Taking the next step in your career can be a complex and often daunting experience for some. At first, it’s difficult to know whether you’re ready to move onto a bigger job, with more responsibilities. After all, moving forward in your professional life could mean that you end up with a better wage, but it also means that you’re going to face new challenges.

Whether you’re thinking of changing careers, or you’re just ready to push up to a new promotion or a better level in your existing job, it’s important to consider your options carefully. The more prepared you are, the more likely it is that you’ll be successful. Here are a few things to think about before you take that leap.

Do You Have the Right Skills?

Sometimes, when you move into a new career, there are opportunities to learn skills and expand your talents as you go. This is often the case with careers that rely heavily on interacting with people and gaining on-the-job experience. However, you’ll find that you have much more confidence when you first step into your new role, if you have the right talents and skills to get you started. Before you start looking into your next job opportunity, ask yourself what your strengths and weaknesses are. Could you potentially do the same job as your boss if you had the opportunity to move up tomorrow, or do you need a little extra time?

If you’re lacking in some part of your professional life, what can you do to develop your skills and get yourself prepared for the next step. Taking out private student loans and heading back to college can be a great way to improve your profitability and unlock new doors in your future. You can also look into taking leadership classes, or networking more often.

Do You Know Where You Want to Go

Which direction do you want to move in? Are you likely to make the shift to working in a completely different industry, or are you looking for an opportunity to build on what you already do? If you like your current job, but you’re starting to think that it’s not challenging or engaging enough, then it might be time to ask your employer for more responsibilities, or discuss the possibility of a promotion somewhere down the line.

If you take the promotion route, don’t be surprised if you learn that you’re going to need some additional training and support to get you to where you need to be. Just because it feels like you’re doing as much work as your manager doesn’t mean that you necessarily are. If you’re planning on going in a different direction, what kind of industry or job are you going to be looking at? Can you take any of the skills that you have with you into this new world, or do you need to develop some new talents based on that industry? Can you get some experience within the industry that you’re thinking of going into, or speak to someone from that space before you jump in with both feet?