Dual Career Network director Joan Murrin, right, discusses recruitment materials with network staff Heidi McLaughlin, middle, and Kathey Testin. Photos by Tom Jorgensen.

One person gets an enticing job offer in a new town and the excitement begins to build, with thoughts of the personal and career achievements that await.

But the scenario might not seem so rosy for that person’s spouse or partner, who may not have a job of his or her own lined up—or even any clue about prospects—in an unfamiliar place.

At The University of Iowa, this is where the Dual Career Network (DCN) steps in.

The DCN was established in 1994, following a faculty task force survey that found a significant need to help a University recruit’s spouse or partner find employment.

The number of dual career couples has been on the rise since the 1970s. University officials recognized that recruiting one in a dual career family often means recruiting both, says Joan Murrin, DCN director.

“Our goal is to help clients begin their networking efforts and connect them with companies and organizations in the area that need employees with their skills,” Murrin says. “We help with the whole process, offering tips on résumé writing and interviewing, contacting employers in the area looking to hire, providing background information on companies before an interview.

“When the time comes, we might even help negotiate a salary. But we don’t go out and get jobs for the clients. It’s up to them to use the resources we provide to help them in their employment search.”

Those who qualify for the network’s services, which are free, must be the spouse or partner of a new permanent faculty or staff member at The University of Iowa and have lived in the area for less than two years.

When the Tippie College of Business recruited Sam Burer in spring 2001 to be an assistant professor of management sciences, he and his then-fiancée Angela started talking immediately about her job-search plans.

Around the time they were married in December 2001, she contacted the DCN and started the search process in earnest. Within a few weeks of moving here from Georgia, Angela Burer had two job offers. By February 2002, she accepted a position as staff pharmacist at University Hospital’s Ambulatory Care Pharmacies.

“I was fresh out of pharmacy school and new to Iowa City, and I didn’t think there would be many openings—especially because there’s a pharmacy school here that produces great graduates for the job market,” Burer says. “The Dual Career Network made my move and my search so much easier. It took a lot of the pressure off.”

Generally between 100 and 130 people a year utilize the network’s services. With the recent economic crunch, and the unemployment rate creeping up, the DCN’s duties have become a bit more difficult.

In fact, Murrin attributes the economic slump with cutting in half the number of successful hires the DCN facilitated in 2002.

“Four years ago, all you had to do was look at someone’s credentials, call a few people, and boom, the client was hired. Businesses wanted bodies. Times have changed. Now, not a lot of places are hiring and it takes more effort to find job openings,” she says.

One of the biggest benefits of using the DCN is that Murrin and her assistant director, Heidi McLaughlin, have many connections in the hidden job market. That is, they find leads on job openings that will not appear in classified ads or on Internet job-search sites.

They estimate that up to 75 percent of the jobs available will never be advertised using traditional methods. That number might creep up if the job market continues to be tight, McLaughlin notes.

“Companies don’t necessarily have the money to advertise right now, so they do their recruiting by networking and word of mouth,” McLaughlin says.

After Sam Burer took a job with the Tippie College of Business, his wife Angela contacted the Dual Career Network. Two months later, she accepted a position as a pharmacist at UI Hospitals and Clinics.

Murrin and McLaughlin regularly work with about 600 employers in eastern Iowa, in addition to the University itself. About 25 percent of their clients accept jobs on campus.

When the UI program began nine years ago, Murrin could find few similar programs anywhere in the country. Now she knows of at least 50, and they continue to pop up, following The University of Iowa’s example.

In April, the DCN hosted the first Dual Career Programs International Conference. More than 20 participants from 17 schools—including two from Canada—met in Iowa City to talk about the challenges of recruiting and job-searching for dual career couples. They also are working to establish some benchmark practices among programs.

“The University of Iowa is leading the way in establishing standards for similar programs across the country,” Murrin says. “I’m very proud of that.”

by Amy Schoon