If the employer has to choose between
a person with no real world experience who has the SCBCDa person who has loads of real world experience but no SCBCD and everything else is equal (both people asking for same pay, same job) then chances are they will go for person number 2.
But there are lots of places where they do not really want an
EJB programmer with lots of experience. They may want an all rounder. Or they may want to hire a junior and get them to grow with the company. In these sorts of circumstances, having the SCBCD will help you get the job.
In the first case, if you have SCBCD and SCWCD and
SCJD then you can show that you are familiar with lots of different ways of using Java - you are not one of those people who can create great EJBs but don't know how to write a standalone application.
In the second case the employer does not have to worry about spending a few weeks training you on EJB basics. And they know that you are familiar with most facets of EJBs, not just the subset of EJBs that the company is using today.
And the other great thing about certifications - it proves that you have committed yourself to learning the language properly. You have not simply learnt the bare minimum to get your current job done.
What I believe it comes down to is how you sell yourself to your potential employer. The certifications on their own will not get you the job. And acting as though you know everything because you have the certification will only get you in trouble and create friction between others in the company. But the certification can certainly be used as the differentiator between you and the next person, to get you that foot in the door.
Regards, Andrew
