Skyrocketing Your ICT Career with the RCDD Certification: Steps, Tips, and Experiences

Tonight's show is the RCDD special . We're gonna talk about the registered communications distribution designer credential from Big C . What's it take to get it ? Study tips how much does it cost ? Some study tips , right , all that stuff , Because it's one of those certifications that is a must have .

But before we get too much in depth and all that stuff , you know we gotta go through the regular acronym stuff , right ? So the first thing is what are you drinking ? You know this isn't after our show , so you can drink adult beverages here . That is allowed . But Chuck is drinking hot chocolate because it's cold in Florida . It is cold .

No , that doesn't mean it's 73 degrees . Okay , it's supposed to get like in the 30s 30s . So hot chocolate . Tell us in the chat box what are you drinking ? I don't drink coffee . I don't drink coffee , so hot chocolate . So somebody says they're about to order Papa John's and TikTok feed . I love hot chocolate .

Now , you know that we also oh , I forgot to talk about the QR code . There we go . Where is my QR code ? Oh look , kent is drinking tea . There you go . What kind of tea do you like to drink ? My favorite is Earl Grey . What's your favorite ? Let me know in the chat box . Michael is in the house , excuse me , he's drinking coffee .

Michael is going to be on the on the future episode of let's Talk Cabin talking about RCDDs . He's working towards his . He also says it's something about zero degrees in Toronto . Sorry , yeah , I'm not a big fan of zero degrees , just not . Just not right . Somebody says they're drinking mylows , no calorie . I don't know what mylows is .

Is that kind of like Xevia , like that soda that does have no calorie , no sugar ? And he does stuff . It is . Let me know . So let's move on . Let's talk about the QR code , not the QR code , the acronym challenge . So , as you know , oh , I forgot to upload it . Dang it . That was last week's . Hold on a second . Let me turn that off .

Let me delete this . Live on the spot , changing the ground , changing this as we go . You see , this is how it happens sometimes . Just , you know , literally up until about 4.30, . I was outside working on today on my vacation . I was working on the chicken thing for my wife , so I literally came in and threw everything together .

So here is this week's acronym TDMM . Don't forget to spay or neuter your acronyms , because we have enough , we don't need more . So in the chat box , tell us what does TDMM stand for ? I'll give you a hint . It has something to do with your RCDD certification , tdmm , right , somebody wants to know how long did it take you to be a Bixie technician ?

From the time that I decided I wanted to have it ? Three months . So TDMM okay , nobody's answered . Oh , wait a minute , katelyn has answered . He said it's telecommunications distributions methods manual . Yes , that is exactly what it means , katelyn . Good job , good job .

So TDMM is the book that you're going to have to study in order to pass your RCDD certification . Okay , that's when you're gonna have to pass . So let's also talk about last week's show . Right , came out on Monday . We got caught up with Blake Irmose and found out what low voltage nation was doing over the last year , what they're gonna be doing next year .

I'm also got Ray from Technology World . I'll be coming on in next week and same thing with them what they did last year , what they do next year . I like to stay plugged into the low voltage community , so make sure you catch those episodes . Also , next Monday I'm going to be interviewing ICT legend Chuck Lowerman . Yes , chuck Lowerman .

He's been on several committees , wrote several books for the industry , several , he's an absolute talent of information . He knows a ton about our industry , right ? Hey , sue says TDMM stands for Telecommunications Distribution Methods Manual . Very good , and the current version is the 14th edition .

That's correct , hey , sue , but I have heard that the 15th edition may be coming out soon . I've been little birdies . We're spring in my ears . Tony is in the house . Tony , how are you doing ? My friend Tony was in the last RCD study group that we had and he gets to travel quite a bit . Hey , make sure you check out my Facebook , tony .

See what I did today , see if you can top that one . My friend , we're friends on Facebook . Yes , so let's get on with the questions . Okay , the questions . So the first two questions . Well before we get that , there might be people in this room who don't know what RCDD means . It stands for Registered Communications Distribution Designer .

It is one of the most sought after certifications in the ICT industry , the people who get their RCD certifications . They're easily recognized by employers , customers , engineers , it staff .

It is a highly recognized certification in our industry and just by getting your RCDD it could open up doors for new opportunities for career growth , new opportunities to land projects , because a lot of projects come out that say you must have an RCDD on staff , you must have a Bixie technician on staff .

So that is a good thing and it's gonna enhance your credibility because a lot of people , as soon as they see you have the RCDD certification , that automatically for most people will let them know hey , this guy may know a little bit about the ICT industry .

Now there are some RCDDs out there that are just really good at passing tests and so they're not so good at application , but you know what it's like that . But the far majority of people who have the RCD certification are the pinnacle of people in the industry . So it's a great certification .

Now , matter of fact , when I got my RCDD , I learned about it in the mid-90s and I learned it from one of the guys at the shop I was working at the time and he said he's going to get his RCDD and I was like what the heck is that ?

So he kind of told me what it was and said , well , there's only you know at that time I think like 5,000 of them in the US and he says it's got like an 80% fail rate . It's a really hard certification . Again I was like , yeah , it don't sound like something I want to do . I don't like failing . So I just kind of brushed it off .

And then more and more people I knew were getting their RCDD certification . Oh sorry , credentials , it's not a certification , it's a credential . I got to keep correcting myself there , okay . And so a lot of people I knew were getting their RCDD and I was thinking , man , I really need to start thinking about this .

And then one day I heard about this guy who I used to work with who passed his RCDD exam and this guy , literally I forgot more about the industry than this guy knew about the industry and I was like if that guy can pass that test , I should be able to pass this test . So I made the decision to pursue my RCDD .

So I bought the books , I started studying , I made my own flashcards , I made my own cassette tapes and she says how long ago it was and I would listen to my stuff in my truck driving to and from work . Then I took my first test . I failed it miserably . Very few people passed it on the first time and I was not one of them .

In fact I'm jealous of those who passed it on the first time . So I failed it and if you know anything about me , you know that if I fail at something I'm coming back at it twice as hard . Hence the podcast . Right , the podcast I did . I got sent to corporate to do some videos many years ago .

I did so horrible they had to throw away all the stuff they couldn't use any of it . Now look at me , yeah . So I came back at twice as hard and I passed it the second time . Immediately , right after I got my RCDD certification , I was offered a job by another company making $20,000 more a year . Boom , right out of the gate .

I mean literally within two weeks of me getting my RCDD credential . And then I seriously considered going to that new company . But the problem was that company was a new company . They literally had only been around for like four or five years . The company I was working for at the time had been in existence for 70 , 75 years . There's some track record there .

I was raising a family of five kids . You know what I need to make sure I have money for my kids . So I stuck with my company and they did actually pay me more because I got my RCDD .

So you can make a good bit of more money and it has opened up doors for me , I mean for as far as participating on committees and stuff like that , getting to talk with people , getting to mentor people . It happens a lot . You will get recognized when you get your certification . Hey , zeus wants to know .

Quick question , chuck do you know where in the TDM and any other source , do we find information on sizing to conduct for fiber in conduit ? It should be in the Pathways and Space chapter , but I did not want to put some positive top of my head . I will see if I can't find that for you and I'll shoot you .

If we're not friends on LinkedIn already , because it shows me that you're communicating through LinkedIn , I will send you a friend request through LinkedIn and I will follow that back up with you . Oh , Daryl Harris , he's in the house . He said he failed it three times and a fourth try 21 years ago . So see , and I know Daryl .

Daryl's a very smart person and it took him four times . Four times , it's just not easy . Somebody here says I passed the first try , studied three to four months , I took the virtual class and used the flashcards . I hate you . I hate you , just saying nobody should be able to pass it on the first time . Nobody , because that's a hard test .

It's a hard test . So let's go through some of the questions that I've gotten over the last couple of weeks about RCDD credentialing and I don't remember who sent . I lost my list on who sent these questions . So the first one was why stop at age 46 ? Why does the RCDD become less beneficial to those that have reached that point in their career ?

Now , what they're talking about there was in one of my previous episodes . I mentioned that . Actually , I think it says on my webpage my study group is for 18 to 45 years . I think that's where he got that from .

The RCDD does not become less valuable just because you turned 46 . What happens is the decision process changes a little bit . People start weighing their return on their investment for the cost to get their RCDD . We'll talk about what those costs are a little bit later on . What is the cost to get it .

And when I say costs , I don't just mean I just don't mean money , I mean time , time away from your kids studying , right . So the people , when they start getting in that late 40s , early 50s , mid 50s , they start to see that end of their career and they're like , why should I go get the certification now ?

I've done fine in this industry for 30 years without it . So you will see , some people just not pursue it just because they're in that portion , they're in what they call the fall portion of their career .

There are other people who may still pursue that RCDD certification just because it's just been a goal of theirs , but it doesn't become less valuable just because age 46 .

The next question was , chuck , if the organization for which you work does not seem to value the RCDD or reward obtaining getting the RCDD , can you explain some of the ways the RCDD could lead me to make more money for a person in this situation ?

So when you start talking about , I happen to know this person I can't use his name because I didn't get his permission to use his name in this live stream . He works for an organization that it teaches people and so he doesn't work for an ICT company . He doesn't work for an ICT manufacturer or an engineering firm .

He works for an end user , and so that end user just simply doesn't seem to value that RCDD certification . Now , when it comes to RCDD certification , if the organization doesn't value it , you need to think is it still worth pursuing Again , because it's gonna be expensive , both cost and time ? Some people will value that RCDD certification , as I said earlier .

Other people will just say I don't see the value in that . But people say they don't see the value in RCDD , have never thought about it or they have some kind of ill-feeling . So I'm telling you right now getting your RCDD is going to help you tremendously within your career . Now , it's not gonna be like it's overnight , like it was for me .

It may take six months , it may take a year , but here's the beautiful thing . So it just kind of answers this question a little bit . What are some of the ways it could lead me in making more money for a person in that situation ?

Well , when you start reading the TDMM , you start learning and you can start making the application that learning in your day job . And when they start seeing you , you can start doing more things . They should recognize additional skill sets . So that's one of the ways that you can do that .

Another question Chuck says if you had to choose between your RTPM that's your registered telecommunications project management credential and the RCDD , considering the stress levels and the time commitment and the difficulty of passing the exam , would you say that the RTPM is easier from that perspective , or would you just go for the RCDD if you were making that

commitment ? And that is a really tough question . So right now they want me to know which would I go for first , the RTPM registered telecommunications project management professional or the RCDD ? Okay , that's really a tough question . Let's first look at the content . Okay , because you're going to have to study content .

When you look at the telecom project management manual , there's roughly about 300 pages 300 pages , right . It has five chapters and two appendixes , so it's not that big of a book . It's actually in one single book . The TDMM has 22 chapters and two appendixes , just over 1,800 pages of content .

So there's a lot more content that you could be questioned on on that exam . So the real question becomes how familiar are you with both principles , right ?

So , somebody who's pursuing their RCDD if you meet the minimum qualifications two to five years you've been in the industry for a little while , so a lot of that stuff is going to seem familiar to you about 40% .

There's a lot of stuff that you'll read in the TDMM that you never know before , but about 40% is going to be something you're going to recognize from seeing when you look at the project management manual . Our industry is good at labeling people with the title project managers , but they're not project managers , right ?

I mean , they got the title and they might be processing time sheets , but guess what ? They're not doing scheduling , they're not doing risk assessments , they're not doing budgeted costs of work performed , budgeted costs of work scheduled . That's what a real PM does , right ?

So there's a lot of stuff in the project management realm in that book that may be unfamiliar territory , right ?

Another reason there's not as many study aids for the RTPM as there is for the RCDD . The RCDD all you do is go on Google and type in RCDD study aids and you will find tons of them out there , like Corey and Steve . Hey , in the chat box .

If you know of an RCDD study thing , like Corey and Steve or something like that , put it in the chat box and I will share it with everybody here . Okay , but there's way more for the RCDD than there is for the RTPM . Okay , now , when you go test for the RTPM , you have 100 questions that you got to get done in two hours , right ?

And if you really want to have a good understanding of what's going to be on that RTPM test , right ? I highly suggest that you look at the RTPM certification handbook . Okay , I'm putting the QR code right there . Okay , that's the TPM or the Registered Technications Project Management Certification Handbook . If it's a QR code , click on it .

It'll take you right straight to Bixie's free PDF file , which talks about everything the amount of study you're going to have to put into it , how the exam's broken down into , what percentage . It's going to tell you the application process , all that stuff . It's a really good resource for you .

Now , in that book it actually suggests that A you have to read the Telecommunications Project Management Reference Manual . Okay , we're in the second edition now . You do have to read that . You do have to read that . And they also recommend that you do a minimum of 125 hours of study .

And then Bixie also recommends that you take a couple of classes the PM101 , which is the Foundations for Project Management . The PM2.0 , I'm 102 , I mean Applications for Project Management , and the PM103 , which is Advanced Tools for Project Management courses . Those are all part of what they recommend for their study to help you be successful in getting your RTPM .

When you look at the actual exam , 56% of that exam is on project initiation right , and that means designing proposals , responding to request for proposals . 29% is for project execution , 15% is for project closure . Now let's compare that to the RCDD certification . The RCDD certification you have 100 questions that you got to get through in two and a half hours .

Okay , so they actually give you a little bit more time . Now the suggested study for that exam , if you have between two and five years of experience , okay is the DDD101 course , the DD102 course and 150 hours of study . And they also suggested you buy the Bixie flashcards and attend the Bixie RCD test prep course . Okay , so that's a lot of stuff .

If you have over five years of experience , they actually recommend that you do 125 hours of study . Okay . Now how's that RCD test broken down ? 10% is on defining the scope of an ICT project , 66% is designing it . 9% is supporting the bid process , 15% supports the installation process .

Now , with that all being said , going back to the original question which would I get the project management certification or the RCDD certification ? As far as difficulty of the exam , I can't really answer that because I've never taken the project management exam . Okay , I've been a project manager for 15 years before I went on to becoming estimator .

But I never got credential as that . And I did get credentialed as the RCDD 22 , 23 , 24 years ago , 1999 . Yeah , so the exam has changed just a tad bit since then . So I have no experience to compare and contrast the RCDD versus the RTPM .

Okay , but with that being said , when I look at the value of both credentials the RCDD and the project management you're gonna have to study for both and the students are both saying you know 125 , 150 hours of study for both of those . Why not go for the RCDD first ?

The RCDD will bring you will have a bigger impact to your career first than the RTPM will . Right , there's lots of . There's way more projects that get puts out by customers that say you must have an RCDD on staff . I don't think I've ever seen one bid from a customer that says you have to have an RTPM on staff . So that , right , there is worth money .

It's also worth that investment . So I would go the RCDD first and then I would go after the project management certification or credential . Again , I use the wrong word . Again , it's not a certification , it's a credential . They're different . They're way different , right ?

The next question says Chuck , how much does it cost to get my RCDD and should my company pay for it ? Okay , so if your company is in the ICT industry they're a manufacturer , they're an engineering design firm , they're a contractor actually doing the work my personal feeling is absolutely , absolutely they should pay for it .

Now , they may make you sign a training agreement so you don't get your RCDD and leave right away . Okay , there's a trade off there , but absolutely they should pay for it . Let's talk about this costs . Now there's two different tiers . Okay , there's the tier if you're a Bixie member . There's a tier if you're not a Bixie member .

Obviously , if you're not a Bixie member , it's going to be more expensive If you are a Bixie member

. First , there's two things at minimum you have to do . You have to go out and get , pay for the exam application fee and buy a copy of the TDMM Hence . That's why it was part of the QR . I don't think I could part of the acronym challenge today , because the exam is based on the TDMM , okay , so it's 500 , if you're a member it's $510 .

To take that test , it's $725 if you're a non-member . So again , that's over what ? That's $215 more just because you're not a Bixie member . Then you have to buy the book . Okay , the book , the TMM for a Bixie member is $385 , for a non-member it's $375 . So let's total those all up . This total is both together , both for the member and for the non-member .

Okay , so if you're a member , the exam and the TDMM is going to be $895 . If you're a non-member , the exam application fee and the TMM , which are going to be more expensive because you're not a member , is $1,100 , $1,100 .

Now , just out of curiosity , I actually got on the Bixie website and I looked at how much is an individual membership , just out of curiosity . And for an individual member , for one year it's $199 . They actually do give you a little bit of a break if you do two year , three year registrations , but it's for one year . It's $199 .

So if you become a Bixie member first and then you pay for your exam fee and then you buy your TMM , you actually save about six bucks . Right Now , six bucks doesn't sound like a whole bunch , but guess what ? If you have to go do that retake , they charge you for the retake . You get a discount on that .

And if you buy any other books you decide to go for the RTPM afterwards , you get a discount on that book , right ? By the way , the cost for retaking the exam is $230 for a member and $325 for a non-member . So , again , it's a lot of money . It's also a lot of time . As I mentioned , a lot of people have problems .

A lot of people have problems when it comes to studying for the RCD exam , because you have to be disciplined . You absolutely have to be . And I get asked all the time Chuck , what's some good tips to help me get my RCD credential ? Now , everybody's journey is a little bit different , so let me do this before I get too much further along .

Put in the chat box what steps did you take , or what steps are you taking to get your RCD certification . So let's put that in there and I'm gonna tell you the system that worked for me . That doesn't mean it's going to work for you , but it worked for me , and this is the recommendation that I give everybody who asks me Chuck , give me some study tips .

So basically , there's three steps . The first step is after you've already made the decision to go get your RCDD . Go right away and pay for the exam fee . Now you've got skin in the game , because if you decide now to stop , it's gonna cost you 500 bucks .

Now you've got skin in the game and the reason I say that and I don't know if Bigsy did this on purpose , but as a person I've run five study groups already , five different study groups , rcdd study groups and they always start off with about 20 , 25 , 30 people and by the time we get done with the study group we're usually down to about 10 , okay , because

what happens is people get this vision that I'm gonna get that RCDD credential and then they read that very first chapter , principles of Transmission . That weeds out people right away . Principles of Transmission oh , you talk about true value , true power and parent power and ohms law . It will rattle you . It rattles me when I run the study group sometimes .

So , yeah , pay for an exam perfect and pay for an advance . That way , now you've got skin in the game . If you don't go take that exam , your significant other is probably gonna yell at you for spending $500 that you didn't do it . So now you've got that on you too , right ?

So now that you've paid for that exam , I recommend that you pick a date that you want to take that test and give yourself plenty of time , because life happens . You know a lot of people . They get over enthusiastic and they'll say I'm gonna take this test in two months , why not do it in three ? Because you know what happens .

You'll get put on that project where you're working overtime or you're doing that cutover like the beard of knowledge , because you got a server going down and you have to fix them . Now you all tied up and doing that . Or the two study groups ago , in the middle of the study group , one of the attendees his wife had a baby .

Yes , do you have any idea how much time , effort , energy , lack of sleep happens when you have a baby ? Oh , my gosh . Now , to that guy's credit , he stuck in the program to the very end and I'll tell you what man I mucho respect . But life happens . So give yourself a little bit of extra time .

So , whatever time you pick , add a month to that because life happens right Now that you've picked that date . It's a simple math calculation . It really is . So let's say , for example , you decided okay , I want to take the test in six months . Well , six months is 26 weeks . If I divide 1800 and 13 pages by 26 weeks , that's 69 , 70 pages a week .

That's 10 pages a day . Who doesn't have time to read 10 pages , right ? So now see , there's no project management saying how do you eat an elephant ? By eating small little bites . The small little bites add up and eventually you've eaten an entire elephant . So it's the same thing with that book , the TMEM . It's two manuals that thick .

I don't think they could put another page in those two books because they would fall apart , right , that's how big it is , one bite at a time . So now that now you got your plan , create a spreadsheet , write it on your account , on your book , and then , that way , just check it off .

You do it and you keep hammering away , hammering away , hammering away and eventually the checks will get bigger and bigger and bigger and bigger . And eventually you look at them and you go I see light at the end of the tunnel . Okay , a lot of people .

They get into the reading of TDMM 25 , 30 , 40% of the way and they start getting discouraged because there's so many pages , there's so much information , so many numbers , so many acronyms . I get it . I get it . Been there , done that . I got the T-shirt . Okay , got the T-shirt right . Yeah , beep .

Beep means the end of the very good and you'll take eyes that . Beep means that the end of the stream . Yeah , my watch is set for 630 , but that's not why it's set for 630 . But I do have a couple more . No , at least one more question to go through , so we're gonna run a little late tonight . Okay .

Now , once you've done that , now that you've got your reading plan in place , the next best thing you can do is either join or create an RCDD study group . Okay , that's the best thing you can do . Now , there's many good reasons why you might want to do a study group .

Okay , there's lots of good reasons , and one of the reasons that you might want to do a study group is because of accountability . Accountability , right , if you're in a study group and you know that everybody's reading 70 pages a week and you know when you get on , whatever day , you guys and you can do them virtually . You can do them via the telephone .

If you all work for the same company , you can meet in the conference room at night . It can be as simple or as complicated as you want it to be . Okay , that accountability . That accountability is gonna keep you reading . It will . It will Okay . So that's the biggest benefit of a study group .

And , like I said , you don't have , you can create your own study group . And , by the fact , I have an RCDD study group coming up in January . We're starting , I think , the third week in January . So if you're thinking about pursuing your RCDD certification , make sure you follow that QR code right there . Okay , I'll leave that up for a while .

That'll take you to the page on our webpage tells you the process and all that stuff .

Another thing that happens when you're in a , when you're in a study group , is what I call group learning Group learning , because when a few people get together to discuss what they've read and they start bouncing ideas off each other as a group , you all lift each other up . You will work your way through the problem .

It's a great way to see it , because she not everybody interprets the stuff that they read the same way . That goes for the Bible , that goes for the TDM .

Okay , two people can read , you know , chapter one on the TDM and two people get two different versions out of that and what I have found , being a veteran of running five RCDD study groups , is because I've had people in the groups while you might . Let me give you an example .

Let's say you start getting into DAS , right , start the DAS chapter , start reading about you know distributing and tennis systems . I'm not really good on DAS stuff , but not the last study group , but there was a study group before that . One of the guys in there that's what he did for a living .

He didn't know much about you know fiber optic cabling and stuff like that , but he knew DAS really well so he helped lift everybody up with a better understanding . That's a good thing about having that accountability group , that study group right , it really is okay . Last question see , I told you we were going a little over .

Today , mr Ed , if I get my RCDD certification , will I have to maintain my certification ? Dad always said if anything's worth getting , it's worth keeping . Yes , there are some things you're going to have to do to maintain that RCDD credential . Okay , so why ? Because our industry literally changes at the speed of light . Okay , and let me give you an example .

It wasn't that long ago we were installing Cat5 cable , not Cat5e Cat5 , okay , we're already installing Cat8 , right , the stuff just changes all the time . Codes change , standards change , best practices change , manufacturers come out with new products . Single pair ethernet there's a good one right there for you .

We went from ethernet taking two pair to work 10 megabit right To four pair ethernet , but now we're down to single pair ethernet . Right , can I say happy birthday to my brother , nick , or happy birthday Nick , or Nick or Nick , or so our industry's changing all the time .

That's why you have to maintain that certification by getting what's called CECs , continuing Education Credits . Okay , now , as a Bixie RCDD , you need a minimum of 45 CECs every three years . Again , that sounds like a lot , but if you break it down , that's not right , that's not . And you also have to attend one Bixie conference in that three year registration .

So the CECs there are paid courses that you can take . I've got a fire stop in course that you can take to get a CEC that . And , yes , you have to pay for that course because that helps pay for the podcast . But there's also a lot of free CECs out there as well .

Right , look at a lot of the manufacturers , my , one of the people in my expert council , todd Morris . He runs BS with Todd , they have a free two hour webinar on administration labeling things . Go , look at BrightTalk . I just watched a great one hour video and who was on it ?

It was Fluke and Light Brigade Sean from Light Brigade talking about fiber and where it's going and talking about VFLs . It was a great webinar . Cable Installation and Maintenance Magazine . They do one or two webcasts a month . Get on them , watch them , get your CECs .

So if you're investing in it and yes , I joke with my wife on many occasions that , look , if I happen to crash , I'm a rider motorcycle . If I happen to crash my bike and I get put in a hospital , keep paying my RCDD dues until you put me in the ground , because I don't want to have to take that test over again .

I don't want to have to take that test over again , right ? So let's go back and look at some of the comments before we cut off the thing here . So let me see . This was the next comment that I missed . I passed first dry study . I already did that one . It was good . In the next one .

This one here says by the way , I passed the RCDD the first time but studied really bad , really hard and it took three days off for study for it . Another one of those first timers . You make me look bad . You know that , not just days in , just make . I'm just yanking your chain , just yanking your chain right and look who's in the house .

Jane's in the house . Nice , jane , I still need to get you on the podcast . We're gonna do it . Get you on the podcast because people need to know about you . You're an industry icon lady . Anyways , what's it cost every time a person writes or rewrites ?

Yeah , yeah , that's one of those soft costs that you hear about all the time that people can't really calculate . Tony says 67 is still moving forward personal growth and striving to be the best I can be . Age is not an excuse . Excellent , excellent . I agree with you 100% . I am 59 years old and I'm probably not gonna retire .

And I actually I had life hit me hard this week . I have a cousin If you on TikTok , one of the other ones , if you already know this , I had a cousin pass away last week . Well , on Monday , actually on Monday , he was nine months younger than me , nine months younger than me , and he died suddenly . He wasn't ill for a long time , I mean literally .

He went unconscious and they put him on respiration and died , and we're the same age . So I'm starting to think , man , life is frail . Life is frail . And I got to thinking because he was an 11 year veteran of the Air Force and he was a technical consultant for Belling . How much information left this world when he died ? Let that sink in .

I had somebody actually tell me the other day in a direct message when they were sending me the condolences , and I don't think this person meant this bad , but he said , chuck , all that information is in a book somewhere , and true it is .

But let me ask you something If I give you a three-page technical document on how to terminate a splice on connector , fusion splice on connector , or I give you somebody to teach you how to do it , which is better ? Which is better ? They're both the same information , right ? So my point is you've got knowledge in your head .

Why don't you start passing on the other people , start mentoring people Before it gets lost , I'll move on . I don't want to bring this down . There is a design consulting project manager and there is a construction project manager . Absolutely , absolutely , absolutely . You're right .

Information does not disappear , but how it can be conveyed to somebody new is the key there , right , absolutely . Look at this . Philip is in the house . Philip is his own ICT business in Tulsa I think it's Oklahoma . Right , let me know if you're from right or not . Somebody says Quizlet , quizlet and the dump based on the new one .

I found one hard application scenarios based on questions on the team and for references and answers . You know , I actually have practice RCT questions . I've been tinkering with the idea of putting them out there for people to take them . If you're interested in that , send me an email . Send me an email , chuck , at letstalkcablingcom .

There is a pretty good chance that I might release those test questions . Those test questions are not the same test questions that you're going to find on the exams . They're just a good guide to help you understand if your studying is going well . As a matter of fact , tony was in one of my study groups .

Tony's seen those exams right , but we recommend the same thing Study group flashcards , independent study , corey and Steve . Jim is in the house . Jim Parson , the third week is when it releases . Oh , the third week in January . Is that what you mean by that , jim , because I heard different . I heard that there's still well . No , I'm not going to say that .

I'll leave that where it is . I'll leave that where it is . So right now probably is . So let me see . I've read my son's 14th edition TMM and Quism on the Ride to Work Very different from the version nine that I studied . I hear you , I got mine on version eight . Version eight Yep . Somebody recommends Corey and Steve Absolutely .

Somebody asks here is that on top of tech CECs ? So that's actually a great question , because a lot of the same CECs for tech also cross apply to the RCDD . So the majority of the time if you take a class that the CECs you get usually applies to both . Usually applies to both . Okay , All right . So let me see here .

I told my wife to pay for one more renewal after I pass away . Same here . Same here . My friend , same here , all right . So let me see what this comment here says . There he is . Long time , brother . What did I miss ? You missed a lot . I actually went over today 43 minutes . I actually went long today . Right , so I went long .

Here's another one more question . Chuck , I'm two thirds of the way through my RTPM studying and accomplished the PM-101 already Tough but doable . My question is is it worth it to have ? Will it make a difference ?

Okay , when not knowing the specifics for your thing , making a difference , you mean make a difference financially , or making a difference and making you better at your job . If you're talking about is it worth it making you better , more efficient and more precise as your job as a project manager ? Absolutely it is worth it .

Absolutely is worth it Financially , just depends Does the company work for value that certification ? Right ? That's the key , because up until Bixie released their project management stuff , our industry would literally just take the best project foreman and put him in the roles of project manager , right ?

Just because you're a good project foreman doesn't mean you're a good project manager . Does not mean it . Okay , does not mean it , because project management skills are a little bit different . You're balanced Project foreman . You're about making sure your crew gets the work done , making sure the schedule is done , making sure the customer is happy .

Project manager , you're doing all that Plus . You're doing scheduling tracking , material costs , tracking labor costs , doing change order management , scheduling . I think there's a lot more stuff going on and you're typically managing a couple of projects at a time .

So , yes , the project management certification is definitely well worth it because it's going to make you more efficient . And if it makes you more efficient . Sooner or later , somebody is going to notice in your company that your skills have improved . And when your skills improved , you're going to get more money . You're going to get more money , right ?

And if you say , I don't , there's a company out there that'll do it , that'll pay you for it . Absolutely . Will they , the company , care if I have it or not ? That's a good question . I don't know . I kind of touched on it already . I think you said that there . Yes , so it just kind of depends on the company .

I know I've no people who've gotten their project management certification and the company didn't even burp at them . Okay , I know a couple of people like that , but I also had some other people that got their certification .

There's some companies out there , like IES and vision technologies and a couple others , that they value education and if you get certification , if you take a class , they realize you're a more valuable employee and they will reward you for that . If your company's not doing that , you got to ask yourself is it worth it still staying here ?

Okay , is it worth it still staying there ? And I don't mean that to be harsh , but some people will stay in their job because they like the company they work for , they like the benefits , they like they see the long-term vision . Not everybody works for a paycheck , so that kind of really all depends . It just kind of really all depends . Thank you , jane .

I appreciate that the world is not a bright of a place without my cousin Johnny . It really is . I appreciate that . And then this last one , and then we are going to go ahead and go away for the evening , because I'm already 46 . I'm surprised my wife's not yelling at me .

Vision tried to hire you . You must be in the DC area because that's where vision is . Vision is a great company . My brother works for vision . That's why I know it's a great company and I deal with them all the time . I deal with them all the time I'm with Wachter and I'm fairly certain that they appreciate education and you know what .

That's a great company to work for . That's absolutely a great company to work for . It truly , truly is Alrighty . We are going to go ahead and cut this off and because I'm already running late , until next time . Everybody , remember , knowledge is power . That's it for this episode of today's podcast . We hope you were able to learn something .

Make sure to subscribe so you don't miss out on future content . Also , leave a rating so we can help even more people learn about telecommunications . Until next time , be safe .