>>All things being equal, two people with 5 years of experience doing similar things - looking at two resumes... a cert might make a candidate float to the top.
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>Intrestingly enough, certification is rarely a tie breaker. All things can never be equal - because two people will interview differently, experiences will not be the same.

True, but certification can be very or nothing meaningful to the interviewer, also.

When I'm hiring I value certified people, although it is not conclusive for me. Indeed, I give more value to the people who certified by themselves than to those who certified encouraged by previous employers. Why? Just because I detected a hig tendency on people who pursue certifications on their own to keep on studying and improving their careers (and frequently their skills too).

Just my opinion.