Job Resources for Spouses and Partners
Relocating to a new city for PhD study is a big decision, and when a spouse, partner and/or children are coming with a student, this decision is even more important for the family. Northwestern University and the Kellogg School of Management have resources for families, which we hope will make their transition to the Evanston-Chicago area much easier as they become members of our community. We want them to take full advantage of the opportunities to be found here.
Visa Status
For international PhD students, their visa status determines what opportunities their spouses and partners are able to pursue, such as eligibility for working in the United States or going to school. There is information on the website of the Office of International Student and Scholar Services (OISS) that discusses visa options (F-1 or J-1 visa) for spouses/dependents.There is the J-1 visa option, but there may be a home residency requirement, which means that the student may have to return to his or her home country for two years after completing the PhD. Please see Northwestern's OISS website for more information on the Home Residency Requirement and Waiver policy.
Job Opportunities
Northwestern University’s Human Resources Department provides job listings on the Evanston and Chicago campuses. Northwestern also has a temporary pool for those looking for temporary, short-term employment. Temporary jobs may also turn into permanent employment at the University.
The Kellogg School of Management also tries to connect spouses and partners with jobs within Kellogg, providing support to the various academic and administrative departments. If there is interest, Susan Jackman can refer them to a contact at Kellogg.
Please note that Northwestern spouses and partners do not have access to career services resources through Northwestern or Kellogg; those resources are strictly for Northwestern students and alumni. Northwestern’s Human Resources Department is the place to go for assistance in locating jobs on campus.
Higher Education Recruitment Consortium (HERC)
HERC is a wonderful resource for jobs and networking opportunities in the Chicago area through academic institutions, which also caters to dual-career couples. There is a Chicago-Midwest chapter. The list of member schools/institutions in the Chicago area includes Northwestern University, University of Chicago, DePaul University, Loyola University Chicago, and much more. In addition, HERC also offers advice for dual-career couples.
HERC's browser provides job listings in a few areas: faculty/academic, staff/administrative, and executive; job seeker tools, such as webinars and e-job alerts, are also offered in addition to relocation tools. HERC also outlines resources to assist in relocation.
Career Building Websites
There are the usual career-building websites that may offer some assistance with a job search focused in the Chicago area:
Northwestern University cannot provide any endorsements of the career-building resources and services above; however, being close to a large urban area offers a lot of opportunities for spouses and partners of Northwestern students.
