It all depends on how you use your certification.

Getting certified out the ass while you don't have any valid computer experience MIGHT help you get your foot in the door. But there is NO guarantee that it will get you a job.

If you are working for someone and use the certifications as part of your professional growth plan it might help you advance your career (again, no guarantee). Plus a combination of experience and certification looks good on the resume when working to get a new job.

The funniest thing I hear is people in irc telling me how they are gonna have $60k a year jobs out of highschool because they took this cisco class or that m$ class and are getting their cert. The cert/classes don't guarantee you squat. If you learn your area well enough, and do your research on how to market yourself to companies, what the companies want, etc.....you might be able to land a spot interning or as a bottom end monkey boy.

Companies want people with tech skills, people skills, business skills.....all of the skills that they can get to avoid having to spend the money on training their new hires in the basics.