IMHO it is a very mixed bag, based on your goals. If your goal is to broaden your knowledge, then no. If your goal is to get a job where the person hiring you

IMHO it is a very mixed bag, based on your goals. If your goal is to broaden your knowledge, then no. If your goal is to get a job where the person hiring you is not as qualified as you, then definitely. Most common in contract work. Certs, like a diploma, is a third party validating you know something. Easy path, is do a job search with a particular certification. Then read the job description, and look at the companies and decide if that is something you want. A certification can provide a key differentiator to others in interview, as well as salary negotiation. It also shows you are growing and not stale. If you are staying at your current job, then I would explore the potential impact to your career at that company. I have seen a ton of resumes where someone obtained a masters degree or finished a tough cert, but their company did not value the paper, and thus they were job shopping. Myself included :-)