Heh, I think you may have missunderstood me Negrita.

The kid I've been mentoring, I've simply been trying to encourage him toward joining in with the discussions here, asking questions, and generally making use of the community of experts here as a way for him to develope his knowledge of the wide world of computer security, and perhaps help him find the right path for him. Getting certs gets your foot in the door sometimes as you suggested, but it's your skills that will get you the job (or help you keep it). Once again, great to hear you're back!