In a job market where high salaries often go hand in hand with demanding routines, there are stories that continue to surprise. Under the age of 30, a Norwegian engineer earns more than 130 thousand euros per year and works under a regime that allows her to accumulate around 250 days of rest per year, although she admits that the so-called “dream job” has significant personal costs.
Amalie Lundstad is 29 years old and works as a process engineer on an oil rig off Bergen, Norway. This has been the professional reality for around three years, in an isolated place, suspended over the sea, where discipline and safety dictate the rhythm of the days, according to Men’s Health magazine.
Despite the prolonged absences, the engineer recognizes that this lifestyle brought her something rare: an unusual feeling of freedom, although very different from that experienced by most people.
Strict routines and high responsibility
Employment is organized into two-week shifts, which can start early in the morning or late in the afternoon. Each day follows a well-defined protocol, which includes changing shifts, distributing tasks and exhaustively reviewing safety standards.
As area manager, Amalie coordinates operations where the margin for error is practically non-existent. All tasks are carried out as a team, following the so-called “four eyes” principle, an essential practice in environments where large amounts of energy circulate and any failure can have serious consequences.
Speaking to the Italian edition of Men’s Health, he explains that screens, alarms and automated systems control every movement, making permanent concentration a constant requirement.
Personal sacrifices and compensation in the workplace
Distance from family and friends is one of the most difficult aspects to manage. Isolation, accumulated stress and long absences keep many professionals away from this type of career. “You have to be willing to make sacrifices; then, the reward can be an extraordinary life”, he summarizes, cited by the same source.
To mitigate the impact of isolation, the platform has several amenities, such as a gym, golf and hunting simulators and leisure spaces. Despite being one of the few women in the place, she guarantees that adapting to a mostly male environment ended up happening naturally.
Long periods of rest take on real meaning when you return to dry land. It is at this time that Amalie takes the opportunity to travel, pursue personal interests and maintain an active presence on social media, where she shares her daily life between work shifts and breaks.
The published images show impressive skies and landscapes marked by intense sunsets, but they also help explain a less visible reality. Having many free days does not mean complete freedom. The work calendar conditions personal commitments, celebrations and holidays, which depend on schedules defined months in advance.
“Free time is often more controlled by work than by life itself”, he explains, highlighting that it does not always coincide with rest for those who live on land.
A dream that requires adaptation
According to , what for many represents a professional ideal, with a high salary, financial stability and an unusual routine, implies accepting a parallel life, organized at its own pace. Not everyone is willing to do so.
For those who adapt, like Amalie Lundstad, this model ends up providing a different form of independence, achieved after accepting the challenges of a profession that unfolds beyond the maritime horizon.
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