So you've never heard of the small town where your partner has just landed an academic job. Or maybe the job is in a major city but not one you've ever visited. Whatever the location, the challenge facing the trailing spouse is to find a job in an unfamiliar place.
It's become quite common for academic couples to move together to a university or college town where only one of the partners has a campus job. How easy it will be for you to find an academic or nonacademic job in the same city will depend on many factors, including the locale.
A major city will present far more options, but it can also be rather intimidating to break into such a market. Large metropolitan regions are more likely to have resources, such as city-based Web sites and regional magazines, that offer information on the area's major industries, companies, and market trends. In addition, some guidebooks to career opportunities in particular cities are available, such as the JobBank (Adams Media) series.
Major cities also have an abundance of formal networking opportunities, such as meetings, presentations, and workshops for business, government and nonprofit professionals. Learning about such opportunities requires some research skills, but as someone with academic training, you should be up to the challenge.
While a rural setting may present a smaller array of career options, you may find it far easier to navigate the professional networks and learn about job openings. It may take more effort to learn about the community's industries and the distances from your partner's new employer to different metropolitan areas. A good starting point is to check the Web site of the college or university where your partner will be teaching and look for information about the region aimed at prospective students.
In a rural locale, you might want to consider freelance and telecommuting careers, such as writing and consulting. And a small town can be the ideal setting for launching any number of entrepreneurial ventures. If you are a gourmet cook, for instance, you may discover that there are few or no catering businesses located in your town, but no lack of small-scale catering needs. Similarly, you may have developed some skills in graphic design and desktop publishing that would open the doors to a business producing advertisements and marketing materials for local businesses.
Whether you are moving to a large city or small town, you will want to follow several key steps in approaching a nonacademic job search. Self-assessment is a critical piece of any job search. At its core, this effort involves understanding the essential skills you have, and being able to articulate how these skills have value away from the context of your academic specialty. (You might want to check out some of the Career Network's previous columns for advice on networking, on recasting yourself for a nonacademic career, and on transferring your skills to a nonacademic setting.)
If you want to focus on academic employment options, the only true difference between a large city and a rural area will be in the number of possibilities. The key to finding academic employment when you have followed your partner to a new city is one word -- networking. Department chairs and deans need to know that you've come to town and that you stand ready to get them out of the bind they will be in when they realize at the last minute that they need to add another section of freshman composition or second-year Spanish. Your success in scooping up adjunct positions will come from approaching these employers before they need you.
Learn the location of all of the colleges and universities within commuting distance, and then find out who the relevant department chairs and deans are for your areas of teaching competence. Then contact them -- send an e-mail message and let them know that you're new in town and you look forward to meeting them. It is a good idea to start with the college or university where your partner will be teaching, as you will have a significant advantage. However, I have met a number of trailing spouses who don't wish to find their employment through the graces of their partner's employer. This is a personal matter for you to consider, and if you feel strongly about the need to establish yourself independently of your spouse, then by all means do so.
Beyond academic jobs, you can also consider the many career opportunities in academic administration. Again, as the spouse of a new faculty member, you may find that the college or university where your partner works will be quite helpful in identifying suitable positions for you in academic advising and student services, the communications office, or elsewhere as your skills indicate.
Your job search in education doesn't have to be limited to local colleges and universities. High-school teaching is often an option, especially if you have experience working with young people. While most public-school districts require full-time teachers to be certified, some districts waive this requirement for hard-to-fill positions in science, math, and foreign languages and offer alternative certification programs for working teachers. Additionally, many districts do not require substitute teachers to be state certified. Finally, private schools place great value on hiring teachers with advanced degrees. Some of your success in finding a high-school teaching job will depend on the time of year you are looking. Substitute teaching is a viable option for the last-minute job search, but full-time positions are often filled during the spring and summer before a new academic year begins.
Finally, check out the education department of the local museum or other cultural organizations. Even small college towns often serve as home to historic societies and art museums, and these institutions almost always offer educational programs for schools and regular visitors. While the salary may not be very high, the job satisfaction of a museum career may compensate.
Relocating your life is challenging, especially when you do not have a job lined up before moving. However, it also presents many new opportunities for a talented and open-minded job seeker. Try to view the geographic restrictions of your job search as an advantage -- if nothing else, they help you focus your efforts.
