I went from being a bartender to working on oil rigs – I told them I was female, it helped to get me hired
A WOMAN who swapped bartending for oil rigging has been giving career advice to younger females wanting to get a foothold in the industry.
If you are prepared to work hard and able to put up with some muck and grime, give it a go she said.
Kennedy (@torquegirl) has 73,000 fans following her posts as she “chases rigs,” in Alberta, Canada.
It is still a male-dominated industry, but there are plenty of opportunities for women.
In one of her posts, she answered a question posed by one of her fans: “How did I get a job into your job?”
Kennedy’s was not a conventional career trajectory.
“So I went from being a bartender,” she admitted, “with literally zero experience with any type of blue-collar job.”
But this lady was not afraid of a bit of rough and tumble: “I worked in the film industry for seven years as a stunt double,” she revealed.
There were certainly similarities between the two, however: “You have call times, and hours hanging around.”
Her knowledge of the industry really was basic: “I didn’t even know what a drilling rig looked like.”
Once she made up her mind that it was the oil industry she wanted to work in, she set to work to make it happen.
“I got this job because I picked up the phone and I just started calling a bunch of companies and I gave them the rundown,” she said.
“I said, I’m a female with zero experience but I want a career change and within four hours and I think four callers later, I got hired.”
Within weeks, this feisty lady was on the move.
“A couple of weeks later I moved to the provinces and now I’m living in northern Alberta working on drilling rigs and I’m absolutely loving it.”
Kennedy encouraged other would-be oil hands to just give it a go. She did and it worked for her.
“Everywhere is pretty much short-handed so if somebody wants to make a career change kind of now is the time.
“Just pick up the phone,” she urged them, “and call places and just be an eager beaver. That’s how I got it.”
Comments to her post loved her gutsy, can-do attitude.
“As long as you are willing to put in the hard work, it’s such a rewarding job,” said one industry veteran.
Another shared their ease of finding work: “Literally within an hour I had a job and am heading up there. Everyone wants workers.”
Kennedy would be pleased to see her post made a difference by the final comment: “I saw your video and it motivated me to do a career change. My first day tomorrow on-site,” said a new young female recruit.