As Nick states, it does fill in the holes. I've been certified in various areas since 1999. Since then, other things I've noticed about certs:

1. It's what the vendor wants you to use, not what the employer needs (as far as knowledge).

2. It's the tipping point for getting hired in lower/entry-level jobs.

3. It impresses HR people who don't know what they are.

4. They can help a tech company be called a vendor "partner", or helps us get "good maintenance discounts" for another unrelated vendor.

Mostly I see it as a good addition to (proven) experience, not stand alone. I would never hire anyone who did boot camp. That's just like cheating.

If it's any consolation, my MBA doesn't seem to impress much either when added to 14 yrs experience, management experience, and about five industry certs. Perhaps we should bring this up again when the job market improves?