Preparing for a promotion

The more time you spend in the workforce, the sooner you realize that getting a promotion isn't a cut and dry proposition. Before you even approach your boss, there is much to do, including evaluating whether you are ready, doing your homework on the company and preparing yourself for the transition.

Determine if you're ready
"It's almost like you've hit that place where you recognize you want more, and also recognize that you can offer more," says Carol Scobie, vice president of human resources at Cumis Insurance Companies.

According to Scobie, being able to gauge whether you're ready depends on your familiarity with the position you're seeking. You need to be able to break down what types of personal qualifications would be called upon, and then be honest with yourself about whether you can meet those demands.

"There are certain positions where you have to have a certain attribute to do the job," she says. "Throughout my own career, there were positions that I thought I wanted, but the more I thought about it, the more I realized I would have had to change the way I am. The job would ask me to do something that would go against who I am. I had to recognize that and make the decision not to go for it."

Examine the position
If you've decided you do have what it takes, the next step is to get an idea of the responsibilities of the job -- what kind of skills and knowledge the job entails -- and how you can prepare yourself. This can include anything from pursuing extra training to diversifying your current responsibilities to enlisting the help of a personal coach.

"Whether you've taken some coaching courses, or have received mentoring that has helped you get to that stage, that will all contribute to how ready you are," she says.