Which is better, certifications or experience?

A. If you were a manager and had to choose between one applicant with two years of IT experience and another with an MCSE and no real-world experience, which applicant would you hire? The experienced individual would win out every time. If you had a similar situation with an employee that had two years of experience and another with two years of experience and some certifications, then the certified individual would win. This debate is very similar to the college degree vs. certification question. The obvious answer is that employers value both. These qualifications are not mutually exclusive, and you can find ways to get some experience while you are working on your certifications.