RE: Oracle certification - Worth the hard work?

Yep.  

That's why I used the term "positive correlation", not "guarantee".      

Lots of very good DBA's never publish. More than one person who has published should not have been published.

>From a hiring perspective:
 

I haven't noticed any correlation between "great oracle developer or dba" and "passed Oracle certification exam".  

I have noticed a positive correlation between "publishes and presents work at professional conferences or in technical journals" and "great oracle developer or dba".  

Won't hurt your job prospects to have it, though. Most HR groups and many technical managers are clueless when it comes to evaluating technical staff during the hiring process, so this can help.

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