Maybe you need to work on your CV (Resumé) and / or make your recommendations more visible. (If you have any worth mentioning of course.)

They also look on education and especially previous business experience, at least in most countries as far as I know.

Certifications alone isn't enough to get a job mostly, but they're a good start and help, and even get you past the usual HR screenings, but you still need to sell yourself. (Something I am not good at xD)

It depends really. Some people hate them, some people love them. It depends on the hiring manger's personal beliefs, and whoever else on the team you have to get past.

if you have a cert, with no work experience, then probably not going to make it past the desk. If you have work experience and no certs, ok. If you have work experience and certs you might have a chance.

simple, certs get you passed HR filtering, whether you like it or not, that's the reality in this business / corporate world.

they see that having certs is your own initiatives and serious about the role you're currently doing.

other than that, experiences and how you sell yourself counts, otherwise, if you have a lot of certs, but can't talk / sell yourself during the interview, it's also no good and you won't pass the interview!

also, most interviewer will ask you to talk about your past experiences, what do you do etc, so that's the best time to sell whatever you did in the past.

besides, having certs make you stand out from those "without", really, your pay will be more than them.

FWIW ... a CISSP and/or C|EH is a job requirement for my position.  I was very fortunate in that my company paid for a CISSP bootcamp for several of it's employees.

How much experience do you have?

If you have been a password reset ninja for 5 years than it it might not help you have those certs. It might actually look shady. If you have a couple of years in IT on a helpdesk, an admin and  you have done some infosec duties then it should help. Certs should compliment your experience or build upon it. For an example, a CCNA doing CCNA level work SHOULD have more calls from recruiters than a CCNA not doing networking at all.

It could be the market where you are as well. Have you considered moving? I know all of those certs are wanted by the government  and government contractors. Have you looked at there?

For all of you that are struggling with getting hits on your resume, I suggest you create a new "resume feedback" thread and post your resume (with company names, contact information, personal details redacted). A few pointers could help you take your resume a long way. Remember that whoever is looking at yours will likely be looking at dozens or hundreds that day. Poor formatting, spelling/grammar errors, etc. will get yours introduced to the garbage can (or recycle bin).

In regards to the original question, certs are simply one piece of the puzzle. Like formal education, experience, other credentials, they don't guarantee anything. Some people won't value them, others will misunderstand them, but that's no reason to avoid pursuing them. In nearly every circumstance, they will give you a little boost.

You need to remember that you're marketing yourself for a job. In this light, certifications are what makes you stand out. Research the job boards and certification-related surveys to identify what's hot. If you're getting certs to get jobs (I personally pursue them as a personal challenge), find the one(s) that will provide the greatest ROI . For example, the CISSP and CISM are next to useless for penetration testing, but you may have to pick those up because those are what HR personnel, who are unlikely to be intimately familiar with security certs, are going to identify as indicators of competence. Now, don't assume that the more technical ones are therefore worthless; that just gets your foot in the door. You'll likely have several interviews that involve more technical people who are more in-the-know. They would be much more likely to appreciate that OSCP that the sweet HR lady thought was Orthopaedic Surgeons of Central PA (thanks Google).

Also, and probably most importantly, be sure you can back up the area you're certified in with actual knowledge. If you crammed and passed some exam years ago, how are you going to fair in an interview when questioned about that subject matter? That puts you at a disadvantage right off the bat and cheapens the quality of the cert in the eyes of the interviewer.

Two other quick thoughts: First, network. Every job I've gotten (and several other offers) were a result of a personal recommendation or connection. Just get to know people. Go to local events (i.e. aforementioned professional organizations), email and PM people you want to get to know better (he ultimately declined, but my recommendation resulted in a job offer to someone in this very thread), and so on. However, don't network with a person specifically for a job; people can tell when they're being used. Just go out and start meeting people. You'll likely find an opportunity or two fall in your lap before you know it (assuming you deserve it; you still need to earn it).

Second, remember that job postings are wish lists. Who cares if they want eight years of experience? Competent people are difficult to find. When all the other applicants with eight years of experience are arrogant, poorly dressed, and/or tardy, someone with less experience who shows promise will often stand above the others.

Finally, MaXe, you need to join Toastmasters and build up your confidence or something. Someone with your skills exudes l33tness. If a noob like me can come off as competent, there's absolutely no reason you should have any problem

People have been saying for years "Oh, certs are that important, they are almost already worthless, don't even bother" but when it comes down to it, there is nothing else that compares to the value a cert will give you as far as proving you are invested in continuing education, on staying fresh in this ever changing field, and validating the skills you already have. Better safe than sorry...