When some folks daydream about their careers, the sky is the limit. But for Army Reserve Soldier and NASA Astronaut Maj. Kate Rubins, the limit quite literally does not exist.
She was chosen from a pool of over 3,500 applicants to earn a spot in NASA’s 2009 training class and has since become the 60th woman ever to fly in space and the first person to sequence DNA in space. That’s not all, though. When she’s not at her day job with NASA, Rubins is a microbiologist in the 75th United States Army Reserve Innovation Command. Serving as a part-time Soldier since 2021 gave her a solid foundation of physical and mental training, benefits, competitive compensation, and limitless possibilities to use as a springboard for professional growth.
We could all learn a thing or two about career satisfaction — and success — from Maj. Rubins. She sat down with Inverse to share her best advice for establishing and sustaining a career you love. Here’s what we learned.
1. Don’t Put Your Future In A Box
As a child, when Rubins was asked what she wanted to be when she grew up, she had more than one answer in mind. “I always said I wanted to be a biologist, an astronaut, and a geologist,” Rubins laughs. “I assumed you could have three careers. But it turns out, I’ve actually had a few of them.”
This ‘dream big’ mindset persisted into adulthood. Rubins’ first job was as a biologist — specifically, a virologist — where she was tasked with developing treatments for viral diseases. This position allowed her to work with the U.S. Army Medical Research Institution of Infectious Diseases at Fort Detrick in Frederick, Maryland. Although she was a civilian-visiting scientist at the time — meaning she was not a Soldier just yet — the experience allowed her to do some incredible research, plus gave her a taste of the possibilities that working with the Army could provide. (More on that later.)
Although many individuals would be content with a successful career in science, Rubins didn’t stop there and later fulfilled her lifelong dream of becoming an astronaut. While she’s not a professional geologist just yet, she’s on her way and is definitely living out her childhood fantasy of juggling multiple titles — with plenty of support from the Army Reserve.
2. Say ‘Yes’ To Opportunities (Even If They Seem Out Of This World)
In 2008, Rubins was busy leading a research lab at MIT. It was here that she heard NASA was hiring an astronaut class. On a whim, Rubins applied, thinking they’d never even see her application.
But Rubins’ leap of faith paid off: She excelled through the interview process and in 2009 she officially became an astronaut. Since then, she’s flown on two space missions that totaled 300 days — becoming the 60th woman ever to go to space. Rubins’ focus as an astronaut is unique; she studies what happens to the human body as it experiences the solar system in order to engineer spacesuits that allow humans to safely walk on the moon. Taking a chance on herself has given her more opportunities than she could have ever imagined — like being able to see Earth from space, which left her “dumbstruck for a full 10 minutes” the first time she experienced it.
“In between all the work we do on board [the spacecraft], there’s this sense of wonder and amazement that you get to look down at this beautiful planet. It’s just profound for human beings to experience that.”
3. Never Stop Challenging Yourself
During Rubins’ second space mission, she started thinking about her next career move. After training for over two years for her current mission, she knew coming back to Earth would be somewhat anticlimactic and was ready to tackle a new challenge. She’d always wanted to serve in the U.S. Army, but it wasn’t something she could do with a full-time job of running a lab or working at NASA. But soon, a conversation with a friend sparked a consideration for serving in the Army Reserve, with the job’s part-time nature and potential opportunities leaving her intrigued.
“I knew from working at Fort Detrick that there were some really unique aspects of working with science and technology within the Department of Defense,” Rubins shares. “It allows you to do some things you don’t have the resources or the infrastructure to do in the private sector. But I didn’t want to quit my day job as an astronaut. I mean, it's an incredible day job! And that’s why the Army Reserve was an excellent fit for me.”
Through her work with the Army Reserve, Rubins has been exposed to leadership opportunities, new networks of scientists, a lifetime of benefits, and incredible resources that not only challenge her but allow her to make a bigger difference. Recently, she took on the role of Platoon Sergeant during a training course, putting her in a unique position in charge of 40 other Soldiers — a first for her.
Although her work is complex, Rubins’ career mentality is simple: “I’m going where the interesting projects are, and that’s always been a pretty good formula for success and happiness.”
The U.S. Army provides limitless opportunities for your career. Take the first step to explore careers with the U.S. Army here.
