This is for the employers: Would you be at all interested in product specific certs like Adobe's ACE? Given their price and projected difficulty, I want to make sure that anyone cares before I take any of those exams.
If not, please explain why.
ACE certs: You like?
I guess it primarily depends on what you apply for. E.g., you wouldn't need a Photoshop certificate for a position of Device Driver Programmer.
Author
I apologize. I forgot to even mention I wanted to apply for a relevant position. I wanted to go for graphic design or programmer.
I've just been hearing bad things about certs like the A+, so I wanted to know what exactly makes one cert "better" than others or if certain certs for graphic design work are venial.
I've just been hearing bad things about certs like the A+, so I wanted to know what exactly makes one cert "better" than others or if certain certs for graphic design work are venial.
Most employers are interested in
a) your previous work experience, or
b) a degree if you don't have previous experience
plus your portfolio.
In other words a cert saying you passed a photoshop course is of no value. You can either do good art or you can't and I will be able to see that in your portfolio. If your portfolio is crap I wont hire you just because you have a certificate.
The only reason to do such a course is if you believe you will learn something that will improve your skills (as shown in your portfolio) - not in the hope that it will get you a job because it won't.
a) your previous work experience, or
b) a degree if you don't have previous experience
plus your portfolio.
In other words a cert saying you passed a photoshop course is of no value. You can either do good art or you can't and I will be able to see that in your portfolio. If your portfolio is crap I wont hire you just because you have a certificate.
The only reason to do such a course is if you believe you will learn something that will improve your skills (as shown in your portfolio) - not in the hope that it will get you a job because it won't.
And looking at skills that are less visible than something like the Adobe cert:
The employers I've worked for and done hiring for trend towards disliking certification. It often means the candidate is good at what the cert teaches, and only that. Anything vaguely outside the box and they just fail.
Of course it's a gross generalization, but then again, so is the entire hiring process.
The employers I've worked for and done hiring for trend towards disliking certification. It often means the candidate is good at what the cert teaches, and only that. Anything vaguely outside the box and they just fail.
Of course it's a gross generalization, but then again, so is the entire hiring process.
Quote:Original post by Obscure
I will be able to see that in your portfolio. If your portfolio is crap I wont hire you just because you have a certificate.
Don't forget that companies are sometimes forced to hire people with skills they know nothing about. In that case, some will see certificated applicants as a safer bet. This is especially the case for larger organisations where CV filtering is done by HR with limited input from skilled employees.
Still, I'd guess it's pretty rare for games companies, and a preference for certificates usually indicates an organisation that has no idea what it's doing.[smile] I wouldn't like to work for an organisation like that myself, but some of them pay very well.
I know that some games companies may filter applicants based on if they have a degree or not but I have never encountered a developer or publisher filtering applicants based on something like a photoshop cert. As I said, your portfolio shows your ability in that regard more than a cert does.
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