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[hamed]

My husband and I are both in earth sciences (different areas) and looking for tenure track jobs at research universities (preferrably R1). We are confused when is the best time to tell the search committee that we come as a pair? We have gotten several suggestions but would like to hear from people who went through this successfully or know of someone who did. Do you think the best time is 1, 2, 3, or 4 and why?

1-In the cover letter?
2-Dring the interview?
3-After the offer has been given?
4-at some other stage?

thank you,

[seniorscholar]

Usual advice is after the offer is made. If there are clearly two appropriate jobs within the department, the cover letter would be o.k. At the interview it MIGHT be appropriate to ask if there is any help a school can provide in finding a job for spouse, but there's the risk that you'll then be dropped from consideration because the department chair thinks "why ask for trouble. Either "two-body problem" won't take our offer or will leave year after next since we don't have two lines in that field and won't until 2018 -- let's go with the person we can get now." This will depend on what the market is like in your field (is there a lot of competition, or are schools begging for faculty?) and on how brilliant your records are.

[atalanta]

I didn't personally go through this, but my institution has a relatively strong "spousal hire" program, so I've seen it many times.

Mention it casually during the interview. They will ask! The usual scenario would be at a dinner with the SC. Someone is sure to say "So, do you have a family? What does your spouse do?" In fact, someone may ask the question very directly: "If we offer you the position, what will your husband do?" This is the time to say "Actually, my spouse is in igneous petrology or geophysics or bla bla." Be casual and lighthearted. They will get the picture. I disagree with senior scholar on this point; I think it's better if they know early on that they should be thinking about two positions.

When you get the offer: this is the time to press the point.

Good luck! This won't be easy to do in earth science. How far apart are your fields? Could the two of you conceivably apply to different departments (e.g., physics and geology,  or oceanography and geography)? Would one of you consider a more teaching-oriented position at a non-R1? (Just curious!)

[hamed]

thank you both for your comments. Our fields are actually pretty different (that is within earth sciences) I am a geochemist and my husband is a hydrogeologist. We both have excellent records, as an added bonus my degree is from one of the top 5 universities in the nation.

and we are willing to consider a non-R1, small university if one of us gets a good tenure track job but we both want to be involved in teaching and research so it would be hard to take a lecturer or adjunct position that won't give us the chance for individual research.

[seniorscholar]

One more thought: the schools that have active spousal hire programs are often in what many people find "less desirable" parts of the country -- the theory being that if we hire both of them, they'll stay. So as long as there is some research being done in your field, look extra hard at the regional (second-tier) public universities even if they are advertising only one job, when it is suitable for one of you.

Another possibility is that the second person might be offered a research-oriented job at requires bringing in his or her own salary through grant funding.

But even though your specialties are different, I do hope you realize that for most university tenure-track faculty positions, the department has to request permission to hire in a particular field up to a year in advance, and the department is very often strictly limited in the number of tenure-track positions it has. So finding a second position in the same department may well be impossible. Often, however, a "visiting" position may be found for the second person, though the likelihood that it will turn into a permanent position may be in doubt.

[hamed]

thank you senior scholar. That is a very honest and realistic.
The outlook is greem but we are trying anyway, hopefully something will work out, at least for one of us.

[hulahu]

I would second the recommendation about considering the second tier. A recent pair of applicants to my current institution reveals some of the potential problems with the upper tier:
Susan Superstar is married to Ned Notasgreat
Both attended prestigious universities for their doctorates, and
have been out a few years in research-oriented jobs
My current institution is competitive, research-and-grant oriented and getting more so each year
Susan is being considered by Department S
Ned is being considered for department H
Both come together to our insitution for multi-day interviews and job talks with their respective departments.
Susan has an amazing number of publications and is a shoo-in for S, an up-and-coming department
Ned has not been as successful as Susan in the publication and grant area--I'm sure would be considered desirable in other places, since he does have *some publications but the H folks have really raised the bar...and Ned is just not competitive for the position.
So--it seem likely at this point Susan will have an offer, but that Ned will not. There is no way the couple could have known, when they got married, that Susan would just blow him away pub-wise.
So now it seems to me they have a few options:
1. Susan takes the S job, and Ned gets something in town, or maybe a position at a less presigious insitution somewhere locally. Probably it will be a bit of a blow to his ego. S Departmental picnics and other social events become awkward, as Ned feels that he has been slighted by the institution.  He sees Susan's star rising, and his fading, and that may or may not be a problem in their marriage. 
2. They both find jobs at a mid-tier institution and/or one of those out of the way places the previous person mentioned that has good couple-hiring programs.  The insitution is happy to take Ned, as he fits their usual standard for pubs & research, and they just thrilled to have Susan, as she will raise their research profile (and what insitution does not want that). Susan misses some chances at big U star-dom but the move seems good for their work-life balance.
Bottom line--couples are rarely equal in their desirability as candidates on the job market. Discuss in advance how you will handle it if one of you is the bigger Star.

[arnold]

The best strategy would be that both of you have offers from different universities, then negotiate to see if one of the universities is willing to accept you both. Getting two offers from the same institution is very uncommon.