As IT has become integrated into businesses and is no longer considered a department of antisocial nerds, IT professionals are seeking ways to learn business skills.

But many IT pros think that to get them, or to advance their career, they must leave their present company. A new study, “Hello, I Must Be Going: Hard Facts on Soft Skills,” by Wisegate Research, says 62% of respondents expect to leave within the next two years.

Wisegate surveyed hundreds of seasoned IT professionals, most of who work in finance and insurance, government, and manufacturing.

Besides an analysis of why IT professionals want to leave their companies, the report examines how seriously respondents think IT departments are taken by the rest of their company.

“As IT … gains mainstream respect and credibility across business units, IT professionals are now in the position to gain and exert influence within their companies,”

the report says.

“They have already started down this path; as their ability to interact grows, this can only be good for the business.”