Just my .02 since I'm trying to find a job in the computer field at the moment.

Seems that a lot of where I look, they list experience as the most important criteria, then education. Certifications IMO are a sticky issue since a lot of the job postings seem to prefer some sort ( two of the more popular ones are Cisco and Microsoft certs ). I do agree with HTRegz about certifications and their usefulness. Since it is a business, certifications are a way of testing knowledge on one specific product ( how to use it, etc. ), and I find this pretty stupid.

But not all of them are. For instance the much hyped CCIE ( or equivalents ), require quite a bit of knowledge and work. As is the GIAC's.