Bigger salaries, better jobs
Certificate holders usually earn more money than their non-certified colleagues. They can expect higher salaries for what they already enjoy doing, and at the same time they can also experience much better, more challenging and more prestigious job positions.
Two recent studies conducted by Network World and SolarWinds reveal that, in the foreseeable future, training and certification will have a big impact on preparing IT professionals for the evolving world of IT organizations. 60% of the 700 IT professionals surveyed claim that holding certificates leads to a new, presumably better, job. (source: http://www.microsoft.com/learning/en-us/certification-benefits.aspx)
Certification plays a vital role in the process of hiring and is often perceived as a great tool for selection and screening purposes. It substantially helps to put your cv/resume on the top of the pile, which increases your chances of getting the job you want.
The statistics show that IT executives and IT managers attach a significant importance to your certification portfolio. According to the Microsoft Certification Program Satisfaction Study, conducted in April 2012, 91% of hiring managers believe certification to be an essential part of their hiring criteria. And based on the Employer Perceptions of IT Training and Certification study, conducted in January 2011 by CompTIA, 8 out of 10 HR executives verify certifications among job candidates. (source: http://www.microsoft.com/learning/en-us/certification-benefits.aspx)
Having a certificate makes your position on the labour market much stronger. Whenever your resume suggests that you have certain skills or that you know programming languages, you will need to prove it. And even if you are given a chance to do this during an interview, you will need to get an invitation to that interview first.