What is Dual Career?
Dual Career refers to a situation where both partners in a couple are pursuing their professional careers. At Rice University, we understand that this often requires specialized support for the partner of a newly hired tenure-track faculty member. To address these needs and strengthen our recruitment and retention efforts, we proudly offer a comprehensive Dual Career Assistance Program.
Our program is dedicated to helping the spouses and domestic partners of newly hired full-time faculty and staff by providing personalized job-search assistance. We collaborate with various departments on campus and utilize our network of community and business leaders to support a successful job search for these partners. While job placement is not guaranteed, our goal is to offer substantial resources and support to navigate the job market effectively.
The Dual Career Assistance Program is available to the spouses and partners of candidates who have received or are about to receive an offer for a Tenure/Tenure-track faculty position. We also extend our support to spouses and partners of current faculty members seeking new opportunities. To maximize the chances of a successful job search, we encourage active engagement from spouses and partners and advise exploring a broad range of employment options throughout the Houston area. While the program does not guarantee specific job placements, it aims to facilitate and support the job search process to help both partners advance their careers
How can eligible participants work with the Dual Career Assistance Program?
- Complete the Initial Consultation Form: In order to confirm eligibility and learn more about job search preferences, we ask that eligible spouses/partners first complete our initial consultation form. Once the form has been received and reviewed we will be in touch with confirmation of eligibility and details on how to start working with the VPAA Office.
- Attend Initial Consultation: An initial consultation is conducted on zoom with the spouse or partner to determine their employment interests, skills, and needs.
- Receive Customized Assistance: The services offered through the Dual Career Assistance Program are customized to fit individual needs. Assistance is given to identify appropriate employment opportunities and networking contacts. Services available include:
- Job search assistance
- Networking on your behalf with our network partners and networking assistance
- Access to job openings at the University
- Resume/curriculum vitae and cover letter critique
- Information about local employment demographics
- Other information that may be useful in a job search
Job Resources
- Rice University Open Searches
- Local search firms
Job Search Success Dependent on Individual's Efforts - The Dual Career Assistance Program does not create an entitlement to employment nor does it guarantee a position. An individual’s own job search efforts and follow-up are crucial to the success of the program.
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Please email Devon Jones, PhD at dj11@rice.edu if you have any question.