Now With Expert Credentials!
The InDesigner — namely me — is now backed up by Adobe Certified Expert credentials in InDesign CS2.
If any of you out there are considering taking this same step, my advice is: study, study, study! If you think being good with InDesign at work is enough…think again. This is a very difficult test, taken completely out of the context of working in the application (i.e., it’s all multiple choice questions and you don’t have the application or any materials to refer to). If there are some features of InDesign you don’t use in your job — i.e., XML, Books, Interactive PDFs — learn them before plunking down your (or your company’s) $150 for the exam.
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May 8th, 2006 at 3:36 am
Congrats man! Keep up the great work. 🙂
May 8th, 2006 at 9:11 am
Thanks, Calvin! That’s my plan.
May 22nd, 2006 at 8:10 am
Would you suggest getting expert certified to any designer? I imagine it would help initially in the hiring process, but what if you are at a job you plan on being at for awhile?
I have considered taking the test in the past, for photoshop & InDesign but Im not sure its worth it to me until I am in the job market again.
Do you have to retake the test when a new version comes out? Do you lose your certification when that happens, until you retest?
May 22nd, 2006 at 9:53 am
It’s really up to what you, as a designer, consider important. For me, the certification was (1) a way to measure my own perceived expertise, (b) a means of legitimizing the podcast as coming from a credentialed expert, and (c) a necessary step toward other goals beyond the podcast.
For everyone, the reasons behind it will be different. Having a certification on your resume carries a lot more weight in the job market than just listing InDesign among dozens of other applications you may know. It qualifies the depth of your knowledge. But your portfolio is usually what sells you during a job hunt, so a killer book may server you better.
As for re-certification…you have to take another test ($75) when the new version comes out to maintain your certification status, but the test only covers the new features, so you don’t have to start all over again to prepare for it.
May 23rd, 2006 at 10:16 am
what is (c) more specifically? Do you plan on getting into training beyond the podcast? Are you going to take the Adobe Certified Instructor exam?
May 23rd, 2006 at 10:47 am
When it’s appropriate, and more concrete, I’ll share that information. As it stands now, what I do next could take many different forms.
May 29th, 2006 at 8:36 pm
Would you recommand which book is the best for ACE study?
May 30th, 2006 at 6:51 am
I can tell you what was most effective for me. First, I used the Adobe InDesign CS2 Classroom in a Book from Adobe Press. But that’s only the first step, to familiarize you with general concepts of the application. The test is far more specific than the material covered in that book. I actually read the entire User Guide that ships (either printed or as a PDF) with InDesign CS2. Since I use InDesign every day at work, I concentrated most on features I don’t use – books, XML, interactive PDFs, etc. — then went back and covered everything else. It took a long time, but that’s how I passed.