A GLAMOROUS Canadian woman has ditched her heels and dresses and has been rolling her sleeves up and getting dirty in her new job.
Kennedy Taylor, 26, swapped the bartender and bottle girl lifestyle for a career on an oil rig.
After the pandemic hit, Kennedy's income never recovered, sparking her extreme career change.
When friends and family suggested working in the oil and gas industry, Kennedy originally turned her nose up at the idea of being stuck in the middle of nowhere with men shouting at her.
But she now insists it's the best decision she has ever made and has seen her income triple, though she admits she does face remarks from male coworkers who think she can't do her job because of her gender.
"Before starting on the oil rig I was honestly terrified," the Novia Scotia native said.
"I had the impression that the oil and gas industry is where you go to get yelled at, degraded, and belittled.
"I was fully preparing myself to have a very unwelcoming start, but I was so wrong. Everyone is so helpful and supportive.
"I have definitely had my fair share of snide remarks, misogyny, and degrading comments, but I can say without hesitation these comments happen far less than when I ever worked in the bar industry.
"People really look out for each other out here. There's lots of healthy banter and people tend to know not to cross a line.
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"I truly do love my job. I get filthy every day, I work outside in freezing temperatures, and I'm always sore, but I love the sense of community working in the patch gives.
"I get to go to different rigs, meet new people every day, and create new relationships.
"I drive upwards of seven hours in one direction to get to rig locations, which is draining but I get to view more of my own country with all the commutes."
Kennedy shares details of her life in the oil and gas industry on social media, where her story has blown up.
In fact, many women have been inspired by Kennedy and even started asking her how to get started themselves.
Kennedy said: "Ever since sharing my job on the drilling rigs on TikTok, an overwhelming number of women have reached out to me wanting to know how they can get into the oil and gas industry.
"It is still a male-dominated field, [and] most women aren't even aware there are all these high-paying opportunities exist.
"I'm very happy I can share some of my knowledge and experience.
"It warms my heart that I can say many women have reached out to me, sharing their stories of how they too were stuck in a job they didn't love and were yearning to try something new but didn't know where to even start.
"I think it's very important for women wanting to venture to a blue-collar job to know that we are just as capable as the men, as long as you give it your all.
"No one will make the job easier for you, but if everyone sees your effort and you can push yourself to work hard, you will be accepted and respected.
"My favorite thing about my job is easily getting the chance to work with amazing rig crews.
'Once you build relationships with people, the tasks at hand become more fun and easier.
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"My least favorite thing about the job, hands down, is the cold, my very first day on a drilling rig I spent 18 hours straight on a rig floor in -52°.
"That was the best and worst introduction to what the job would be."
A day in Kennedy Taylor’s life on the rig
Wake up at 2:30 am to cook meals for the next three days.
Leave home at 3:00 am.
Get to the location of the rig at 8:00 am.
Once the rig is ready, Kennedy offloads the equipment from her truck to the rig floor.
Lead a safety meeting for the crew.
The casing job then begins which can take anywhere from 12 hours up to four days to complete.
Once the drill has reached the bottom of the well Kennedy and her crew rig out the equipment and head home.
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