Frequently Asked Questions

Can you help with an academic appointment?

We offer support for academic spouses. We forward your CV to the appropriate deans and departmental chairs; however, our ability to place a spouse or partner is dependent upon the availability of positions, departmental priorities and the competitiveness of your application against the overall applicant pool. To underscore the importance of dual career hiring, the Provost provides competitive funding to partially support spousal or partner hiring within departments or between schools at USC.

If a match is not available at USC, you may work with the Dual Career Consultant, Debbie Jones, to determine opportunities at local colleges and universities. As an additional resource, the Southern California Higher Education Recruitment Consortium (HERC), of which USC is a member, lists faculty openings at member institutions in the Los Angeles region. Job posting information for USC and local academic institutions is also provided for your reference on the Resources page.

Are non-academic positions available to me at USC?

Yes, non-academic positions are available to you. You are encouraged to look for available openings on the USC job portal. When you identify a position and apply, please let the Dual Career Consultant know. We will alert the hiring manager of your application. Note however, your application will be considered in the context of the general applicant pool. The hiring department will select the most qualified applicant for the job.

Can you help me find a job in the private or public sector?

Yes, we may assist with suggestions and networking conversations to enhance the job search. Additionally, deans may offer professional job-placement services to prospective faculty. Again, dual career assistance is a resource and is not intended to take the place of your own job search. These efforts do not guarantee employment.

What is the process to initiate support?

To initiate support for academic or non-academic positions, prospective faculty should discuss this objective with the search committee chair, department chair, or dean. You may also contact Debbie Jones, Dual Career Consultant, who supports both deans and prospective faculty in efforts to promote academic and non-academic employment opportunities between schools, within the university at large, as well as in local colleges and universities. Schools may offer professional job placement services for non-university positions. Please note that these efforts do not guarantee employment nor job placement.

What is my role in the process?

When requesting dual career assistance, it is important to have an updated and professional resume/curriculum vitae (CV) which will be used for prospective job placement. Additionally, you will need to consider what jobs would be of interest, and what you would or would not be willing to explore. In other words, both your employment goals and limitations are important to know. If your ideal position does not exist, how willing are you to expand your current goals?Dual career assistance is a resource and not intended to take the place of your own job search efforts. You should continue to pursue your own search and apprise us throughout the process.

Who is eligible for assistance?

You are eligible for dual career assistance if your spouse or partner accepts a USC tenured, tenure-track or research, teaching, practice, or clinical (RTPC) position and you are relocating to Los Angeles.

Can you guarantee job placement?

There is no guarantee of job placement. We will assist you in the job search, but we can neither create positions, nor intervene in an employer’s hiring process.

For additional information or confidential queries contact:

Debbie Jones
Dual Career Consultant
Office of the Vice Provost for Academic and Faculty Affairs
ADM 204 MC 4019
Tel: (213) 740-7641
jonesdeb@usc.edu

Last updated January 2024