Well, my honest opinion is that neither of these two will server you better "in the long run" as you put it. As I am sure, others will mention, technology changes from day to day. I got certified in 2 of Sun's programmer certifications within the last couple of years. I realize however, that today, the value of these certs is zero unless I can prove that I know what I am doing and that i've applied what i've learned in some manner. Therefore, my approach to keeping my skills fresh, AND building my resume, is a combination of volunteering my services to community groups, giving presentations at Users Groups, and attending conventions. I put all of these things on my resume. I've gotten greater response from this type of involvement with my career than from certifications alone.