? Yes, I am actually Teaching one tomorrow. I taught one yesterday. So always teaching, always teaching, right. Is the RTPM worth it if I already manage projects? Yes, it is. Yes, it is right.
Speaker 1:And here's the thing I had a guy sit in one of my day classes, as Trayvon mentioned. He sat in one of my day classes and in the day classes I talk about bonding and grounding. It's one of my pet peeves of this industry. People don't know the difference between bonding and grounding. So I really drive that in. What is the definition of bonding, what is the definition of grounding and why is it important to know in our industry? And after that class, that person, who was a project manager, was at a weekly construction meeting, meeting with the general contractor and the electrical contractor. And the electrical contractor asked him hey, are you going to need any kind of grounding? And then the guy told him he says, yes, I'm going to need a bond be able to bond to a bus bar. And he gave him all the specs. And the guy says, do you have experience in high voltages? He goes no, uh-uh, because most low-voltage people don't know that stuff. So the RTPM is the exact same way. You might think you're a good project manager now, but getting your RTPM credential is going to make you a better project manager. A better project manager means you bring the projects in even way under budget on material and labor. And if you start bringing your projects in under budget more consistently, making more money for the company, they will notice that and the good companies are going to reward you for that. They're going to reward you for that. So, yes, it absolutely can help you, even if you are already a project manager. Right?
Speaker 1:We had a question coming in on Chuck. Chuck, can you write the RCD exam in Canada or do you have to travel to the USA to write it? So, okay, I think what you mean, curtis, is can you take the exam in Canada? I think that's what you actually mean in Canada. I think that's what you actually mean. So the way that you take the RCDD exam is there's this company called Pearson View. Pearson View you can actually go to the local Pearson View, to where you live, and take it there on their site, and I think they also give you the option to take the exam as well in your own home setting. But you're going to have to take a camera and scan it around to show your walls, make sure you don't have any answers on the wall and all that kind of stuff. So yes, you don't have to come to the US to take the exam. I know a lot of people in Canada people I work with who have the RCDD exams and they got it while living in Canada. So absolutely you can get it in Canada. And they got it while living in Canada. So absolutely you can get it in Canada. I can't speak for how it's going to help you in Canada because I'm real familiar with the US labor market for low voltage, not quite so familiar with the low voltage labor market in Canada. So there you go, bob.
Speaker 1:I think you need two plus years of experience before you can take the RCD exam. That is correct. So there's three ways you can qualify for the RCD exam. The way that I did it you have to have five years of design experience. Five years of design experience and they're going to ask for references. You also have to. If you don't want to go that route. You have to have two years of verifiable design experience in the industry, plus a two-year degree, like an AA degree, in some related field to this industry. Or you can do two years of experience plus two years of either a STEM school or military training or something along that line. So two-year field experience with two years other type of experience. So you're going to have to have four years of experience before you can even sit for an RCD exam. And it's kind of good that they've done it that way.
Speaker 1:It truly, truly is All right. Let me check the box and see if I have any other questions before I log out for the day. All righty, are you not going to buy my digital marketing course? What marketing course do you have? I don't know. I'm my own marketer, right? I think it's not a real test. I'm pretty sure. No, it's a real test. It is a real test, all right, sure? No, it's a real test. It is a real test. I don't see any other questions in the air, just a bunch of people trolling. So there we go. So until next time. Everybody, remember Knowledge is power. Let's talk, let's talk. Let's cable with pride In the world of ICT. Let's cable with pride In the world of ICT. Let's ride this tide. Thank you for joining us on let's Talk Cable. Stay tuned for more episodes filled with innovation. Keep connecting, keep achieving. Until next time.