Apple Certified?

[13]

It can if you don’t have a much work experience. It really all depends on how important the potential employer thinks the certification is.

[Nick Meyers]

Apple Certification i think would really only help you get work as a TRAINER.

and even then it’s only going to help you get work in Officially Sanctioned Apple Training situations.

nick

[Walter Biscardi]

[alichek] “Does getting Apple Certified in FCP help in getting work or is it just another way of squeezing some pennies out of you?”

My opinion is only that Apple Certification means you can operate the software in accordance to the way Apple would like you to operate it. Doesn’t mean you can actually edit a story.

If you want to go into Training, then maybe you want to do this, but as far as finding work as an editor, I never consider it when hiring folks.

Walter Biscardi, Jr.
https://www.biscardicreative.com
HD Editorial & Animation for Broadcast and independent productions.

All Things Apple Podcast! https://cowcast.creativecow.net/all_things_apple/index.html

Read my blog! https://blogs.creativecow.net/WalterBiscardi

[Peter Ralph]

What makes certification more work than it’s worth (unless you need the piece of paper) is that rather than developing an efficient workflow – there is an emphasis on knowing precise details of the myriad different ways of performing each task, even if they don’t really make much sense.

peter

https://www.shootingbynumbers.com

[Mark Maness]

Look at it this way….

We go to college for what? An education. Why do we get certified? An education.

The only purpose for certification besides working toward becoming a trainer, is to gain experience with FCS as a new user of the program. My first year of using FCP was one of fumbling and poor workflow. The certification class that I took gave me the tools and option to make my editing and workflow much more efficient. Without knowing the full program, its tough to get around and this is a perfect opportunity to learn FCP.

I would very highly suggest this to someone just starting out in FCP.

Other than that… its only needed for those wanting to become trainers.

_______________________________

Wayne Carey
Schazam Productions
http://www.schazamproductions.com
https://blogs.creativecow.net/waynecarey

[Jay Wolf]

I’m based in Amsterdam but I think much of what I’ve experienced is universal: I just passed my FCP 5 Level 2 Exam and have my name/company listed on the Apple website as a Certified Pro. I’ve had level 1 for about a year and no one ever contacted me because of it…
However, I have had a couple of people wanting FCP-lessons and they came to me because of my Certification.

Also, when I apply for freelance editing jobs, I have found it is very helpful to be able to say I’m an Apple Certified Pro. Someone here compared it to having a college degree- why is it important? It’ll open the door, even if you forgot all you learned…

Some postproduction houses will not look at these type of diploma’s -such as Walter Biscardi said- because they know that the proof is in the pudding and not in the paper. Experience is much more important than having a perfect knowledge of FCP’s interface. I’m sure most professional editors that work with FCP are not Certified Pro’s. If you’ve been editing professionally for years, that piece of paper is not really important- your network is.

But if you’re not looking to work as an editor- but rather want to do freelance editing jobs, I think the Certification is definitely worthwhile.

I am not an editor -I am a oneman band production company- (I have too much respect for editors and cameramen to call myself either one)and occasionally edit other people’s material. They will talk to me first because I am a Certified Pro.

Doing the books is a good idea, regardless of whether you want to take the exam. The Apple Pro Training Series is far from perfect, often redundant, but overall fun to do and worthwhile. It’ll open your eyes to a better workflow, as I discovered after years of doing it the hard way…

Wolf

[Alec Gitelman]

thanks for the advice.

i am a freelance (at this time) editor at the beginning stage of the career and i was wondering if ‘apple certified’ on the resume means anything. guess the answer is just as ambiguous as when i asked. i’ll continue working the books and will get certified if and when it makes sense. definitely not spending time and money on a class.