An offshore electrician who loves make-up and dresses has shared the incredible perks of her job – but says people are often surprised when they find out what she does for a living.
Benedikte Vatne works as an offshore electrician, which involves working out to sea on projects for intense bursts of two weeks at a time.
Her work pattern means that, after working 12 hours a day for a fortnight, the 26-year-old then gets four weeks off – meaning in a typical year, she works for just 17 weeks.
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But with her long blonde hair and expertly-applied make-up paired with a hi-vis jacket, people often think she is an unlikely person for the role.
“People are surprised by my job all the time,” Benedikte, who lives and works in Norway, 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.
“I love showing my strong feminine side, even in the job I have.”
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Benedikte started as an apprentice high-voltage electrician in 2016, received her trade certificate in 2019, and working full-time onshore while studying part-time for higher education in electrical engineering at a technical college.
She began her career in the oil and gas industry in 2023, initially as a regular technician and later as a field engineer, before she started working offshore in November last year.
She is currently working on a project involving the electrification of a platform, which will receive power from land instead of from generators, as a step towards a greener future.
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She said of her work: “Offshore work has its ups and downs.
“Personally, I’ve always liked to separate work and personal life, so I prefer working as much as possible for a few days to then have some time off.
“Rotation work was a perfect fit for me.
“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.
“You don’t get to choose lunch and dinner, but the food is great and prepared for you during breaks.
“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.”
When she isn’t working, back in her current city of Ålesund, Benedikte enjoys home renovation projects, weight lifting, cooking, travelling and socialising.
She believes her salary is similar to that of a full-time on-shore worker with the same position – but says the time off makes her job well worth it.
She said: “I live very comfortably.
“It really is the same pay, or just a little extra, but with all the free time to do whatever!”
Sharing a daily diary of what she gets up to while at work with her 148,000 Instagram followers, Benedikte said her day starts just after 4am, when she wakes up and puts on make-up for the day.
She then heads to the gym before showering and getting to work for 7am, where she remains until 7pm that evening.
She added: “I love having extra time in the morning, but this also mean that I eat dinner after work and go straight to bed.”
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