Of course,certifications are always second to experience. Whichever certification you choose to pursue would be useless if it's not backed up with hands on knowledge.

In my opinion Cisco has always been one of the front liners in IT and their network certifications are proven career builders. If you have background in networking I would suggest you set your eyes on the CCNAs then make your way up the ladder and proceed with CCNP and then CCIE.