I decided to study for LPIC-1. I already have basic skills of Unix, but not so much about administrating. Also, as my background is unusual, I would like my employer and collegues to make sure what skills I already have. LPIC sounds reasonable because the knowledge is applicable to any Linux systems.
After that, I may study for Oracle Bronze, which is the lowest level in Oracle Certificates. As the lowest level, the exam doesn’t require much knowledge about Oracle-specific skills. Most of the contents are usable in MySQL. Or I may simply take MySQL exams.
In terms of programming, there’s a Ruby certificate. While this sounds promissing, I’m not really sure if it’s worth in everyday programming. The exam just seems to be asking memorization. Look at the sample questions someone else made.. Also, there’s no established book or resources available at this time. I can’t throw $150 for that sort of exam yet.
I’m not a big fan of certificates, but they will help me in some way or other.
P.S.: CompTIA seems less known here in Japan. Also there are some certificates that an organization supported by the govement offers, but they are only taken twice a year (spring and fall), I will avoid them for now.