Hey Jerry,
I guess it depends what you're looking to get out of the process of earning a new certification whatever certification it may be.
For me, I wanted three things from the process of earning the various certifications I hold:
- To validate the knowledge and experience I have gained over 20+ years in the industry
- To increase my knowledge in the various respective subjects covered by my certifications to authoritative levels
- To fill some of my spare time doing something vaguely productive
Will these certifications help you get a better job? Possibly. I do keep an eye on the job market and see the ISSAP and ISSMP being listed on job descriptions - bear in mind I'm UK based so if I'm seeing this over here it must be happening in greater volume in the US.
In terms of funding, my previous employer paid for my CISSP, CCSP, ISSEP and ISSAP. My current employer is funding my CSSLP aspirations. I actually paid for my ISSMP myself. (This is part of the reason I am so annoyed at the ISSMP certificate package getting lost!) I had lined up my previous employer to pay for the ISSMP but then I moved jobs and undertook the study and passed the exam in the period when I was between the two jobs - see reason number 3 above.
Was earning any/all of these certifications worth it from a pure monetary return on investment perspective - particularly the ISSMP which I paid for myself (exam fees + cost of the CBK book)?
Well, I didn't need any of these certifications (other than maybe my CISSP) to get my current job - my experience and reputation was enough. So, it's hard to quantify, but I'd say they've all paid for themselves now purely through the added confidence I have in my knowledge and capabilities shining through in the quality of my work - which has literally paid dividends!
Hope this helps!
