A female electrician who works offshore has hit back at anyone who says she can’t be a blue-collar worker and has pretty nails, while wrestling marriage offers from men who love her skills.
Benedikte Vatne can spend up to 12 hours fixing faults or checking wires in stormy seas without breaking a sweat.
The 26-year-old shares unique experiences from her job with 174,500 followers online, proudly wearing her hi-vis jacket while tackling tricky tasks.
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But Benedikte is also keen to dispel any nonsense that a woman working in a male-dominated industry can’t be both capable and look good.
Many of her videos have hundreds of thousands of views, with people fascinated by the seemingly contrasting sides to her life.
“People are surprised by my job all the time,” Benedikte told What’s The Jam.
“I’m definitely not your stereotypical woman in a male-dominated field.
“I love make-up and dresses, and I always jump at the chance to wear high heels.
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“I love showing my strong feminine side, even in the job I have.”
In a clip shared three days ago (7 July), Benedikte showed off her gorgeous pink manicure.
“You can’t have pretty nails when working blue collar,” read the words across the screen, to which Benedikte replied in her caption by saying: “I will bring my pink fake nails everywhere I go.”
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Benedikte – who loves DIY and weight-lifting – has been working in the oil and gas industry for two years.
She was initially a regular technician and later a field engineer, before she started working offshore in November last year.
She said: “I live very comfortably.
“There are hobby and gym rooms available, and I actually think of offshore work as a kind of ‘holiday’ from the hustle at home, where I can focus on training, food, and sleep.
“But I follow a fixed rotation, which means when I’m at work, I miss everything that might happen at home.
“There’s also very little free time, and you have almost no alone time – there are people around you all the time.”
Social media viewers can’t get enough of the Norwegian influencer.
Referencing her video about her fake pink nails, one person said: “Great for picking up ferrules and tiny terminal screws.”
“So true,” said someone else, referring to the notion that someone can be a blue-collar worker but still have nice nails.
“I’m an electrician and I think I’ve just found my wife,” said someone else who commented on one of Benedikte’s home renovation videos.
Another person asked the offshore worker to “marry” him.
“Girl of my dreams,” added someone else.
“U need an apprentice?” joked another fan.
When she isn’t working, Benedikte hangs out in her home in Ålesund.
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