AWS/cloud certifications — genuinely worth it for a junior, or just resume filler?

Thinking about spending a couple months and some money on a cloud cert to stand out. But I keep hearing mixed things — some say it got their resume past the first filter, others say hiring managers don't care and would rather see projects.

For juniors specifically (not people with five years of experience adding a cert), did it actually move the needle for you? Or would that time be better spent deploying a couple of real projects to the cloud instead of studying for the exam? Trying not to waste the effort.