That’s one way to catch an employer’s attention.
A woman chose to list being self-employed via “Sex Work” on her LinkedIn profile — but her move of empowerment sparked a debate online.
Arielle Egozi, who said she works as a brand adviser and creative director, lists an expansive list of work experiences, one of those being “sex.”
Three weeks ago, she reportedly left an in-house job with “fancy benefits” to pursue sex work after being dissatisfied with her role.
“The biggest reason I could walk away is because sex work shows me what my power can do when I own it intentionally,” a recent LinkedIn post reads.
Egozi, who boats more than 10,800 followers on the professional networking site, also added that she charges “exorbitant amounts,” has “no problem” being rejected by potential clients and sticks to her clearly defined boundaries.
“I stopped pitching and negotiating. I have nothing to prove,” the New Yorker continued. “I’ve done the work up front to make my value evident.”
She then suggested a parallel between her career choices.
“Why is this different than any other client work?” she asked before answering her own question: “It isn’t.”
Now, she only works with clients that are “respectful, generous and grateful,” saying “they don’t have to understand it, but they better respect the hell out of it.”
As powerful as her message is, the men in her comments section saw problems with her courageous announcement.
“This is a very dangerous game you are playing,” wrote one user. “You get money, but is it worth looking in the mirror and crying in the shower when you still feel unfulfilled trying to fill a void?”
“I am all for women’s rights, equality, personal choice and bodily autonomy but I found this post to [be] somewhat tone deaf, self-absorbed and disingenuous due to this ridiculous portrayal of prostitution as somehow liberating and empowering for a woman,” said another reader.
While others chimed in, calling her “tone deaf,” “arrogant, “inappropriate” and downright TMI, some valiant professionals stepped up to defend Egozi’s right to her body — and her social media.
“I would hire a current or former sex worker in a heartbeat because they come with a litany of business minded skills that are a boon to any industry,” wrote one individual who claimed he is a former sex worker.
“Personally I respect any woman who has needed to do this work in order to make ends meet and get by. Sometimes I think there is confusion about where true power comes from for women,” Noella Morra commented.
Egozi’s post, which racked up nearly 10,000 reactions and more than 1,600 comments, was followed up by another post from her recognizing that her story had struck a chord.
“It wasn’t to inspire. It wasn’t to be radical. It wasn’t to make you upset,” she wrote, while also making it clear she is not soliciting her intimate services on the platform. “It was to make space for myself.”
[Written in collaboration with other media outlets with information from the following sources]
