Certification can be important, but it depends on your situation. For instance, if you are a consultant, certification looks good to prospective clients. In some cases, certification is a requirement (for instance, for Microsoft Solution Providers). If you have no practical experience, Certification can give you a boost, but it's unlikely that you will like any employer that would hire you based on certification. Generally it's just another feather in your cap of a long list of credentials. It may help in some circumstances, not in others. -- Where are we going? And why am I in this handbasket?