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Depends on the role and company you’re applying for but I’d say if you’re going for something entry level or if you have no experience they help.
I know some helpdesk places near me require A+, NET+, and SEC+ at hire or within the first 6 months. Whereas I’m a small business IT manager and I look at those certs as bonuses for entry or mid level positions. I’m way more interested in your work experience than how many certs you have.
So, they’re a good baseline from a generalist perspective. If you’re going for entry level helpdesk, it proves you have a base level of technical ability.
The A+/Net+/Sec+ trifecta is a good starting point and give you a strong fundamental knowledge base to pursue other vendor specific certifications.
Past that it is very dependent on what you’d like to do, there are a lot of Niches to fill. Interested in networking? Go for Cisco certs, you might not even encounter a lot of Cisco gear because it’s starting to fade, but the certs look good on a resume.
Though at the end of the day, experience and references are key. I personally have a reference list included in my resume going all the way back to my first IT job.
A degree helps but isn’t necessary.
I agree with this. They're good certs to have as documentation of general proficiency, but they're best in combination with something more specific like CCNA.