It's Not too Late to Change your Career

It's Not Too Late to Change Your Career

chris.hager@ferox-consulting.com (Chris Hager) — Thu, 14 Jan 2021 13:06:03 GMT

It's Not Too Late to Change Your Career

An interview with Craig, a Journeyman Electrician at Parkway.

At Parkway we pride ourselves on bringing top notch problem solving skills, depth of knowledge, and expertise into our industry and we can only do that through our team. Each employee at Parkway brings a unique perspective and set of skills that allows us to serve you better. Get to know Craig, one of our Journeyman Electricians and how he got to where he is now.

How long have you been working at Parkway? How long have you been an electrician?

I started my career as an electrician six years ago with Parkway as an electrical apprentice. I started working on Fridays while attending GRCC and became full time after graduating from the 18-week electrical apprenticeship through the M-TEC Center.

What led you to choose this career?

I didn't pursue a career as an electrician until I was 25 years old. Right out of high school I attended GVSU and received a bachelor's degree in Criminal Justice and Sociology. I then completed the police academy at Lansing Community College and started employment with Royal Oak Police Department in 2012. I realized shortly after, that a career in Law Enforcement was not for me and did not suit my personality.

I knew I liked working with my hands and became interested in electrical work after rewiring the controls on an electric La-Z-Boy recliner. I started to explore my options and found the apprenticeship program through GRCC. I worked through my apprenticeship and passed my journeyman test in January of 2019.

What do you feel is the most rewarding aspect of your job?

One of the most rewarding aspects of this career is being able to drive through West Michigan and point out jobs that I have worked on. I enjoy being able to recall the challenges and time spent with coworkers, solving problems, and completing projects that have become a part of Grand Rapids, Holland, and other areas of the state.

I also enjoy turning on a circuit breaker and watching the lights come on. That will never get old.

T ell me about working for Parkway.

My favorite part about working for Parkway is my coworkers. A job can easily be just a paycheck. But I have grown to look forward to the workday when I know I get to work with people who are willing to teach each other, laugh together, and carry on conversations as we complete our daily tasks.

Any last thoughts?

Not everyone needs a college degree to be successful in life.

ResLife Church Big Rapids

chris.hager@ferox-consulting.com (Chris Hager) — Wed, 13 Jan 2021 18:55:44 GMT

It's not just about ordering pieces and gear, it's about having a quality working relationship and finding out what works together.

Christian and Michael chat with Dominic Pace, the Technical Director at ResLife Big Rapids, about the new audio systems that Parkway helped setup and install this past year.

AV Install with Woodland Church

chris.hager@ferox-consulting.com (Chris Hager) — Thu, 07 Jan 2021 13:06:06 GMT

"What is important to you? That's one of the more key things I can ask. For anyone that’s in my position, it's not what do you think is important, ask your leadership what is a win to you?”

Thayne Asaro, the Production Director at Woodland Church in Battle Creek joins us on the podcast this week. We get into the details of Woodland's space, the install of their audio and video system, and Thayne shares with us some of his advice and tips on beneficial communication as a production director in a church.

Audio & Music with Dave Stagl

chris.hager@ferox-consulting.com (Chris Hager) — Wed, 30 Dec 2020 15:34:07 GMT

Dave Stagl joins Todd, Christian, and Michael in this two part podcast on audio & music. They talk more about musical inspiration, their approaches to mixing, some advice for newer audio engineers looking to grow, and how we approach some of the more relational aspects of our job. These are amazing episodes filled with great content for up and coming audio engineers and for those who have been in the industry for years.

Dave Stagl has been involved in the world of audio production for the last 25 years. He was the audio director for North Point church in Atlanta, Georgia for 10 years and has been a staple to the church audio community for many years. He is the owner of Stagl Productions , doing both live and studio audio. You can also find many blogs that he has written at goingto11.com .

Pro Presenter with Brad Zimmerman

chris.hager@ferox-consulting.com (Chris Hager) — Thu, 17 Dec 2020 15:07:21 GMT

In this two part series we talk with Brad Zimmerman who you man know from the Pro Presenter training videos, Church Media Drop, and as the Creative Director for Watermark Church in West Michigan.

We got chat about why you should be using Pro Presenter and specifically some new features of Pro Presenter 7 that could speed up your workflow, how Brad got his start in the church media world and his passion for sharing his knowledge with others through podcasting and video tutorials with Church Media Drop . We also go into ways that you can automate your services with Stream Deck .

Benefits of Becoming an Electrical Apprentice

chris.hager@ferox-consulting.com (Chris Hager) — Mon, 09 Nov 2020 12:33:11 GMT

When you think of the steps it takes to build a career it usually starts with four years of sitting in a classroom, a possible unpaid internship, and a strenuous job search before your career begins. This path tends to be the most typical but it certainly isn't the only choice.

An apprenticeship is a valuable path for people who want to push past the long classroom hours and are itching to get into the field right away. This week for National Apprentice Week we want to highlight some of the benefits of an apprenticeship and also learn from one of our own apprentices, Ryan Fowler, a Veteran and former Hamilton High School Graduate on his experience as an apprentice.

At Parkway Electric and Communications, we offer two apprentice programs: a Journeyman Electrical Apprentice Program and a Communications Technician Apprentice program. Here are some details on the program:

Both Electrical apprenticeships and Communications apprenticeships are 4-year programs.
You get paid while you work in the field full-time in these positions.
Classes are typically one night a week for the electrical course and are also paid for. The Communications Apprenticeship platform is the BICSI certification program.
You receive support and training from licensed Journeyman Electricians and experienced professionals.
Your experience will be diverse and comprehensive. Working on many job sites and with varying customers.

Last week we interviewed Ryan Fowler while he was working on installing overhead conduit for power distribution and network riser piping at Western Michigan University.

He shares a bit about his experience and the benefits of being an apprentice at Parkway.

Why did you decide to pursue an Electrical Apprenticeship?

I knew I wanted to get into the trades, but I wasn’t 100% sure which trade. My dad being with this company for so long, he was kind of nudging me in that direction. I looked into the electrical background a bit and it seems like a really fun trade to get into.

There are a lot of different aspects to it. You are never doing the same thing every day it seems like.

I am glad I did this; it’s been really cool so far.

What are the benefits of participating in an apprenticeship?

I would say student loans are a big one. You are making money right off the bat, it’s not like an internship that is unpaid. You get on the job experience, whereas [with other jobs] there is a lot of classroom kind of stuff.

There is class time that comes with the apprenticeship but obviously, it's minimal compared to what normal college schooling would be.

What advice do you have for those interested in becoming an apprentice?

First off, I would say definitely go for it, if you are hesitant to get into a trade or get into an apprenticeship it’s a good place to start. And like I said, when you start right off the bat with work experience and making money, I think it’s a really smart decision.

Why do you feel like is the most rewarding aspect of this job?

I would say a sense of accomplishment. I noticed that with jobs in the past it hasn't been like that. I worked at a brewery for a while being a cook, washing dishes, and whatever else and I knew after a year I was definitely not staying there.

With this job when you run pipe or pull wire and you turn the power on things happen you know? It's cool seeing things from start to finish and being able to say, “I did that”.

The Light Source

chris.hager@ferox-consulting.com (Chris Hager) — Wed, 04 Nov 2020 16:48:05 GMT

Stephen Ellison from The Light Source joins the Parkway team to talk about lighting technology. Specifically, RGBW house lighting and how it can benefit organizations.

Worship Leaders are from Mars, Techs are from Venus Pt. 2

chris.hager@ferox-consulting.com (Chris Hager) — Tue, 20 Oct 2020 11:58:37 GMT

The Parkway team is joined by Worship Leaders Jonathan Cordero & Dwight Beal along with industry expert Doug Gould to talk about the importance of the relationship between Worship Leaders and Tech Leaders.

Worship Leaders are from Mars, Techs are from Venus Pt. 1

chris.hager@ferox-consulting.com (Chris Hager) — Mon, 12 Oct 2020 19:15:51 GMT

The State of the Entertainment Industry with Scott Ragsdale

chris.hager@ferox-consulting.com (Chris Hager) — Tue, 06 Oct 2020 18:00:04 GMT

Audio Professional, Scott Ragsdale, joins the Parkway team to talk about the current state of the entertainment industry in the midst of COVID-19.

Steps To Better Sound Part 2

chris.hager@ferox-consulting.com (Chris Hager) — Tue, 22 Sep 2020 19:41:27 GMT

Doug Gould from Worship MD joins the guys to talk about simple steps to getting better sound at your church in the second part of two episodes.

Steps to Better Sound Pt. 1

chris.hager@ferox-consulting.com (Chris Hager) — Tue, 15 Sep 2020 19:45:28 GMT

Doug Gould from Worship MD joins the guys to talk about simple steps to getting better sound at your church in this part 1 of two episodes.

When to use an Integrator Part 2

chris.hager@ferox-consulting.com (Chris Hager) — Tue, 25 Aug 2020 19:57:37 GMT

The boys talk about when to take an Audio/Video/Lighting project on your own and when it's right to involve an integrator.

When To Use An Integrator Part 1

chris.hager@ferox-consulting.com (Chris Hager) — Tue, 18 Aug 2020 13:55:34 GMT

The boys talk about when to take an Audio/Video/Lighting project on your own and when it's right to involve an integrator.

Church Leadership During COVID

chris.hager@ferox-consulting.com (Chris Hager) — Tue, 11 Aug 2020 14:03:39 GMT

The Parkway team speaks with Shannon Whaples (Lead Pastor of Woodland Church ) & Toran Scott (Lead Pastor of Local Church GR ) about how they have led their organizations through the last few months.

Skill vs Gear

chris.hager@ferox-consulting.com (Chris Hager) — Mon, 03 Aug 2020 14:06:02 GMT

The boys talk about skill (perfecting your craft) versus gear (the latest equipment), and how each plays a role in getting the best results for your context and organization.

Hearing Loops

chris.hager@ferox-consulting.com (Chris Hager) — Mon, 29 Jun 2020 14:36:50 GMT

One of Parkway's offerings is installing Hearing Loops. Hearing Loops allow people with hearing aids to listen in to the audio and hear information clearly in busy and noisy places such as airports, churches, concert halls, etc.

The guys talk about hearing loop technology, how it works, why is it important, and what the applications are for it. You can learn more about Hearing Loops Systems a division of Parkway by clicking here

Speaker Technology with Danley Sound Labs

chris.hager@ferox-consulting.com (Chris Hager) — Tue, 23 Jun 2020 14:40:14 GMT

Chad Edwardson joins us to talk about Speaker Technology. Chad is the Director of Engineering at Danley Sound Labs.

Lighting with Chauvet

chris.hager@ferox-consulting.com (Chris Hager) — Mon, 15 Jun 2020 15:22:38 GMT

We are joined by Daryl Sutton from Chauvet to talk about lighting principles and ideas.

Speaker Technology with L'Acoustics

chris.hager@ferox-consulting.com (Chris Hager) — Fri, 29 May 2020 15:25:16 GMT

Josh Maichele joins us to talk Speaker Technology. Josh is the House of Worship Specialist at L'Acoustics.

Microphones with Doug Gould

chris.hager@ferox-consulting.com (Chris Hager) — Mon, 18 May 2020 15:28:36 GMT

Doug Gould from Worship MD joins us to talk about Microphones.

Display Technology Part 2

chris.hager@ferox-consulting.com (Chris Hager) — Mon, 11 May 2020 15:30:38 GMT

Ted Watson joins the Parkway team to finish our conversation about Display Technology in Part 2.

Display Technology Part 1

chris.hager@ferox-consulting.com (Chris Hager) — Mon, 04 May 2020 15:32:14 GMT

Ted Watson joins the Parkway team to talk about Display Technology in Part 1 of two episodes.

Audio For LiveStreaming Part 2

chris.hager@ferox-consulting.com (Chris Hager) — Thu, 23 Apr 2020 15:34:38 GMT

The boys dive into more tips for audio for LiveStreaming.

Audio For LiveStreaming Part 1

chris.hager@ferox-consulting.com (Chris Hager) — Mon, 20 Apr 2020 15:36:32 GMT

The boys discuss how to improve audio for LiveStreaming.

LiveStreaming

chris.hager@ferox-consulting.com (Chris Hager) — Wed, 15 Apr 2020 15:38:22 GMT

The boys talk about live streaming equipment and setups and different approaches to streaming an event.