Do certifications actually matter in software careers?

I believe that certifications are one of the matters in the software profession, but their importance depends on the circumstances. Certification can demonstrate that you have taken time to master a specific skill or technology which may be particularly helpful when you are new in the industry or moving to a new field such as cloud computing, data science or cybersecurity. It is not that the employers are not familiar with certifications such as AWS, Google Cloud, or Microsoft Azure, and it may help attract attention when you lack experience but still hold such a certification.

With that said, when you are already working in the industry, it is unlikely that your certificates matter to the majority of companies as much as what you can do. Practical skills such as building projects, working on open source, or solving real-life problems are much better demonstrated by the real world experience. The certifications are likely to open the doors, but they will not substitute practical skills or experience in problem-solving. It is impossible to just read theory or even pass tests and really know how systems relate or how to debug complicated problems.

One more aspect that should not be forgotten is that the technological world evolves quickly. A certificate may be a demonstration of what you know at one stage yet there are new tools and frameworks emerging regularly. The only thing that will make you special is that you can continue learning, change to new technologies, and use your knowledge correctly. Certifications are therefore helpful in enhancing your profile or adding some credibility to your resume, but they are not a priority. Practical work (constructions, playing with code, discovering how systems are actually operated), hands-on experience will always make more of a difference to your development and success in your career.