What part of the country are you based in? I might be able to point you in the direction of a junior job in Paid Search..
i want to take the exam, and don't think i'll have any problem passing, but the requirement about having a spend of $1,000 is daunting. it's the chicken and egg - no certification means no client giving me money to place in there.
Great thread, I'd never thought that you could become an Adwords professional - it sounds more interesting than what I currently do so I think I'll look into it. Not sure I have the funds to get the ticket off the back of my own small budget though so I'm in the same boat as Ganceann. I'll be working my way through the adwords tutorial a little more seriously now!