1 - Do trainings teach actually exclusive content? - No not really, they do teach best practices and give you a paper that says "this person knows this" 2 - Do

1 - Do trainings teach actually exclusive content? - No not really, they do teach best practices and give you a paper that says "this person knows this" 2 - Do certifications actually boost my portfolio? - If you want to work in the Enterprise space yes it does. - It helps if you are a freelancer or a boutique security shop to show that you have the skills you claim. - It helps if you are already employed in an enterprise and want to have leverage for a salary negotiation. Which leads to the precarious situation you might find your self in a position where your manager does not approve of your certification costs if the company has a policy that managers have to approve your spendings. THis is a common powerplay to keep salaries down and to deny promotions by certain managers in certain types of compnanies. And yea don't get all of the certs, get the ones that matter. use Linkedin and hackernews to find out which certs are a must for the position you want to achieve