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[informal]

My husband and I have had the two-body problem nearly the entire 9 years we've been together. First, we were long-distance all four years of dating due to me finishing undergrad and getting a master's while he was getting his PhD. I deferred entry to my PhD for a year so that we could spend our first year married together, and now I've been in another city working on my PhD for four years while he's been through two postdocs (one in another country!) and has finally gotten a TT job at a solid second-tier research department about a 6-hour drive away. He's been there for a year now.

Because of his postdoc years, he should be able to go up for tenure the same year I'm finishing my dissertation (hopefully 2011-12), so we can go on the job market together then. But, of course, since he has a probably 80% chance of being granted tenure (he estimates after talking to the dept head about it) while either of us only has a 1% (if that) chance of getting hired at any given school, our best odds are to work on getting me hired at his school. We are not in the same department; at most universities (including his) not even in the same college/school! He is in a hard science and I am in a social science.

It seems like I should start making contacts in the relevant dept at his school now to up my chances of being hired. Honestly, it's not a great fit for me, and I doubt I'd ever apply there if my husband didn't work there. But there are people doing things that are at least somewhat related to what I study, even if it might not be in quite the same context or with the same methods. It doesn't help that the web page is awful and clearly designed for undergrad use only; it's impossible to figure out exactly how the department is organized other than the degrees offered. There are no pages summarizing research directions or grouping professors by research interests, I have to go to each prof's faculty listing separately and HOPE that there is some info there - and often there's not.

Overall, I'm pretty lost as far as how to navigate the department and start getting to know people. I did go to a presentation by some people in the dept at a national conference a couple months ago, but I was hesitant to introduce myself. The topic was pretty far from my research interests, so I felt like the conversation would seem forced. I worry that I can't say "I'm interested in learning more about your department" without risking the eventual revelation that the rest of the sentence is "but really only because my husband works at your university" which would just end up insulting them. It's not about the quality of their dept, it's just not a good fit research-wise.

One encouraging thing is that this year they put out a job search in my subfield, which they currently don't have anyone in. I'm not sure how to figure out who they hired for it, though; I guess I should copy-paste the current faculty list and double-check it next fall.

Any advice on figuring out how to learn more about the department, make contacts, etc? And is it really so bad for them to find out I'm a trailing spouse? Anything else that might up my odds since I've got some time to prepare?

[madhatter]

That's more wishful thinking than planning ahead.

You and your husband should both explore alternative job tracks out of academia. Most hard science/social science fields have options. If you want to live together, you'll need career flexibility.

[informal]

Oh, don't worry. If I had any naive expectations about how easy it would be to get jobs in the same city, it's been knocked out of me by our NINE YEARS (did you notice that part?) of being unable to do so - it's not like we haven't been trying this whole time.

He actually doesn't really have any options outside of academia without basically giving up on his entire field of research and doing stuff that he's not at all interested in. I, however, at this point, have no problem walking away from academia if we don't get jobs in the same city this time.

But does that mean I should give up now and not even try? Of course not. This is about trying to maximize my chances, not assuming that it will work.

[niceday]

They have a search in your subfield. Well that's great. Apply.

Does the department have brown bags? Seminars? Try to attend them. Introduce yourself and, when the time is right, mention the job and you applied, with tact. If it is not a very desirable place, mentioning the husband may be a plus. Study up on the faculty and try to figure out ways in which you'd fit with the department. Think of projects, classes to teach, etc. Figure out, if you can, why they are hiring in your subfield.

And, note that while the fora is full of people who dispense reasonable advice, there is a disproportionate contingent of the über-judgmental who like to pretend they know universal rules. Some of them may be along shortly to tell you that they'd never hire anyone who had sought them ahead of time under any conditions, no matter how gently, appropriately and tactfully handled! Ignore them as they are not on your search committee! Most faculty are regular human beings who will respond reasonably if you are careful not to overdo it. I know  people who got hired partly because the human connection was there over a likely equally qualified applicant. (There are so many qualified applicants these days that it often comes down to little things).

In the meantime, if your spouse can get an offer someplace else, that would get deans and extra money involved so he should absolutely go on the market.

Good luck. Your best is a very strong application.

[larryc]

Your husband needs to meet with his chair, then his dean, and express very strongly how important this is to him. Don't just apply and hope they notice the last names are the same, and don't make the contacts yourself. He is the one with the connections and relationships there.

At the same time--yes this is a longshot at best. The school has your husband now, the job market is terrible, and they have no incentive to make a job for you or even to push an existing search your way. The best bet is to go on the market together and not to overlook lower-tier and geographically isolated schools.

[johnr]

They'd never hire anyone who had sought them ahead of time under any conditions, no matter how gently, appropriately and tactfully handled!

[carebearstare]

Are you willing/able to start adjuncting there?

Is it possible you could get a grant and come in with (big) money?

Would you be open to contract work, academic advising, student life, or other kinds of university jobs?

While there are norms of behavior around these things, in my short time as a faculty I have seen a number of instances already of people "breaking" them, with varying degrees of success. There are, for instance, a few  people who have networked around my department waiting for a job to open (because of a partner at another school, an ailing parent, etc.) and while none of them have gotten jobs, the less annoying ones are now names that we recognize, which might account for something. But I agree with LarryC that the person holding the most cards in this case is your husband. If there's anything that can be done, it's probably better that he do the asking first.

I have also heard of faculty who came in with money sort of fashion a position for themselves, somewhat unofficially. There is a person like this partially affiliated with my department now, who did not have to undergo a formal search.

I would also be sure to explore other options at the uni, such as adjuncting or administrative jobs. You probably have already done this.

Good luck.

[niceday]

They'd never hire anyone who had sought them ahead of time under any conditions, no matter how gently, appropriately and tactfully handled!

Yuk, yuk.

I can see her husband making things happen if he has an offer but his dean is not her dean and kind of hard to see his dean having any pull with her potential dean. That said, sure, husband should try whatever he can. Clearly, they should go on the market together.

I've seen gentle networking help a person, provided there is already a potential match.

I'd argue against adjuncting if T-T is the goal. Kind of like why buy the cow... One can always fall back to adjuncting if such opportunities are available.

[informal]

They have a search in your subfield. Well that's great. Apply.

Unfortunately, that was this past year, and I was far enough from finishing my diss that I didn't apply. Now that I know someone who landed a postdoc before defending her diss proposal, I think I should have! If they have anything this year that remotely fits me, I'll be applying. (I'm constantly amazed at the number of people in my dept who start both TT and non-TT jobs before defending.)

Does the department have brown bags? Seminars? Try to attend them. Introduce yourself and, when the time is right, mention the job and you applied, with tact.

This is a great idea, thanks! I'm not sure how I'll find out (again, the website sucks), but this gives me something to ask people about - "I'm in your city a good amount of the time, if there are any talks while I'm in town I'd love to come to them."

If it is not a very desirable place, mentioning the husband may be a plus.

I'm not totally sure where it lands on desirability. Honestly, compared to the places most people in my department get jobs (mostly top 15 schools in our field), it would probably be considered a step down. But I don't know that the hiring department would see it that way, and I wouldn't want to insinuate that to them.

I know  people who got hired partly because the human connection was there over a likely equally qualified applicant. (There are so many qualified applicants these days that it often comes down to little things).

After observing my husband's job search, I'm convinced this almost always matters. He got most of his interviews due to someone he'd met somewhere. I'm pretty convinced that most search committees don't look past the names they've seen before at least once somewhere. That's why even if I don't become best buddies with everyone in the department, I think it would be good if they've at least heard of me.

Thanks for your advice, this was very helpful!

[informal]

Are you willing/able to start adjuncting there?

Would you be open to contract work, academic advising, student life, or other kinds of university jobs?

Honestly, I would not be willing to do any of these. My career is "conducting research and development in my field", not "working in a university at any cost." The only non-TT jobs I'd consider would be indefinitely-renewable research assistant professorships or temporary jobs that have a high likelihood of being converted into TT or RAP within a couple of years. If I can't find any of those in the same city as a TT job for my husband, I will find other ways to be involved with my field that don't involve being on a university payroll. I am lucky in that this is actually possible in my field.

Is it possible you could get a grant and come in with (big) money?

Oh yes, I will try as hard as I can, but the odds are not terrific, of course. Especially because my type of work is often very dependent on the community you are located in (to get participants), so it can be hard to apply for grants not knowing where you'll be when you do the research. Possible, especially since I have a chance now to set up relationships in that city (I may even collect some of my dissertation data there), but difficult.

[informal]

They'd never hire anyone who had sought them ahead of time under any conditions, no matter how gently, appropriately and tactfully handled!

Why thank you, johnr, this was infinitely helpful. Your bountiful wisdom is an inspiration.

[johnr]

They'd never hire anyone who had sought them ahead of time under any conditions, no matter how gently, appropriately and tactfully handled!

Why thank you, johnr, this was infinitely helpful. Your bountiful wisdom is an inspiration.

I think you missed the joke (in response to Niceday's preemptive scolding). I guess that's why I'm a professional academic and not a professional comedian.

[totoro]

Just e-mail an administrator in the department and ask him/her whether there are seminars and who organizes them. Then contact that person. Tell them your husband works at the Uni and so you often visit and would love to come to seminars and meet people.

[castafiore]

And the usual - publish, publish! If you can get a job somewhere else on the strength of your own CV and then they miraculously have the cash to bring in your partner as a tenured hire - well, it could happen.
Good luck.

[madhatter]

But does that mean I should give up now and not even try? Of course not. This is about trying to maximize my chances, not assuming that it will work.

No, I didn't say that. Go ahead and try, of course. (Trying in this case means waiting in the hope that a particular department in a particular school has a job opening that fits you at the time you need it, and you are the best candidate for that position. It's more like buying a lottery ticket than an application of effort.)

What I did mean is that you should productively spend your time making yourself as attractive a candidate as possible for non-academic jobs. Get as much applied work experience as you can, for the types of employers who would be likely to hire you. A freshly minted Ph.D. with no experience in industry can be a hard sell for employers. Have that experience under your belt when it comes time to hit the job market.