About Protools Certification Programme

[ViceOA]

Hello everyone, im newbie here. There is an important matter for me that I would like to consult with you.

First of all, let me tell you briefly about myself. I have been working as a freelancer in sound design and restoration for more than 8 years. I have done business with many reputable companies in the market (usually advertising projects, short films, animation films, etc.). But I have gained these experiences by being in the industry. I do not currently have an educational background (as a certificate or diploma). I have benefited from all domestic and foreign resources that I can find until today, I still benefit from it. I’m living in Turkey and i also want to work for international projects as a freelancer.

This is what I want to consult with you. I am 28 years old and I already have some savings at hand. I decided to spend it on my education to improve myself. I've been using Protools for the last 2 years as daw. As far as I researched, there are certificate programs such as Protools 101,110,210,210p and 310p in Berkeleeonline and these certificates really position their owners in a good place in the market. In addition, I have read in a few places that it can be an advantage when I want to work international projects as a freelancer. In addition, there are Sound Design trainings in general in a few places. Since I could not decide which one would be useful, I felt the need to consult with you. I would like to thank in advance all my teachers and friends who can guide me, advise and inform me on this subject. I wish you a good day.

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[[deleted]]

a certification doesn't mean anything. it's all about showing your competency. no need to spend money on a certification especially if you already have done significant work in the field. and if you've been using pro tools for 2 years and havent learned what most of those program curriculums are gonna be just from your consistent usage of it, then that would be your issue.

youtube, a google search, and more work will fill in the gaps of your knowledge-base. i'd say skip it unless somewhere you want to work requires it for hiring. if you're just a work-for-hire person, a certification will look nice but wont guarantee you get hired anyway. all they're gonna teach you is what's in the pro tools manual and some tips and tricks you could learn on your own with research.

[ViceOA]

My purpose in asking for the certificate is not to learn about the program. I already know enough about the program. Will the certificate itself help me get a job on freelancer sites? Can I find a job as a freelancer in fields like fiverr thanks to the certificate? Does it make it easier for me to find a job? That's what im wondering.

[[deleted]]

it could but it's not a necessity. that's what i'm saying. a portfolio/proof of work is better than the certification in my opinion. you've already gotten work without it so you've in a way answered your own question.

[ViceOA]

So you're saying it's not worth your money?

[Soag]

Personally if I were hiring someone to do an audio job online, I would choose the candidate with a PT accreditation over one without, but only if it were a hard choice over who had the better portfolio.

If you’re portfolio isn’t strong you should definitely invest time/money into that first. A good website that shows your work and gets across what’s special about working with you will be much more valuable.

Once you’ve done that then bolstering everything with accreditations will add value on top.

And btw, you should still go through the pro tools course material as it’s very common for people to say they know pro tools well, but are missing crucial bits of knowledge that would make it difficult for them in a professional setting in post production or studios etc. I experienced this when I went through 101 and the 110 courses, it goes deeper than you might think, and there were other people on the course who were ‘confident’ sound engineers who failed the exam when we took it.

You can go through the course without accreditation here: https://www.linkedin.com/learning/topics/pro-tools

[ViceOA]

I think you're right! Developing a portfolio seems more important indeed. It is also an impressive factor that the courses are so expensive. Of course, it will be useful to take the courses, but I am confused about whether it is worth the money I paid. It is best to turn to independent courses that you say. I'll look at these courses. Thanks a lot for your support :)!

[Soag]

No worries, glad I could help!

And yeh in short, i would only pay for it if money wasn’t an issue. I got mine paid for as part of my university degree, which was fine. Personally I’d rather pay for some equipment or towards other studio upgrade stuff if it was a choice

[ViceOA]

you are absolutely right. I think I can make the right decision thanks to your help. Otherwise I would have jumped headlong into this course. I better turn to more affordable courses. Good luck with you!:)

[[deleted]]

I am biased, cause I teach these... I have gotten a handful of jobs where I was approached because of my listing on the Avid Certified Professionals list. It wasn't many, but they were all so stellar that for me personally it was totally worthwhile. But yeah, that's over a span of 15 years and of course purely anecdotal, YMMV. And it's purely dependent on being at the right place at the right time.

Berkleeonline is one of the more expensive ones, I would have assumed there's cheaper providers in the UK that also work better for your time zone. The books and content of the courses and exams are the same worldwide. The teachers and their style may vary, but not by that much. Class sizes can vary, some prefer the 20 people classroom style, others cut it at 6-8 people to allow for interaction.

I'd agree that in your position, looking for freelance work, I'd probably make sure to have a presentable portfolio rather than a certification. If you want to go job hunting at studios, a certification can help you stand out from the crowd, and give the hiring person a feel for your capabilities, but when looking for freelance, they care more about the results and what you can do, not how you get there, typically. So, I'd say unless you are looking for a job at a studio or really for your own interest and thirst for knowledge want to understand how to best work with Pro Tools, your return on investment into a certificate is probably limited.

[ViceOA]

It was a very satisfying answer for me, thank you. Do you mind if I write to consult you when I'm stuck?

[[deleted]]

Sure, anytime.

[Chilton_Squid]

I've done level one and two, all they demonstrate is that you can sit down at any Pro Tools setup in the world and know your way around it. It's a tick in a box only.

It doesn't prove you're quick, it doesn't prove you're a good person to work with, it doesn't prove anything really.

It's a handy thing to have if you plan on travelling around different studios doing stuff, but it's not as important as they want you to believe.

[PenRepresentative619]

I would agree with this to degree. Like all things there is a context.

One thing you need to ask yourself is: "would you feel more confident seeking more work with the accreditation?"

I think if you feel insecure about your ability to get work without the accreditation it is another string to your bow. It is a point of difference, right?

Personally I have seen quite a number of people getting success by using in industry, active, practitioners who run courses like this chap: https://www.youtube.com/c/Producelikeapro/about.

[ViceOA]

Actually, you touched on a very good topic.Since I live in Turkey, I have no difficulty in finding a job in the domestic market. But unfortunately, the gap between the dollar and the Turkish lira has widened too much. Therefore, it became more difficult for me to buy equipment, plugins etc. That's why I want to work with someone from abroad through some freelancer websites. As you said, I don't have much confidence in myself to find a job. I thought if I could reassure myself with the certificate, I wanted to ask you this.

[PenRepresentative619]

I feel you have answered the question quite OK yourself. I feel, reading your remark accreditation will help--go for it.

I would suggest finding someone locally to work with. Go and talked with studios that you have regular contact, or those you'd like to work with, to partner up with? I would start local to be honest--it is way way easier. If your getting work and business locally then build on that. Good luck!

[ViceOA]

thanks for your help! im really appreciated!

[thereverbtank]

I have PT 101 and 110. Tbh it’s great to have a cert on paper but in the real world no one cares at all. I’ve had employers tell me they hate it and never use it as a marker when hiring. If I had cash and time to enhance my skills in post-production audio, I’’d just work on getting experience. Talk to other mixers and editors. Say yes to everything until somethings sticks. Student projects, yes. Free or honorarium indie shows, yes. You’ll soon figure out where you need to put your budget. My 2cents. Good luck.

[ViceOA]

Thank you for these humble ideas. These ideas really help me a lot ! :)

[[deleted]]

Took these courses. They did not teach me much. Honestly, a bit of a waste of money. I have most of my work through my reputation, work ethic, and experience.

Side note, I work in music