My company has recently became a Microsoft Certified Partner and from a business perspective it helps us greatly as it provides the software licenses needed to continue development in a much more cost effective manner, and the added benefit of marketing abilities.
Now, I know that Microsoft Certified Partner status is important to many clients, but from a developers perspective, is it something that as a .NET developer you would look for when selecting an organization to potentially work for? Is it seen as a benefit where you know at a minimum that the organization will have access to the tools needed for the job?
Yes. As a partner, you not only get access to the software, but the company gets vouchers for certification testing, making it more likely that your employer would not only support, but encourage you to get certified. I work for a MS Gold Partner and every single developer here is MCPD certified.