The "Two-Body Problem": Approaching the Job Market with a Partner who is an Academic

The "Two-Body Problem": Approaching the Job Market with a Partner who is an Academic

My previous grad student emailed me after our weekly one-on-one meetings, 

"There are so many little things about grad school that we don’t know but we are expected to know! Even though I always try to be respectful and professional in my emails to professors, having a template like this is helpful."

Navigating the "Two Body Problem" is one of those little, unspoken things no one tells you explicitly in grad school. 

Going on the academic job market with a spouse who is also an academic? You're not the only one; academic wives make up around a third of academics (about the same number as those who have spouses who work outside of academia). Asking yourself these questions can help you decide how to coordinate searches, what your dealbreakers are, and what compromises you're ready to make (for the time being at least) if either of you receives an offer before you put your house on the market. Even if one of you has a job offer in hand, you may still have a long way to go before you discover a career that you both enjoy.

Before putting your house on the market, here are some things to consider.

1) Do you both want or need to work (for money) at some point?

When answering this question, think about what kind of assistance the spouse who isn't earning a salary could require to maintain their academic profile and whether they could fairly expect to receive that support from the hiring institution or grant-giving foundations.

2) Do you want to live apart from me?

3)What length of time and distance are you willing to put up with?

4) Both of your PhDs (which are required for a spousal hire in most cases) should be easily transferable to non-academic positions, right?

5) Are you willing to or would you prefer to work outside of academia if the opportunity arose?

6)What academic positions are either of you interested in?

7) What kind of employment do you both want, a standard tenure-track position, or are either of you open to or enthusiastic for? 

Other choices include, but are not limited to, positions in research or teaching or in administration at a campus center. When looking for a new work, these alternatives may provide you more room to negotiate for a spouse's position once you receive an offer.

Is there anything else you could do to extend your academic search?

There are some academics who have research and teaching interests that allow them to pursue jobs at the intersection of disciplines. It's possible to expand one's alternatives in the job market and during spousal employment discussions if one considers these possibilities.

You and your partner should have a dialogue about these questions to assist you decide how to approach the job market and how well-coordinated your efforts as a couple need to be. Using job search tools that let you look for dual employment alternatives within a region may be a possibility if you're unwilling to live apart. In other cases, you and your spouse may decide that it is best to apply for every job you are qualified for, and then negotiate for a spousal hiring.

On Negotiating a Spousal Hire

There is a good chance that at least one of you has been offered a job. Congratulations! The university's policy on spousal hiring and the receptivity to spousal hires on the part of the search committee, the heads of the relevant departments, the dean(s), the provost, and professors within the department will all play a role in your success in negotiating a spousal hire (s). Studies show that accommodating partner hires has benefits, but despite the drive for institutions to produce standards to accommodate dual-career couples, the recommended principles give a lot of leeway and negotiations may still appear patchwork.

Keep in mind these considerations when you enter negotiations:

Negotiating for a spousal hire is the most difficult part of the process. The details of the contract may be tweaked throughout talks, but don't expect to make any significant modifications.

An advantage may be gained by making a counteroffer. Counteroffers for spouse hires have the extra benefit of demonstrating the academic value of that person. It may be possible to reopen negotiations if your spouse is not employed the first time around by obtaining a counteroffer later on.

Before making an offer, the second-placed spouse is likely to be asked to campus for a tour and an interview.

Closing Thoughts

Remember that academic spouses don't all follow the same path. Some couples choose to live apart for the duration of their careers, while others alternate working in academia, while still others seek out academic positions that are physically close to one another or at the same institution, while still others negotiate for a spouse to be hired, while still others look for work in alternative fields, while still others do all of the above or a combination of the above. 

If you're looking for a job in academia, patience, flexibility, and a healthy dose of self-worth are more crucial than ever. There may be a new path that you and your spouse take that you didn't know about, but keep in mind that you're not alone. There are likely to be coworkers who have had comparable experiences to yours if you ask around. The best of luck to you!

~JTTT

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