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[allye]

So my background is that two years ago I left a rare tenure-track job in my field (the arts) because there was nothing for my husband in the locale.  Now he's tenure-track at a SLAC with good working conditions and I'm adjuncting part-time at a state school facing huge budget cuts.  My chair says she wants to keep me on next year but I won't know anything for a few weeks. 

A position just opened up at my husband's school for a full-time, salaried "Assistant to the Dean" in my area.  Applying is a no-brainer - I don't have anything solid for next year at this point and have nothing to lose.  My concern is whether it will 1) destroy my time for creativity (think of it as research) and 2) destroy my chances of getting another teaching job in the future. 

I don't know the pay but it's likely better than what I have now, and includes benefits.  From the job description it looks like mostly secretarial work with some web design and marketing thrown in.  Has anyone ever worked in a full-time office job and still had time to be productive in your field?  I have two young children as well.

Thanks for any insights.  As I said, I plan to apply but would like to know how it looks from the outside.

[rear_view_mirror]

Maybe this is a good thing to consider: before taking a job, what is the worst thing that will happen if you end up staying there longer than you intended?
Administrative assistant: you'll have a job that doesn't satisfy you intellectually, but maybe you'll be unionized? That's a big plus. And this job probably has good benefits, and retirement, and better security. You're not in so much of a buyer's market as you would be as an adjunct, so getting raises should be easier.

Adjuncting: the intellectual satisfaction of the job fades over time as it becomes eclipsed by frequent worries about future contracts, work loads, burnout, exhaustion and demeaning treatment. Perhaps some people are more sensitive to these conditions than are others, but I believe generally they they take their toll on you. No pension.

But your priority is to be able to continue research while raising a family. You can do this by hiring someone to watch the kids a couple of evenings, or all day Sunday. You'll have more disposable cash with the administrative assistant job.

As for the administrative job destroying your chances for getting another teaching job in the future:
As for another TT job, neither the administrative assistant job nor the adjunct job is prefereble that way. (About equal). Since you've already proved yourself as a college teacher.

[zuzu_]

I don't think I have enough experience to thoroughly answer your questions, but I'll give you some thoughts.

First, due to the economy, things are different. In general, I think future employers will be more forgiving of lapses in academic employment.

Second, since it seems you are geographically bound as it is, perhaps it is time to rethink your career path anyway. Maybe you could think of this job as a foot in the door that may lead to a more a challenging administrative position in the future. Maybe you can find fulfillment in an administrative position (not necessarily this one), particularly if you can do some teaching and/or research on the side.

[untenured]

No, I don't think it will kill your changes for future academic employment.  You'll need to be proactive about attending conferences and pursuing your research agenda.  So long as you stay active in your field, this temporary departure can be justified.  You also have the two-body problem which is another rational reason to take the position.

Just don't rot in the job.

Untenured

[msparticularity]

I worked a combination of admin positions and more academic things through grad school and for my first couple of years out. The real key, for me, was to make certain that the admin work stayed at the office, and that it didn't consume my creative energies. For example, the bookkeeping work I did was ideal; it was even kind of soothing, actually, to just have a little math puzzle to do each day. Jobs that required a lot of problem-solving on a larger scale could be more trouble, though, since that could leave me drained enough that I felt less able to devote creative energy to my research at the end of the day.

I think it makes perfect sense to take the job--as others have said it is a very understandable decision, and will actually provide you with the funds to do other things. The real trick, I think, will be to create clear boundaries so it doesn't begin to invade your emotional and creative space, or to slop over into the time and attention you need to devote to your own work.

[allye]

Thanks for all the responses - you managed to put a good spin on it.  I applied a week ago and haven't heard anything yet.  I'll keep you posted.