As employment opportunities improve, more workers are contemplating making a change. A recent study by the Gallup organization, for example, finds six in 10 employed millennials are open to changing jobs within the next year. Within the past 12 months, one in five already has. What’s more, only half plan to be with their current employer a year from now. Should you join them?

I have seen the same trend in my firm. A number of recent recruits have jumped from one firm to another every one or two years. As employers of all kinds have increasingly become reluctant to make long-term commitments to employees, staff loyalty has eroded. Employers get this, and on occasion exploit it to their advantage. However, the cost of recruiting, orienting and training a new employee is not insignificant. If they look at a candidate’s track record and suspect he or she is going to move on in a year or two, they are going to think twice before making an offer.

Some candidates think they can game the system by insisting that “this time” they are looking for a more permanent position. In my experience, this gambit does not work. Deeds speak louder than words. If you are serious about having a career in a particular field, my advice is to stay put for awhile, gain experience, develop your management and leadership skills, take time to figure out what you want to accomplish in the next phase of your career, and then decide where you need to be. What appears to be the fast track is not always the best path to a satisfying and lasting career.