Getting a promotion is equivalent to taking that next step on the corporate ladder. You may have a lot of rungs to climb, but that’s one less rung you have to worry about. All in all, it’s a great feeling. This is why getting a promotion is the single most important goal for most people in the workplace today.

However, before you look to take that next step, you need to make sure you are ready for it. While I’m sure you’re ready for the money (If they promote you but don’t give you a raise, I’d high tail it out of there as you’re basically doing extra work for free), are you ready for the responsibility?

With that question in mind, here are three things to think about before you take that next step in your career:

• Do you know what this new position entails? - This sounds like common sense, but I’ve definitely come across people who have no idea what to expect in their newly promoted positions. While I’m not saying that you have to know the intimate day to day details (you’ll learn a lot of this on the job), you need to have a general understanding of what responsibilities this position entails and what will be expected of you. If you walk in completely blind, you’re almost guaranteed to have a rough time of it. A good idea is to talk to someone already in that position and get a feel for what they do.

• Are you ready to manage others? - This may not apply to your new position, but if you are going to be managing other people then you need to be ready for it. Most likely, if you are up for a management position, then you have had some experience with it. However, if you haven’t, try to get some experience before you take your new position. An example of this would be volunteering to take charge of an assignment, where other people would be working with you to get it done. It will be a lot easier to manage people in your new position if you have done it in your current position. I know it might not be possible (sometimes you don’t have a say in it), but you should try to get some experience if you can.

• Are you ready to be held accountable? - This is a big one. While you may have some accountability in your current position, most likely this level of accountability will increase when you get promoted. Even more likely, you will be held accountable for the work of others. You need to make sure that you are ready to be held accountable for everything that your new position is responsible for. For example, in your current position, you might be accountable for your software design. However, when you get promoted, you might be accountable for ALL of the software designs. Inline with the above two points, you need to be ready not only to perform the responsibilities of your new role, but also be ready to take the heat if necessary. Don’t fret though, it’s not all bad. If everything goes right, you’re in a position to get great PR for yourself.

I’d like to reiterate that getting a promotion is a very important step in your career. While the above are great points to consider before you start your new role, you also have to factor in that no matter how much prep work you do you will learn A LOT on the job. Don’t be afraid of getting promoted, just make sure that you do as much prep work as possible so that you do a great job right from the start.