I sat one cert a while back and was very amused to know that there were only 150 people in North America who held this cert. I'm not bragging, I just thought it very funny that such a popular application was so overlooked by people - especially those who keep a keen eye on their resume/curriculum vitae. I personally don't like seeing all those same, usual, 'everyone sits this one' certs listed on people's paper/online career history - mix it up a bit, get something that stretches you, it'll at least raise a curious question when someone comes across it.
'Oh, what's this? I see you're certified on , tell me more about that?' It can only help your allure rather that just being another line in your PDF on someone's monitor.
The proctored exams are usually pretty cool though. Tinged with that little annoyance of 'hey that's not the correct answer, you can do it the way Answer B says also' is my only pet peeve with this process. Having been customer-side of things and firefighting this stuff at 3 a.m. on a public holiday Sunday, I know all too well what the product can do... but as always, I digress. Those exams keep you on your toes, keep you thinking, keep you grounded in the logic of how the software's process HAS to work - you can be creative in your own time in your development environment, but they're not gonna certify you on that (although you may get a polite golf-clap for thinking outside of the box).
My company likes us being certified also. It gives them something to promote and shout about. And it can do the same for your company also. Your favorite sales person from your hardware/software vendors of choice will like you more also as it gives them something to talk about - they may then even remember that you have three kids instead of just the two cats they continually ask you about as they saunter around your office on their way to yet another lunch with your boss.
