Duke’s Dual Career Assistance Program provides personalized information and job search assistance for the partners of prospective, newly hired and current regular rank faculty members.
Duke University prides itself on having a first-rate faculty, and we recognize that recruiting and retaining today’s academic faculty may rely on the career status of, and prospects for, their partner.
Although we cannot guarantee job placement, we are available to help facilitate the job search process by providing information on the local job market, networking assistance, and referrals. We encourage dual career couples to share their need for job assistance early in the process so that we can provide timely support.
A request for assistance can be initiated by the candidate, the candidate’s partner, department chairs or deans. Candidates and their partners may request a confidential consultation if they do not wish to raise dual career concerns with the hiring department.
Frequently Asked Questions
We are available to help partners of newly hired or prospective regular rank faculty members as well as the partners of current regular rank faculty members who are considering a career transition outside of Duke. Priority will be given to faculty member’s partners who do not have current employment in the area.
We are available to consult with you about the local job market and to help you connect with potential opportunities through networking assistance, referrals, and outreach. We do not offer résumé and cover letter preparation or interview coaching.
We will conduct an initial consultation with you to discuss your professional background, career interest, and goals. We will often suggest potential employers in the area and ask you to do some due diligence to identify the opportunities that are of most interest to you. From there, we will assist you in connecting to local contacts and possibly open positions. This process can take time depending on your goals, background, and available openings. We will continue working with you and communicate with you throughout this process.
It’s important that you have an updated and professional resume/curriculum vitae (CV) that we can share with potential contacts and that you have spent some time considering and exploring jobs which are of interest to you and what you would, and would not, be willing to explore. It’s also equally important for you to consider how willing you are to expand beyond your current goals if the ideal position doesn't exist. As we are not experts in all career fields we will ask you to help us better understand your background and to help us explain and translate that background. Most importantly, this program is a resource provided to you and is not intended to take the place of your own job search efforts. You should continue to pursue your own search and communicate with us throughout the process.
There is no guarantee of placement. We will do everything possible to assist you in your job search but we can neither create jobs nor intervene in an employer’s hiring process.
We will forward your CV to the appropriate deans and departmental chairs, however, our ability to place you will depend on the availability of an open position, departmental priorities in terms of research specialties, and the competitiveness of your application against the overall applicant pool. Ultimately, departments across campus seek to hire the best, most qualified candidate for their open positions.
With nine colleges and universities in the Triangle, there are opportunities for academic appointments outside of Duke. If you are willing to drive a bit further, you may find even more doors open for you.
After discussing universities that may be of interest to you, we will reach out as appropriate to share your CV to identify opportunities that may fit your background. As with positions at Duke, ultimately our ability to find you a position will depend on openings, disciplinary fit, and the competitiveness of your application.
We encourage you to look for available openings at Duke Careers, and at the Duke Private Diagnostic Clinic. You should apply for any jobs of interest and let us know which positions you have applied for. We will alert the hiring manager to your application. However, your application will be considered in the context of the general applicant pool and ultimately the hiring department will select the most qualified applicant for the job.
Through our faculty, alumni, and career services networks, we can help you identify opportunities in the private or public sector and can arrange for networking conversations. We can also forward your resume to the attention of organizations that are hiring. However, we cannot guarantee placement or influence the hiring decisions of these organizations.
Duke University anchors one corner of the North Carolina Triangle region that is consistently ranked as one of the best places to live and work. The Triangle ranks as the #6 “Best Places to Live” by U.S. News & World Report. The region’s diverse economy is based on a foundation of government, education and healthcare jobs, combined with high-growth sectors like information technology, biotechnology, and energy.
More Information
University Job Sites
General Job Sites
Contact Us
To request assistance or to learn more about the program, please contact the Office for Faculty Advancement at facultyadvancement@duke.edu or (919) 684-4997.