Nearly half, or 44.6%, of UK professionals say learning new skills is their main career priority right now, beating both a pay rise and a promotion, according to new research from jobs site CV-Library.

The findings, which surveyed 2,000 UK professionals, found that 43.5% of professionals want to receive a pay rise, while 40.1% want to move to another company.

Lee Biggins, founder and CEO of CV-Library, commented, “Of course, salary will always be fairly high on an employees’ list of priorities, but it’s positive to see that this is consistently joined by the desire to learn new skills. We know that there is a skills shortage in the UK right now, with many employers struggling to fill their roles with the talent they require.”

The full list of career priorities includes:

1. Learn new skills (44.6%)
2. Get a pay rise (43.5%)
3. Move to another company (40.1%)
4. Gain a new qualification (24.3%)
5. Get a new job title (22.7%)
6. Change job roles (19.7%)
7. Get a promotion (17.2%)
8. Change industries (13.1%)
9. Work for themselves (12.4%)
10. Build a personal network (8.9%)

CV-Library found that 28.4% of UK professionals believe they can meet these career priorities with their current employer, as nearly two-thirds (64.1%) say they employer isn’t responsive to their needs. As a result, 83.2% of Brits plan on changing jobs in order to achieve their dreams.

The survey also asked respondents what their top career goals are for the next three and five years, with the trend of getting a pay rise (44.5% in three years and 43.3% in five) and learning new skills (36.3% in the next three years and 34.1% in five) remaining a top priority.