A few questions on RE certifications

[Sage Jankowitz]

So I've decided to become a RE agent. I should have my license before the beginning of December. Now I plan to bust my butt and hit the ground running, but I had a couple of questions on RE certifications:

1. When does it make sense to start getting RE certifications? In the beginning? Should I focus on closing deals and go after certifications later on?

2. Which certifications should I go after first? I was looking at the list of all certifications and there's about 100 in varying areas (international, vacation homes, home staging, buyer rep, etc.) with some overlapping, for example buyer's rep certifications. Are there any "must have's"? Are certain certifications more credible? Obviously the areas I'm interested in working will dictate this to an extent...

3. For the experienced RE agents, how much have you learned in these courses vs real world work? In my past careers I've always found the hands on knowledge far and away surpassed anything I learned in classes.

Thanks!

Sage