From my experience in the recruitment industry you will be experiencing some diffuclty in getting through interviews due to the amount of competition from all the other individuals looking for work. This is why current employers are being so strigent in their interviewing process (because they can)

All I can say is that I saw a similar siutation when the Micrsoft Certification and Lotus Notes certification schemes were implemented soon all employers asked for certified people only. As the market picks up (and all my old colleagues in recruitment land are very busy) you will find the the OCP will become a differentiator, favouring those candidates with certification and experience.

The OCP won't get you the job but it will get you those interviews in the future especially when clients direct agencies to only look for OCP qualified people.

steve
http://www.theoraclejobsite.com