There will be times in your career when others come to the conclusion you are ready for the next move (as opposed to you thinking you’re ready). Sometimes it’s to take the role of your boss, lead a project that’s going poorly…..it’s almost always something that is outside your comfort zone and a surprise, since you weren’t looking for it.  When people asked me to take roles, my reaction was often gratitude, followed by a compelling argument as to why I wasn’t qualified for the role. Lucky for me, I was overridden. Some things to think about:

1. Your managers know better than you. They wouldn’t put you in a role they didn’t think you could do. One, it would reflect poorly on them, two, it’s a huge hassle to take you out and replace you. They’ve thought it through.

2. You will be terrified. The job will seem huge, a step too far, way beyond your capabilities. Staying where you are will feel safer. Here’s the problem with safety:

• If you pass this up, you’re essentially saying that you don’t want to be considered for the big opportunities. Unless you have another role, an extenuating circumstance, or are truly satisfied to stay where you are forever, that might be a mistake.
• You are unlikely to grow in your current role. Yes, it’s safe, and yes, you know it really well and are good at it. But do you want to risk being the best buggy whip maker around?

3. Ask yourself these questions: “Will I learn a lot?”, “is it a big change from what I’m doing, but I can leverage my current skills?”, “Is the person offering me the role invested in my success?”, “Would this warrant a change/key accomplishment on my cv?”, “do my colleagues change?”

If the answers are yes, then it’s probably a great opportunity. I never took a new job without feeling like “This is it. This is the one I will totally crash and burn on, and end up living in my parents’ basement.” Know what? Doesn’t happen.  You’ll figure it out.