Technical certifications from major platform providers are genuinely worth it: AWS/Azure/GCP (top 10 highest-paying globally), CompTIA Security+ (DoD-approved, mandatory for many government roles), PMP (20%+ salary premiums), Salesforce/HubSpot/Google (credible signals for roles using those tools). Generic MOOC completion certificates carry limited weight. The exception: Google Career Certificates (Data Analytics, UX Design, Project Management) have genuine employer partnerships. To decide: research 10 job postings for your target role. If a cert appears in 6+ postings, pursue it. If it doesn’t appear, build your portfolio first.