Adobe certification questions

Tech

Well-known member
Hi All,
I have been looking into getting Adobe certification program, does anyone has prior/current experience with this? Does getting certified really put your career to the next level in publishing or another false advertising?

Please share any experience regarding this certification program.


Thanks.
 
Re: Adobe certification questions

Do you personally know anyone whom took it and find it valuable for career/self-promote? These blogs makes a great lunch reading but it comes across mainly as complaining about what they didn't like or agree with. What I really like to know is does employers value someone with certification over someone who doesn't? Can someone with certification demand more mula?
 
Re: Adobe certification questions

I agree with your comment about the Blog. In my eperience, challenging the knowledge of a particular subject in which people consider themselves "experts" will result in hard feelings. I've taken a fair number of the ACE exams (Is that redundant?) and I've scored on both sides of the Blogger's 81%... I do find the tests to be somewhat poorly written, but I've never come across a question where there wasn't a clear answer (even if I didn't pick it!)

Now to your question; In an organization for which I worked in my past life in marketing, certification of any kind was considered in your yearly review. It was a delicate topic, and what counted for "job critical" certification was always up for discussion.

For example: A seasoned level 3 artist who uses Photoshop, Illustrator and (at the time) Quark for page layout received a certification in the Adobe apps and at review time, he expected consideration for his "hard work" in attaining the certificate. This artist had intimate knowledge of Photoshop before hand and his weakness (if he had one) was integration... how to get his art into a page. It was clear from our prior experience that the certification did not even begin to tax his knowlege of the software. The certification did nothing more than put Adobe's stamp on his knowledge. This alone is not valuable.

Now if a level 1 artist, new to the field and struggling with proficiency had acheived the same certification, this is valuable and would be rewarded.

In terms of getting a +new+ job, a strong portfolio of work with corresponding certification is impressive; especially to non-experts. You may enter an organization as a level 2 or 3 artist rather than starting at the bottom or, after proving your proficiency in a low-level position you may be promoted more quickly.

Keeping this in mind, I have to say that in my experience the possesion (or lack) of certification is neither a career maker nor breaker. When employers really want to see them, they'll be up front about needing to have them.

-Brian
 
Re: Adobe certification questions

Hi Brian,
I don't consider myself an expert in much of anything, but I am jack-of-all-trades when it comes to Adobe/Quark products. Much of it are self-taught and learn on the job. The rest I learned from good support forums such as this one where Pros share ideas and techniques. The idea of getting certified has been on my mind for a long time. I keep putting it off, but the topic is up again since my review is coming up soon.

My current knowledge in Adobe products is more than enough to do my job (pre press) and provide solutions to support our design team. That said, I feel getting ACE will boost my resume and creditability, unlike designers, they have a portfolio to show, what we do in pre press is *intangible*. Getting a proper certification and Adobe logo in my resume, is one way of displaying my knowledge without being thrown behind a computer and take a 30-min test.


Thanks for the detail response,
Happy
 
Re: Adobe certification questions

I'm curious, why wouldn't you go for it? It only costs $150 and only takes a few hours, including study time, if your knowledge is already good. Besides Adobe's "stamp" on your knowledge, you get a confidence boost which, in my experience, gives you an edge in everything else. Whether your company gives you a raise or other recognition or not, it looks good to your clients and gives them confidence in you and your company's abilities to solve their problems.

Since receiving my certification in InDesign, my company's clients look to me as a troubleshooting resource and trust decisions I make regarding workflow, file construction, and more. Before the certification, they were more likely to just say, "Do it the way I say."
 
Re: Adobe certification questions

I still rely on the old fashion way of letting my work/results speak for me. This doesn't work as effectively as it used to these days. People wants credentials first before they show you any respect or results. Even with good results, someone else might snatch it from you.

It's not a money nor a time issue, but whether getting certified can really give you a boost on paper as well as in real situation. It's very reassuring to hear from someone like you to receive positive results because of it. If I can gain more trust in decision-making simply by getting certified like you have, this along is worth it.
 
Re: Adobe certification questions

Friday,

I'll say that I think that getting certified is a good thing. Did my Photoshop CS2 certification and I think it lent some creditability to my cache. Yeah, gotta' go do the CS3 certification now. Does it make you a better operator - no. But it does lead you to program capabilities that you probably weren't aware of. Was an eye-opener for me.

Check out Exam Aids. They've got good, inexpensive study guides.

Look at the certification like any degree/diploma. All they really mean is that you can be taught, and you have the tenacity to see the process through to the end. Those can be very valuable in indirect ways. Is your current employer gonna' pay you for your efforts? Don't know. But, it's likely to catch the attention of your next potential employer. The guy who didn't pay you for the effort will probably scratch his head and tell folks how disloyal you were - while you head to the bank to deposit your now-larger pay check.

The sharp employer will use your effort as a selling point.

rich
 
Re: Adobe certification questions

Thanks for responding. The more I dig into getting ACE, the more I'm convince I have put off it way too long.
 
Re: Adobe certification questions

Just a follow up...

I finally took the exam this morning and failed by 8 questions. I'm pretty mad (partly at myself and partly at how exam is written) because these questions are exactly what everyone has said they are...vague/obscure!

I study with Exam Aid and Adobe's Help guide to the point I don't think I missed anything. These exam questions proven me wrong. So many "what IFs" questions that takes you a few steps back from an answer and expects you to decipher the poorly worded questions and answers at the SAME time. A couple questions I recall don't even make any sense on a daily InDesign usage. I had to shake my head as I was trying to comprehend and pick the right answers. In my mind, I'm like "who in the world would do this?! Is this even a real life scenario?!"

I'll retake it again until I pass the darn thing because now it's personal. I got through 4 years of college with ease and now I get stump by a 75 question certification exam.
 
Re: Adobe certification questions

Atta' boy, Hap! Don't let 'em get you down. The fact that you sat for the exam says something - that you're willing to put your money where your mouse is.

rich
 

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