Last month, I wrote a post about Apple certifications in general. Today, I'll focus on Mac OS X certifications.If you're a Mac geek who wants to make a living troubleshooting Macs, these are the certifications to get because they are your ticket to becoming a member of the Apple Consultants Network (ACN). ACNs can build a relationship with their local Apple store and get references for work that can't be performed by Genius Bar techs, and they're listed on the Apple Consultants Network website. The rest of this article is after the break.
TUAW blogger Steve Sande is an Apple Certified Technical Coordinator and volunteers as the South Central US Regional Champion for the Apple Consultants Network.
The lowest level Mac OS X certification is the Apple Certified Support Professional (ACSP). This certification requires demonstrated knowledge of all facets of Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard. It's aimed at people who support or manage networks of Mac OS X users. You prove your knowledge by taking a proctored exam. You can study on your own, take the Mac OS X Support Essentials 10.5 class, and take a sample exam to see how you do (only 10 questions; the actual exam is much longer).
The next step is the Apple Certified Technical Coordinator (ACTC), which builds upon the ACSP certification for those who support and administer Mac OS X Server 10.5. As with the ACSP certification, there's a text for those who prefer self-learning, a class, and a sample exam. You must pass both the ACSP and ACTC (Mac OS X Server Essentials v10.5) exams to reach this level of certification.
If you are truly a Mac god, then you can amaze your friends and force your boss to give you a raise by becoming an Apple Certified System Administrator. Once again, the ACSA builds upon the previous certification. You'll need to pass five exams to be an ACSA -- the ACTC (Mac OS X Server Essentials v10.5 and Mac OS X Support Essentials 10.5), Mac OS X Directory Services v10.5, Mac OS X Deployment v10.5, and Mac OS X Advanced System Administration v10.5). The ACSA certification is targeted towards "full-time professional administrators and engineers who manage medium-to-large networks of systems in complex multiplatform deployments."
It's highly recommended that you attend the Apple classes for the ACTC and ACSA certifications, since you get a lot of hands-on experience in setup and troubleshooting of complex situations. Of course, none of this is cheap. The classes run about $500 a day at Apple Authorized Training Centers, and to be an ACSA you're going to go through a whopping 19 days of class. Plus, you must take (and pass) five exams at $200 each. That's about $10,600 that either you or your employer will need to spend. Is it worth it? Definitely. You're going to show prospective or existing employers that you really do know your stuff. This is also comparable to what it would cost you to get various other certifications (i.e., Cisco, Windows System Admin, etc...).
Once you have at least the ACSP certification in hand, you can become a member of the Apple Consultants Network. This gives you the opportunity to interview with local Apple stores; if accepted, they may provide customers with your business cards for work that needs to be performed on the customer's site. There are a lot of other benefits, such as being able to legally use the Apple logo on your business cards and website, and taking advantage of special promotions and discounts. The ACN program isn't free ($395 for Basic membership or $695 for the Plus membership), but it can pay for itself quickly with a few referrals. That extra $300 for the Plus membership provides you with quarterly hardware discounts up to $800, Apple NFR software at a highly discounted rate or for free, depending on the package, and access to a hardware pool for demos.
Stay tuned for the next installment of this series, when I'll talk about the Pro Application certifications.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
7-04-2008 @ 7:00PM
Terry J said...
Great article Steven!
I am an Apple consultant and owner of Max Your Macs consulting located here in Daytona Beach, FL. We have been supporting the Apple stores in Jacksonville and ORlando for just over five years now and as we continue to grow, we're having a very difficult time finding qualified Apple consultants. Through interaction with others in the industry, Apple's certification process is indeed very defined and demanding. even the ACSP (the prior ACHDS) certification is very difficult but I view that as a huge plus as it weeds out lesser experienced or less experienced candidates.
Also, becoming an ACN is another serious commitment to consider. Not only with the prerequisite certification, but also the financial commitment annually. Again, I feel Apple has designed their programs in order to be sure they are letting the best in the field represent their certifications. Credibility is immensely important and without proper certification, you are simply another face in the crowd hoping your client will take your word for your skills.
Again, thanks for the informative piece and hopefully we will see more Apple talent added to the pool!
In case anyone in our area is certified or skilled enough to become Apple certified, feel welcome to contact me... you could possibly become one of our team in Orlando or Jacksonville!
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7-04-2008 @ 8:09PM
Adam said...
I am confused. Are these people technically more knowledgeable than the Geniuses at the Apple Store or is this program more geared to enterprise solution and maintaining business networks that are not easily accessible by the Geniuses.
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7-04-2008 @ 8:22PM
Quadrant said...
The Geniuses are no Geniuses! I know, years ago I was one! They only need the basic hardware repair and software exams, that's it. Now I'm an ACSA. Don't have sour grapes Genius guys, you know it's the truth and whilst I admire you for sticking at it, I got out. I couldn't bear the sight of another damm iPod.
7-04-2008 @ 8:39PM
dagamer34 said...
Like what was said in the article, these techs focus on problems Geniuses can't solve (mostly off-site).
7-04-2008 @ 11:06PM
JKT said...
Adam, ACN members generally are a bit older and have more experience in the field than Apple Genius bar staffers. Apple tends to prefer hiring twenty-somethings for their stores, which precludes those with more tenure in I.T. who would be more versed at enterprise deployments and troubleshooting, for example. Genius bar staffers will indeed know about warranty work and be able to recommend solutions for home users, but the moment you have a more complex, on-site, business-related issue, you're going to want an ACN consultant.
Anyone thinking of joining ACN should realize in advance what they are buying into. Basically, your ACN fee gets you listed in the ACN directory and can (if you work each Apple store manager) references from customers entering the store. It's also handy to list on your marketing materials. But that's about it--Apple tries to tout that there is other support supplied with an ACN membership, but it's pretty thin. It's up to each ACN member to keep themselves trained, up to date with the industry, and knowledgeable on all Apple products, just as they would if they were not in ACN. Other than having the ACN tag on my business, I felt as isolated as an ACN as I had been before. The "N" may technically stand for "Network" but it's pretty much a misnomer from my experience.
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7-04-2008 @ 11:06PM
JKT said...
Adam, ACN members generally are a bit older and have more experience in the field than Apple Genius bar staffers. Apple tends to prefer hiring twenty-somethings for their stores, which precludes those with more tenure in I.T. who would be more versed at enterprise deployments and troubleshooting, for example. Genius bar staffers will indeed know about warranty work and be able to recommend solutions for home users, but the moment you have a more complex, on-site, business-related issue, you're going to want an ACN consultant.
Anyone thinking of joining ACN should realize in advance what they are buying into. Basically, your ACN fee gets you listed in the ACN directory and can (if you work each Apple store manager) references from customers entering the store. It's also handy to list on your marketing materials. But that's about it--Apple tries to tout that there is other support supplied with an ACN membership, but it's pretty thin. It's up to each ACN member to keep themselves trained, up to date with the industry, and knowledgeable on all Apple products, just as they would if they were not in ACN. Other than having the ACN tag on my business, I felt as isolated as an ACN as I had been before. The "N" may technically stand for "Network" but it's pretty much a misnomer from my experience.
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7-04-2008 @ 11:09PM
JKT said...
TUAW: Could you please fix your comment system? Half the time it sends me an e-mail to confirm my comment, the other half it doesn't. A third of the time it refreshes the page with my comment, a third it doesn't (as above), and the other third it loses it altogether. This leads to us posting twice, looking like fools, annoying readers, when in fact it's your site that's inducing us to double-post. :-(
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7-04-2008 @ 11:24PM
Dawntreader said...
I retire from the military in about 16 months and am persuing my ACSP cert using peachpit press books. My GI Bill will pay for any exams I take (pass or fail) so this should be cheap for me. I would love to move right in to a job working on Macs when I leave the military. This blog series is very helpful and well timed for me.
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7-05-2008 @ 12:15AM
Ian said...
Steve,
Great post.
I work at an authorized Apple Specialist in the Chicagoland area where we do everything from retail sales and repair to the exact training you wrote about.
If you are serious about getting to know 10.5 and Apple's way of doing things I would highly suggest these classes. The Trainers I know really love doing what they do and it shows through in their enthusiasm.
Anyone with questions, feel free to post in the comments.
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7-05-2008 @ 2:30AM
Steve said...
I currently work at an IT help desk for a large wintel company network (in chicagoland). I am faced with either getting my MCSE (well the 2008 equivalent) or switching to something else. I would really like to become part of the ACN but is there really any work out there. I would love to do work on Mac's. I am not sure if I really want to run my own business.
7-05-2008 @ 1:27PM
Ian said...
@Steve,
I'm not sure how well the consultants do in terms of getting and keeping business. Our company has been around for quite a while and we have a lot of people on staff who are highly certified.
When I was looking for a job I knew I wanted to work 99% of the time with Apple and 1% with PCs, it sets you apart, but the market is definitely smaller than anything Windows based, but it is increasing everyday. Schools are big Apple users and there are many districts who look for a person with Apple and MSFT certs.
7-05-2008 @ 1:31AM
thedude said...
Great post, I'm tempted to get my apple certs, however:
"Stay tuned for the next installment of this series, when I'll TALK about the Pro Application certifications."
If you write for a living you should know the difference between speaking and writing.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=89NLyQkftLg
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7-05-2008 @ 5:49AM
mentalsticks said...
Sorry, you're wrong.
7-05-2008 @ 2:22AM
Jim said...
I just picked up deployment, client and server this week, and honestly they have open my eyes. I have been admining a school district for a while now, but my last certification was on Puma years ago. Some of the stuff I learned from these books have in turn made my job 70% easier.
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7-05-2008 @ 2:35AM
Jash Sayani said...
Well, what is the right time for giving these exams...?
I have done my A Levels, so I should giv them now or after my Bachelors degree..?
And how does this help me..?
Finally, hows this compared to Microsoft's Certifications..?
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7-05-2008 @ 3:26AM
Jersey said...
Quadrant... while I don't consider myself a "Genius" I certainly consider myself knowledge. I work the bar, and bring 7 years of enterprise/corporate level support and infrastructure management. On top of that, a BA and MA from two very prestigious universities.
Whether I'm the exception or the norm, I've done my fair share of extensive troubleshooting and support for customers that require it at the store. So certainly, a general categorization of people in this case would be unfair.
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7-05-2008 @ 4:50AM
Alex said...
Appears that this is a US-only programm right? Would be cool if Apple expands this to Europe, especially Germany, France and the UK.
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7-05-2008 @ 12:16PM
Troy W. Banther said...
How is the market for certified people out there in the higher population states or in Canada? Since the high cost of training is higher than other qualifications and bean counters frown on that.
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7-05-2008 @ 5:15PM
Andrew said...
Small correction to original article. ACSA certification requires the person pass the Server Essentials exam and the three ACSA exams, Deployment, Directory Services and Advanced System Administration. It does NOT require someone to have passed the ACSP exam (Support Essentials) but it would be a "good idea". And these certifications are available globally even in New Zealand where I'm the only Apple Certified trainer ……;-).
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7-05-2008 @ 6:20PM
Alex said...
Well, i meant the consultant programm, which appears to exist only in the US, not in Europe. Of course the certification programm exists globally.
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