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[basil_midwest]

My wife and I are both ~2-3 years from completing our Ph.D.'s- she in the humanities and me in science. We want to find jobs at the same small liberal arts school and are in need of a little encouragement.  After watching both of our departments conduct hiring searches this year, we found that nearly all of the applicants were either single or had a stay-at-home spouse. We found this discouraging because we expected many of the applicants to be part of an academic couple such as ourselves.
Everyone we talk to in our departments seem to be of the opinion that our job hunt will be between extremely difficult to impossible.
One of us would be willing to take a non-tenure track position. I know these extra-department spousal hires happen at big universities, but I don't know if small colleges have the kind of money to make room for a spouse in another department.
We are at a good university, although not top 5 in either of our fields, and would otherwise be strong candidates- have good publishing track records, won teaching awards and fellowships, have demonstrated commitment to undergraduate education, etc.
I would like to hear from some people in our situation. Is it reasonable for us to expect to find jobs at the same small college? What have been your experiences? Any advice for a young couple?
In science I have the industrial option available. I could begrudgingly refocus my training for industry of if our chances are too slim to both find a place in academics. My family will always come first and I'd like to prepare for our future in the best way possible.
Thanks for your time and input.
-Basil

[aandsdean]

When I was at a small Midwestern SLAC we were able to do something about 25% of the time, and it sometimes took awhile.  One thing we did once or twice was give a two-body family about 150% of a single job, and ask them each to teach around 65% (say 4 courses/year from a 7-course load).  The inexact ratio of salary to teaching (why not 10 courses/year, for instance) was based on the idea that you got two whole service packages from them even though you got just over 1 FTE teacher.

However, it's hard.  There aren't may resources, and someone on campus will always be angry no matter how it's done.  In very special circumstances, you might even consider applying as a pair, but you'd have to play that very carefully.

Another option is to try to get someplace where there is a pretty sizable group of schools in the same place, but the odds are nearly astronomical.  Some schools, though, are in consortia (the SLACS of Ohio, I think, do this) to help spousal hiring issues. 

It's never simple.  My wife has adjuncted, done non-TT full-time work, and is now studying the change careers because it's so difficult to make it all work.

Good luck!

[englitprof]

 My husband and I have been wrestling with this problem for three years now, so you have my sympathies.  I wish the best for you, but the odds are generally against you.  My hard-hearted advice is to make sure that one or both of you is readily marketable outside of academe.  You simply cannot count on getting two positions at the same school (or even in the same state).

[jammer]

I don't want to give you false hope, but it can be done.  My spouse was hired for a tenure track line in my department after four years of living in different states and working at different universities.

We consider ourselves very lucky.  Don't let anyone tell you differently; living in the same state as your spouse is much more fun.

It wasn't a spousal hire though; we were very patient, put all of the big decisions on hold (kids, house, etc.) and the position opened up through a retirement.  Three things helped make it happen:  (1) I was lucky in that my colleagues and Dean wanted to keep me and knew that I'd probably leave if my spouse wasn't hired; (2) my spouse was willing to teach outside of his specialization; and (3) I teach at a regional university in a somewhat isolated location and thus both my Dean and Provost realize that hiring academic couples will help them get and keep desirable faculty.

These stars don't line up that often.

One thing I have heard about the two body problem is that it's much easier to place both if one has some kind of administrative experience, like directing an honors program or something like that.  Or one of you simply has to become a star researcher :)

Good luck...

[pink_]

It can be a real problem, but there have been good suggestions offered here already.  I know two couple who have both ended up on the faculty of the same school--one big, one small.  In both cases, it took a while for things to work out and the second person hired in each pair had to work as a lecturer at the school for at least a year.  In one case, the spouse got hired when the dept. ran a national search and in the other, the dept. just made a spousal hire.  I should note that both trailing spouses were husbands . . .

[baseballs]

I have a trailing husband, as well, pink_lady; he's had great luck where we live now with adjunct and full-time non-TT teaching while I finish my dissertation. I am really hoping that he can get non-TT employment (at least) with just a master's degree. (In our field, if you have enough renown and experience you don't necessarily need a doctorate to teach, even on the TT, at the college level).

So, I'm hoping, but not holding my breath, and neither is he. :( I am just hoping that his experience speaks well of him.

[basil_midwest]

It's great to hear everyone's experience it is simultaneously encouraging and discouraging- but mostly encouraging!
It's sound's to me that it would be a pipe dream to hope for two tenure track positions at a SLAC. However, it seems to be a fairly reasonable plan that we could find one TT position and another non-TT position or an administrative type position at the same SLAC. Is this a fair assessment? 
If this is indeed the case, we'd be happy with the later situation as well. It sound's like we'd improve our chances by a) acquiring some administrative type experience en route to our doctorates, b) looking at jobs in isolated locations, and c) gaining a wide variety of teaching experience. 
Any other experiences, tips or comments?

[kishter]

You may need to look beyond the SLAC.  My spouse and I dreamed of a SLAC but ran national searches and applied at every sort of institution.  We are now both gainfully employed (TT) at a large regional univ, but in a dept that has a very SLAC feel.  It only took one year to sort things out so each of us were TT.  These things are possible, though not probable, so don't give up.

[unoriginal]

I'm not naive enough to think that my situation is common, but perhaps this will give you some hope.

My spouse and I are both tenure-track at a SLAC-like university.  I say SLAC-like because we do have some masters programs in professional fields, and aren't strictly arts and sciences, but the curriculum and size are certainly SLAC-style.

We both started the same year.  I quite strongly believe that we were't strictly spousal hire.  Spouse hadn't applied for hu's job when I interviewed, and I had a verbal offer before the interview was over.  But spouse's department is small, and knowing hu's chair, there's no way hu would have been hired if they didn't want hu regardless of me. 

How we did it?  I have to say blind luck.  Our records were good, but not stellar.  I'm quite sure neither of us would have had a chance at an R1 position.  The school isn't bad, city is a decent size, although far from a happening place.  We're happy.  It can happen. 

[case_insensitive]

However, it's hard.  There aren't may resources, and someone on campus will always be angry no matter how it's done.  In very special circumstances, you might even consider applying as a pair, but you'd have to play that very carefully.

Even though they are different fields (one humanities, one science)?

[notranslation]

I really sympathize. I'm in a very similar situation. My SO and I have lived apart for years, and we're really tired of it! We knew from the beginning what we were getting into, but still, it's very hard and trying on a relationship.

Just a quick suggestion that could help: when it's time to apply, try larger, urban areas, with a large concentration of universities, colleges and comm. colleges. Maybe even make commuting a plan B for one or both of you. Don't apply to only one geographical area...keep your options open.

Unfortunately, I think you're right to assume that one of you is going to have to work as an NTT or part-time. It's so difficult, if not impossible, to find 2 tt positions at the same place. However, I know some job ads will also specify whether they are "dual career couple" compatible or if they allow for certain provisions in those cases. I'd apply to those places if you can.

Good luck!

[larryc]

You may need to look beyond the SLAC.

Exactly. The two body problem is difficult enough without further limiting your chances by only applying to one type of institution. You need to hunt with a shotgun.

[iomhaigh]

One other thing to keep in mind: there are fewer of those non-teaching positions at smaller schools simply because the facilities are not nearly as enormous.  (Think about librarians for an example: you have one library at your average SLAC.  There may be 4-6 librarians on staff.  At larger school may have upwards of five libraries, each with a full staff.  The same ratios apply for res life positions, academic affairs positions, etc.)

[jammer]

It's great to hear everyone's experience it is simultaneously encouraging and discouraging- but mostly encouraging!
It's sound's to me that it would be a pipe dream to hope for two tenure track positions at a SLAC. However, it seems to be a fairly reasonable plan that we could find one TT position and another non-TT position or an administrative type position at the same SLAC. Is this a fair assessment? 
If this is indeed the case, we'd be happy with the later situation as well. It sound's like we'd improve our chances by a) acquiring some administrative type experience en route to our doctorates, b) looking at jobs in isolated locations, and c) gaining a wide variety of teaching experience. 
Any other experiences, tips or comments?

I just learned how to use the quote function and I'm very excited about it. 

I'd second all the advice given.  And I'd emphasize the patience and flexible part.  One other perhaps non-generalizable anecdote:  I have two sets of academic couple friends who seem to think they don't have to be flexible or patient and I think they're prematurely cutting off some of their possibilities.  I don't know your family situation (kids, etc.), but it might take a year (or four, in my case) for something to open up.  The years we spent apart were kind of awful; our lives were in limbo.  But there's no way my university would have hired my spouse without the academic experience my spouse was getting and without knowing me first.  What if I had turned out to be horrible?  Then they would have been stuck with Professor Horrible and her spouse.   

Perhaps you don't have the option to be so flexible, and, as wiser voices than mine have noted, patience doesn't always bear fruit, but it did seem to work in my case.

[dundee]

There is an academic couple in my department and there were several at my last institiution; however, all the couples will tell you that they feel like they won the lottery. You certainly should not expect to both find jobs at the same institution.