What is “Adobe Certification” useful for?

Question

I've heard of it but what is it and is it good for anything?

Answer 1

If your skills, or your company's area of expertise, include a significant involvement of Adobe products then such a certificate may be a useful differentiator between yourself and the have-nots when bidding for relevant work.

If you don't use Adobe products beyond having Acrobat Reader and Flash installed, or perhaps a little Flash work for web sites, then all such a certificate is good for is papering over a stain on your wall.

As with any certificate, really.

Answer 2

From the Adobe Certified Expert page

Adobe certification is an industry standard of excellence, and it's the absolute best way to communicate your proficiency in leading products from Adobe.

As an individual, an Adobe Certified credential allows you to:

• Differentiate yourself from competitors
• Get your résumé noticed
• Attract and win new business
• Gain recognition from your employer
• Leverage the power of the Adobe brand

As a business, use the Adobe Certified credential as a benchmark so you can:

• Find the right person for the job
• Quickly assess candidate skill level
• Invest in, and promote, your most promising employees

Answer 3

I do not hire graphics professionals, but I'm going to guess that those Adobe certifications are probably useless. I had a look at the Adobe site and most of the exams are for things like Photoshop and Illustrator. If I were hiring a person to do some art, then what I really need is an ARTIST, not just some person who knows how to do tricks with layers.

I would guess that time and money spent obtaining Adobe certifications could be better spent improving your portfolio.