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[larix]

Just got contacted today by the SC to notify me that they have met and are assessing my continued interest in the position before finalizing their short list. Given that my partner will also likely need a job in the new place I was wondering what the forum thought of a response that went something along the lines of:

"Thanks for considering me. I am indeed still interested in the position. My only real reservation is how easy it would be for my partner would be able to find work out there, although I suppose that would be a discussion we would have to have if I were selected as the finalist for the position."

To add to the discussion the position is in a foreign country where I speak the language but my spouse does not, hence my concern for my partners job prospects if the university couldn't find something for her.

Any and all advice is appreciated.

[octoprof]

My advice: Choose a more descriptive subject for your new thread next time.

Either you are still interested or you are not. Tell them which it is. No need to equivocate at this point.

[larix]

Sorry I was trying not be lengthy.

Also I am interested in the position and my partner is open to the idea of moving there but is concerned about finding work. I am just wondering if I should mention it at this point or wait and worry about it if I am offered the position.

[larryc]

Would you take the job even if your partner could not find work there? Do you have other options for the forthcoming year?

[larix]

I'm not sure. I suspect it would depend on what the options were there for a soft money research career or how likely it was that there could be job prospects down the road within a few years.

I have other applications in but they just closed so I have no idea if I am on their lists or not. My partner also has several applications in but no word yet. My current position is secure for at least the next 2 years so I'm not desperate.

[daniel_von_flanagan]

Also, is your spouse also an academic?

In my department, for an academic spouse it would be better to tell us earlier (so that we could start trying to cobble together another position; it will be too late by the time of any offer).  For a non-academic spouse this could wait until at or after the interview. - DvF

[octoprof]

Sorry I was trying not be lengthy.

Also I am interested in the position and my partner is open to the idea of moving there but is concerned about finding work. I am just wondering if I should mention it at this point or wait and worry about it if I am offered the position.

Either you are still interested or you are not. Tell them which it is. No need to equivocate at this point.

They only want to know that. It's a bit early to be making demands.

[theblackbox]

You don't know what you want until you know what they can offer you. They don't know what they can/will offer you until they meet you and know they want you to come.

Say nothing about your spouse. Better to get the job first and then figure things out after that.

[tenured_feminist]

Has your application flagged the issue in any way?

I guess since you might be needing them to put something together, you could raise it now if it would be a dealbreaker (i.e., nothing on the table for partner=you're not interested in the job). I'd do it positively though, something along the lines of, "yes, I'm still very interested in the position -- can you tell me more about X in your department and whether you have any partner placement services?"

[oatmeal]

OP--Unless it is an absolute deal breaker for you and your partner, I would suggest that you do not mention anything until you are a finalist. Once you are a finalist, you can bring the subject up at the right moment (there have been a lot of threads on this). It does depend on whether your partner is an academic (in the same discipline especially) or not, and what you "need" in order to move. It also depends on what sort of institution and position you are applying to (senior vs untenured, university vs SLAC, and many more permutations than those). The international component does add a major wrinkle, as some nations do not allow spousal hires, so you would want to know the policy on that, but, again, I think waiting until the final round is better.

Right now you need to communicate your interest in the position (which is all the SC has asked) and then see what happens. If you tip your hat now, you might not make it to the final stage (I stress might...), whereas if you are a finalist, you are in a stronger position. If it is a deal breaker you can mention it now, but even then I would suggest waiting until you are (if you are) a finalist. Others might disagree. Because it is an international move, the SC will want to know if you really want to move (again, what level this position is will make a difference to the SC) and only you know that. Good luck to you.

[daniel_von_flanagan]

Departments are immensely powerful, and can conjure positions out of the ether in no time at all, instantly, on demand. - DvF

[mystictechgal]

Departments are immensely powerful, and can conjure positions out of the ether in no time at all, instantly, on demand. - DvF

Um, I'm not in academia but I have read and participated here for quite awhile. I have noticed that some readers/posters are sarcasm impaired. I think it's only fair to point out to future readers that DVF is being sarcastic. At least at his institution they prefer to have a heads-up earlier on in the process so they can formulate a response and a plan. Whether that's good strategy elsewhere is hotly debated, but at least some places (DVF's among them) appreciate the ability to plan when necessary to get a preferred candidate.

My background is with a multi-national company. I find it difficult to believe that a company (university, or otherwise) considering the hire of someone from another country wouldn't automatically assume a two-body problem and address it on their own. In the case of some countries VISA laws for family members may preclude their employment, or severely limit it, unless they enter with very specific waivers. But, I can't imagine that's not a topic they wouldn't eventually address on their own if making a transoceanic or trans-border hire--or, at least they wouldn't be surprised by the question, whether the partner is in academia, or not.

But, as I said, my background is corporate, not academic. The hiring process seems to be quite different in part, although I'd think that, in this, there should be some similarities; domestically, perhaps not so much.
I have no advice for you other than to know that opinions differ and that DVF was, I'm pretty certain, being sarcastic if reading his previous posts on the topic is any guide.

[daniel_von_flanagan]

I think it's only fair to point out to future readers that DVF is being sarcastic.

Moi?

I find it difficult to believe that a company (university, or otherwise) considering the hire of someone from another country wouldn't automatically assume a two-body problem and address it on their own.

Private schools can move much faster than a public like mine.  In state schools hiring lines are generally allocated at the level of the legislature.

As for the visa requirement, fortunately we don't need to get that approved before we can sign a contract, or else we would never be able to hire anyone from overseas.  Right now the delay is something like 3 months between when we file with the government and when the visa gets approved.  - DvF

[polly_mer]

I find it difficult to believe that a company (university, or otherwise) considering the hire of someone from another country wouldn't automatically assume a two-body problem and address it on their own.

Your corporate background is steering you wrong on this.  The assumption is that someone will move mountains to make the job work in oversubscribed fields of academia or would have been sane and mentioned the situation very early in the process when something could be done.  A lot of foreign nationals bring stay-at-home spouses or simply live apart in my experience dealing with STEM foreign nationals.

The sarcasm from DvF is that waiting until after an offer basically means the only thing that can be arranged for a spouse in the general case is an adjunct position, maybe, if the relevant department (usually not the one that dearly wants the original applicant) is willing.  However, if someone had mentioned the two-body problem early in the process, then something might have been able to be worked out with a visiting position, a post-doc, a lecturer, and/or a research position, especially if the geographic area is either extremely isolated* or is well situated so that the phone tree can dig up something**.  But, again, things have to be arranged based on the vacancies available early in the season, not at the late negotiation stage.  I have seen ads from groups of universities that explicitly state "the two-body problem is why we post all the jobs in one handy place.  Explain your situation in your cover letters".

People for whom only one job is a deal breaker must state that situation upfront if they expect to be able to get two jobs and are not the stars who can basically ask for the Moon and get it.

*I know several people who were thrilled to get advanced postdocs at master's universities via this procedure under a special "we really want to hire the spouse" situation.  However, getting the permissions and the money took the better part of a year.

**If N institutions (research and academic) have a consortium in the geographic location, then something probably can be arranged, even if multiple institutions are involved. 

[totoro]

When I was invited earlier this year for an interview in Europe (for a full prof position) they suggested up front that they would find my wife a job. I hadn't mentioned it, but her website is linked from mine so they could see she was a researcher. The idea was to get her some sort of post-doc position (she got her PhD 13 years after me). So that is more in line with MTG ideas.