Choosing the Management Track
Whatever you do, don't seek to join a management track because you think it's the "next logical step" or some reward for being good at coding.   It's not that.   It's a <i>different</i> job.<p>Gather some evidence about whether you're good at helping people solve their problems.  All sorts of problems.   Problems not even having to do with work.   Ask whether you're good at communicating up <i>and</i> down, high level and low level.   Do you enjoy answering dumb questions and explaining things over and over again?   Are you good at switching between topics that you didn't want to switch to, hour by hour?  Do you <i>like</i> writing reports and managing projects and Gantt charts?   Are you "a people person, I'm good with people dammit"?<p>Would you take the job if there were no pay increase?  If the answer is no, then that's likely not what it's going to bring you -- it's probably going to bring you stress and dissatisfaction more than any potential pay difference.  Of course, it may vary a bit by company, but this is often a reasonable caution.<p>Think hard before just jumping in.  Managing people isn't what many think it is!