I have passed a few certs, may be useful if you want to put a foot in the door without network or land some govt/corporate contract requiring it. But in my exp

I have passed a few certs, may be useful if you want to put a foot in the door without network or land some govt/corporate contract requiring it. But in my experience professional networking brings the best results - no questions about certs or silly coding quizees. Best people I know haven't done any certs. Most people I know who did certification had not much prior experience in a subject and rarely had ocassion later on to gain one.