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She's Getting Callbacks and He's Getting Nervous

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By Helen Chapman-Willis and Tom Willis

Tom: We ended our first column with a surprising development: I was one of two finalists for a faculty opening in physics at a university in my wife's hometown. Well, I've got good news, and bad news. The bad news is that I didn't get the job, and the good news is ... that I didn't get the job.

At least, that's what I initially felt. Now there would be no need for me to accept an offer without Helen's having an academic job nearby, and now Helen would not have to scramble to find a job at the last minute or be limited to just one city in her academic search. Not so bad.

My only problem is that, lately, I am beginning to wonder if I will always end up in second place, or third place, or even no place at all. Earlier, I had convinced myself that I was in a win-win situation. But at this moment, all I can see is a long line of rejections to come.

I must seem crazy. One rejection, and suddenly I'm a basket case. Well, that's not exactly it. Part of the problem is that it's just now dawning on me how out of sync my job search will be with Helen's. Her applications were due in late August, and most of mine were due in November or December. Right now, Helen's search is hurtling along at full speed. She's receiving calls every day for interviews at the American Association of Law Schools Conference. Some of the colleges she's hearing from were on our "dream" list.

Meanwhile, my search is stagnant. In fact, consideration for all of my applications has not even begun. I'm ecstatic for Helen, but I cannot help feeling like dead weight right now. I'm just waiting and hoping that the phone will ring for me in the future.

Helen: It would be an understatement to say that I'm emotionally confused. I'm both happy and sad that Tom did not get the job. Of course, I'm sad that Tom was not chosen. As any wife would say, he deserved that job. Additionally, it would have been nice to live close to my family and to have part of our search over. On the other hand, I'm happy because I realize how difficult it would have been for me to get an academic position at any of the three law schools in the area.

I'm excited that any law schools are calling me at all, much less schools on my dream list. At the same time, I'm feeling reserved. I do not want to get too excited because I know I'll never hear from most of these schools again. After all, a conference interview is not a callback. Even if I am lucky enough to get a callback and an offer from a school, I could be forced to make my decision before Tom even begins to interview for jobs.

Finally, I'm feeling both pressured and torn. I'm the first one on the job market, so do I mention our academic two-body problem? If I do, maybe an interested university can begin to assist us in resolving our problem quickly. But then again, am I running the risk of looking like a woman who is simply following her husband? If so, how will that affect my chances?

Tom: From my perspective, Helen's chances look good. The law-school conference ended, Helen returned, and she has received many callbacks. I am incredibly proud of her.

But I'm also nervous. Helen has had such a positive response to her applications that there is no way for me to match it. Her references have been wonderful in giving her advice and calling their contacts on her behalf. So far, her interviews have gone well, and I can only hope for the same experience.

Unlike the law-school market, there is no centralized recruiting conference for physics faculty positions. Rather, I have to search through The Chronicle, physics Web sites, and physics magazines for job openings -- a process that is exhausting in and of itself. Then I have to personalize or tailor each application for each suitable opening and for each institution.

My only saving grace is that I've been too busy working, preparing applications, and being a dad, or I'd be a complete nervous wreck. Between Helen's work schedule and her traveling back and forth for interviews, I have had little time to catch my breath, much less think about the actual outcome of my search.

When I'm not working or preparing applications, I'm home alone with two small children, which has me at the brink of a nervous breakdown for other reasons.

Helen: Like Tom, I'm finding it nearly impossible to manage a job search, work, and family responsibilities. Traveling from city to city has been taxing, and because of my travel schedule, I'm staying even later at the office or working from home once the kids are in bed into the wee hours of the morning.

Naturally, this made hiding my academic job search from my current employer more difficult and pushed me to inform the head of my group of my plans. Fortunately, my boss responded well (even agreeing to keep my search secret from other partners), and I have been somewhat relieved of that burden.

But most of all, I'm grateful. I feel so incredibly lucky to have callbacks, and more importantly, callbacks in areas where there are prospects for Tom as well and even some on our dream list. I am hoping that there is more good news to come. Only time will tell.