Is Adobe's ACE worth getting?

[thunderweb]

Hey, I am currently learning CS3 Web Premium and have been for a month or so and am seriously considering getting and Adobe Certified Expert in Illustrator, Photoshop, and Dreamweaver to get an Adobe Certified Master Certificate, does anyone know if doing this is worth while or is it a waste of time and money to get them? My motivation to getting them is because I have my own freelance web design business and I am 15 so I would like to add some credibility to myself. I know I've heard a lot of people say that the best way to do that is through a high quality portfolio and I'm currently working on that but I've been eying the ACM for a while.

By the way, I did get a Certified HTML Developer certificate and it has helped gain me a couple clients but I would just like another couple opinions. Thanks.

 

[lucidmedia]

well, your age may make you a special case... but in my general OPINION:

as someone who regularly hires freelancers and is responsible for finding and recruiting instructors for college level / adult education classes, an ACE has no bearing upon my interest in a candidate. Its all about the portfolio and resume/CV.

 

[UTclassof89]

Nope; not worth it.

I teach for a college which paid for me to take the exam for Flash and Photoshop hoping it would lend the classes credibility for the instructor to be a certified expert.

Enrollment in the classes did not change a bit.

I also freelance, and no one seems to know or care about "certification"; it's 100% the portfolio! (Certification exams are just another revenue stream for Adobe and Thompson Prometric (the testing company)

 

[thunderweb]

Thank you guys very much, I think that I'm probably going to pass on getting them, I thought that it might help me a little considering my age but your right an amazing portfolio is a lot better than being "certified."

Thanks again.