Are you in an orchard or onion patch?(Senior Women Academic Administrators of Canada)

With gardening as a theme, sessions at the Senior Women Academic Administrators of Canada (SWAAC) conference held in British Columbia in May used garden references as provocative titles.

Jan Nolan, director of the faculty renewal and academic leadership initiatives at the University of Victoria, consults with deans, chairs, academic departments and human resources to develop programs that help units attract talented faculty. She led a session on helping women decide whether to stay at their current schools or seek a change to advance a career.

Whether your current situation appears to be an orchard or onion patch depends upon the type of career ladder available in your current situation.

With three teenagers and a husband committed to living on the West Coast of Canada, Nolan noted that she had few options for changing locations. So she got a promotion at her current school by creating a new position funded with soft money. "You have to sell your skills as unique and needed in your school," she said. That's especially true if you're currently employed at the school. Emphasize how valuable your skill set is to them.

Most women don't know how to evaluate or sell themselves to others, so they often sell themselves short. "You need colleagues to help you sell yourself strong," said Nolan. And you need feedback on how to assess your particular skills and values in addition to stretching you a bit. The University of Victoria has a personal coach to help women explore issues and role play in interviews.

How much risk to take during an interview depends upon how badly you want the job. If you ...