“... as a way to advance their careers...”
Nothing wrong with that in my opinion. Personally, I think the days of “Dad working at company X for fifty years and getting a gold watch” is something of the past. Many companies/business will force retire/pink slip a person just before retirement age. Plus, many businesses won’t promote from within. Even when I worked at a hospital, there were many techs/other positions that obtained their RN or other degree. If they wanted to work in that field, they had to apply to another hospital.. as a “fresh” employee. If they wanted a promotion, they applied elsewhere. Even one of my girl friends obtained her business degree and applied as a Loan Officer at her bank. They saw her as the “woman who worked as a teller”. She did obtain her position at ANOTHER bank. They were impressed by her years of loyal service and her willingness to obtain a higher degree.
I've taken the same approach to my own career. Job security comes with being good at what you do (or rather doing what you are good at...) and working hard.
Sometimes I've let the working hard part slip, sometimes that had consequences.
I've changed jobs more often than most would like. But for the most part, I've stayed consistently employed at good pay and doing work I've liked.
Earlier in my career, I changed jobs for resume building, taking lead roles on large projects and picking up experience and skills I thought would benefit me in the long run. Usually it came with a pay raise, almost always long hours, sometime less desirable working conditions.
After a couple decades of that, I'm more interested in working with people I like and respect that treat me well, along with large paychecks.