I could not agree more with those that have posted certifications are not worth much if anything at all.

I have met professionals with no certifications that are some of the best in their area of the industry and I have met those with a list of certification as long as my arm (size 35) that are so clueless I do not know how they get to work in the morning. A certification proves that you could retain information long enough to answer enough questions correctly to pass an exam.

I have 20 years of experience in electronics, engineering and computers sciences. I have a CISSP, CEH and I am about to take the exam for my PMP in addition I have a TS/SCI clearence and no of them have helped me find a job. At this point where I currently live (San Antonio, TX) I cannot find a position without having to take a $50K pay cut. If I were back east in the Washington, D.C. area I would have a job in a heartbeat with a raise. After living in the D.C. area for 20 yrs then moving to San Antonio (SA) the cost of living is no different, yet the pay of IT professionals is no were as close to other areas. Now there are a lot of poor in SA and a lot of rich. Just the well off and rich are in different industries. I know I have now gotten off track a bit. My point is that not only is knowledge and experience more important than certifications, but as in real estate "location, location, location" is as equally important. BTW I find right now most jobs available in the IT industry are low level entry type or technical. I just talked with a friend that has an engineering degree, a masters in engineering and a law degree and says the same thing. We both feel we could find a job.