Are certifications worth it while job hunting? - 11 months and counting

I saw that many postings ask for a specific certification. Any experience at all would help. I would like to use funding if possible. Is there free funding?

Thanks for writing this out. I went through something close to it last year, and it settled down once I kept a simple log of every call and form.

A hands-on course with a project helped more than a purely online one.