There is a concept called code smell, and in that spirit there is also I believe a company smell and if a company won’t hire you because of a lack of certification, well that is a company you probably shouldn’t work for. I’ve continuously stated that If I get an IT related certification I probably have given up or no longer trust my own skills. I hope I can follow through with this declaration!
There is a huge difference between training and certification. I guess that anyone, even Joe the Most-Experienced-Developer-In-The-World, would benefit from a few days of training by Ron Jeffries and most other people arguing for certification now. But that is because these people really have something to say about the way software is built and if you are looking for gems of knowledge that is the right place to look. Developers should take training to get that knowledge, not to get a piece of paper that is supposedly going to help them get a job (and it will not, at least in any company that really cares about development). Training is there to help you get started with a new practice or fill in the gaps. It is not the end of the journey but quite the opposite, just a beginning on the path to knowledge.
via Gojko Adzic » Joe the Developer doesn’t need a certificate.