There are some certifications that do appear to provide real value: the Red Hat certifications and the PMP certifications come to mind. I've also heard that the

There are some certifications that do appear to provide real value: the Red Hat certifications and the PMP certifications come to mind. I've also heard that the Microsoft certifications provide value as well. These are typically certifications that you do need to study for and probably spend some time learning new subject material. I do agree that many if not most certifications don't provide much value.