Why futile... It could be that possible employers give nothing on it if it is a RedHat or LPIC certification.
Employers do appreciate that some possible candidate has at least had the will to advance/enhance skills in any way instead of chilling and putting feets on the table.

In the decision stays yours, what you do.

My last certification ranges back to 1999 and since then I simply had too much work to go beyond the thought of certification, I was able to get new jobs still. I admit I had some trainings and when I have time between my daily business, I try to improve my skills and write down a lot for times, when I have forgotten the half of it already, since only what you do stays in memory.

It is very ambiguous subject:
I saw people with certifications, some very good in these things and some seemed to have just did the barely neccessary to get pass. Same with working experience - there is people that teach themselves a lot of things and do a good jobs - others do just the necessary stuff to get along, mabye even in a not very reliable quality and that's it.

To sum it up a bit - somebody who does a decent job is more important for an employer than any certification. Certification can be proof of skill, but does not need to be.


Funny and impudent thing happened to me:
I had once contact with one of those 1001 headhunter agencies. I got forwarded to their boss in a short telephone interview. She did not even had read my documents accordingly and asked things in a very arrogant style. After checking my trainings, she said it's a bit meagre and I could have done more in the time training and certification wise. She said I am like an old broken car that will be hard to find a customer for. I thanked for the nice conversation and quit the communication.

Some 2 months later, I had directly contact to the company she was searching for and got the teamleader on the phone who had read my documents and wanted to get me for the job with much effort.

So you see the two extremes how people judge about your skills etc. Don't let yourself be pushed down