that HR filtering is the problem
There are a lot of very experienced and skilled techs who's resumes get tossed out by the HR filters because they don't have the applicable five character string combination that the HR/Headhunter recognizes. When you get a market over saturated by underskilled paper certs, the certified people who are good get lost in the mess and the uncert'd people who are good get ignored.
I have my weaknesses but I know what I'm good at also and I've watched a few people with half my skill take a job who's posting was basically a summary of my own resume.