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John Mackey, Michael Dell, Richard Branson and countless other entrepreneurial all-stars achieved great success without advanced degrees. In fact, these three did it without so much as a bachelor’s degree.

But, for people whose professional aspirations more closely resemble a rise through the corporate ranks, rather than game-changing an industry, advanced degrees might be worth the investment. We asked two executive recruiting professionals with nearly 40 years of experience between them if employers still covet resumes covered in alphabet soup, or if these degrees are losing value.

• Julie B. Kampf, CEO of JBK Associates International

When you look at Bill Gates and Jeff Bezos, neither one of them had advanced degrees. But when you look at senior-level marketing folks, companies are very hesitant to hire them without an MBA.

Companies look at people who go back and get their MBAs as the employees who will probably be the game changers down the road. Having a deep understanding of the market, the public sector and the implications of a global economy is critical for executives who impact a company’s finances and it’s nearly impossible to get that deep into business in a four-year undergrad program because of all the other requirements.

• Richard Singer, senior vice president and director of permanent placement at Robert Half International

Any letters after your name are going to give you more value. CPA, MBA or any of the other advanced degrees are going to make you worth more in the marketplace and help you get a foot in the door.

Twenty to 30 years ago, a lot of people didn’t have MBAs. But today, it’s almost like getting a bachelors degree and a lot of companies want to see that degree.

It’s always a good idea to continue to improve yourself so you don’t reach a plateau. In my 30 years in business, I’ve seen horror stories of people who lose their jobs after 20 years with a company and they never got their credentials. So, they had to take significant pay cuts when they went to a new job.

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