Former nuclear engineering student Alex Rubin offers a glimpse into his career in the United States Navy, what he has learned and his future endeavors.
Q: You’re currently employed with the United States Navy — a promising option for many nuclear engineering students due to the nuclear-powered submarines. What has the job-hunting industry been like?
A: I became interested in the Navy when I was a sophomore. I learned about the nuclear power prototype schools they offered and the opportunities I would have to operate a reactor or go work on either a submarine or aircraft carrier. They had a lot of incentives and benefits, and it was a no-brainer for me.
Q: What are you learning right now?
A: I’m at prototype, which means we visit a training submarine to learn the ins and outs of everybody’s job on the ship. Submarines are very different from a commercial power plant — for example, the ship takes in water from the ocean. So, making sure that our water is pure and clean is paramount.
Q: What’s your favorite part about your job?
A: My favorite part is truly the dynamic lifestyle — you’re never doing one thing for too long. As soon as you learn one skill and get comfortable doing that, you’re moving on to the next thing. I’ve learned a lot of life lessons in a very short amount of time.
Q: What advice would you give to nuclear engineering students considering pursuing careers in the Navy?
A: I would advise them to do as much as possible to learn about things you want to do.
There’s a lot of things to consider that they don’t always tell you about: what sort of lifestyle do you want to live? Do you want to travel? What sort of hours are you looking to invest? Of course, joining the Navy is a very big commitment. So, be aware of the decisions you’re making and the type of commitments they may carry too.