A woman who quit her ‘in-house job with fancy benefits’ for sex work has gone viral after she added her new sultry position to her LinkedIn profile.
Arielle Egozi, 31, who is originally from Florida but lives in New York now, explained in a post on the job networking website that she opted to leave her previous position – she didn’t disclose what it was – because she realized she ‘wasn’t happy.’
She said she chose to ‘walk away’ to pursue a career in sex work instead, explaining that she prefers a job where she can ‘set and hold her own boundaries,’ and ‘engage only in ways that are safe, playful, and abundant’ for her.
Arielle was not ashamed of her decision, and owned her new job – listing it on her LinkedIn profile under the experience section.
However, her move quickly went viral – garnering more than 1,000 comments and sparking a debate between users, some of whom called it ‘extremely inappropriate’ to list ‘sex work’ on her profile, and others who said it should not be ‘shunned.’
A woman who quit her ‘in-house job with fancy benefits’ for sex work has gone viral after she added her new sultry position to her LinkedIn profile
Arielle Egozi, 31, from New York, explained in a LinkedIn post that she opted to leave her previous position – she didn’t disclose what it was – because she realized she ‘wasn’t happy’
Arielle was not ashamed of her decision, and owned her new job – listing it on her LinkedIn profile under the experience section
In a message posted to LinkedIn, the sex worker opened up about why she decided to change careers, explaining that her new job has boosted her confidence and ‘shown her what her power can do.’
She added that she is allowed to chose her own rate – charging ‘exorbitant amounts’ due to the ’emotional labor’ that comes with the job – and that she has ‘no problem rejecting those who don’t want to pay it.’
‘I don’t waste my time with anything less,’ she explained. ‘I stopped pitching and negotiating. I have nothing to prove. I’ve done the work up front to make my value evident.’
As for why she chose to put it on her profile for the world to see, Arielle explained that she wants any incoming clients or potential future bosses to ‘celebrate and accept every experience as one that she will inevitably bring with her into a project.’
‘Why is this different than any other client work?’ she asked. ‘The answer I come to, again and again, is that it isn’t. So it’s now up on my LinkedIn.’
She added: ‘My new standard for incoming creative clients is that they be at least half as respectful, generous, and grateful as the John Does online.
Her move quickly went viral, and it sparked a debate between users, some of whom called it ‘inappropriate’ to list ‘sex work’ on her profile, and others who said it should not be ‘shunned’
Arielle said she chose a job in sex work because she prefers a position where she can ‘set her own boundaries,’ and ‘engage only in ways that are safe, playful, and abundant’ for her
Arielle explained that she put it on her profile because wants future clients to ‘celebrate and accept every experience as one she will bring with her into a project’
‘They don’t have to understand it, but they better respect the Hell out of it.’
Arielle’s post was quickly flooded with responses from haters who told her it was ‘nothing to be proud of’ and accused her of ‘oversharing.’
‘Too much oversharing here,’ wrote one person. ‘Think this sort of “content” is more suited to OnlyFans rather than LinkedIn.’
‘This is extremely tone deaf and arrogant (to add, extremely inappropriate),’ slammed someone else.
‘Sex work is a very dangerous (and also illegal) line of work. Most prostitutes don’t have the luxury of charging “exorbitant” prices, not only in the United States but around the world.
‘Young women and children have been victimized and traumatized by this line of work and what you’re saying is that it’s a liberating and empowering feeling that they are suppose to feel because you get to control the situation (which isn’t always the case).’
Another added: ‘Nothing to be proud of. I’m sorry you felt the need to go into sex work, and I feel even sadder for you that you felt you needed to post this on LinkedIn. Shameful and wrong to try and pull this off as “female empowerment.”‘
‘Adding “sex worker” to your LinkedIn profile would have been considered outrageous only a few years ago. Now it’s celebrated. Honestly don’t get what’s happening,’ said a different user.
A fifth comment read, ‘Promoting prostitution on LinkedIn. That’s a new low. LinkedIn is not OnlyFans. Are there no good values left in this society?’
Arielle’s post was quickly flooded with responses from haters who told her it was ‘nothing to be proud of’ and accused her of ‘oversharing’
However, others were on Arielle’s side, praising her for her ‘courage’ and thanking her for being ‘so open’ about a ‘very taboo topic.’
‘I’m very happy you’ve done this. I don’t feel alone with doing it myself,’ gushed one person.
Another added: ‘I love this and thank you for this. Too many times has my past in exotic dancing and nude modeling come up as a problem for employers and I never quite understood why.
‘I became very transparent with my past and my other hustles so that I can work with partners who celebrate me as I am and see the things that I bring to the table because of those experiences.’
‘We’ll done for your courage, we need more of you around us,’ said someone else.
‘I respect the Hell out of what you doing. There is a need for more who think like you,’ read another comment.
‘This!’ wrote another supporter with a hand clapping emoji. ‘I celebrate you, your story, and all that you bring to the table. Thank you for sharing.’
‘Really brave of you Arielle to be so open and post about this very taboo topic to help remove the stigma associated with it,’ commented a different LinkedIn user.
However, others were on Arielle’s side, praising her for her ‘courage’ and thanking her for being ‘so open’ about a ‘very taboo topic’
In response to the backlash, Arielle said she added the work to her LinkedIn profile not to ‘be radical’ but instead, to ‘hold herself accountable’ for the ‘choices she has made’
‘I love this! We should further support and encourage the open discussion about sex work and its benefits for everyday work and life,’ added another person.
‘There are countless skills you learn from doing sex work – communication, marketing, PR, accounting, organization – which are worthwhile in your further career (whether you decide to stay in sex work or not).’
She said she doesn’t ‘owe anyone anything,’ adding, ‘If you want the privilege to project onto me, pay me. Otherwise, shut up’
Arielle made one more post in response to the backlash, explaining that she added the work to her LinkedIn profile not to ‘be radical’ but instead, to ‘hold herself accountable’ for the ‘choices she has made.’
‘My intention here was to bring all my pieces into the room,’ she wrote. ‘It was to hold myself accountable in celebration of the choices I’ve made, the decisions that make me who I am and make my work what it is.
‘It wasn’t to inspire. It wasn’t to be radical. It wasn’t to make you upset. It was to make space for myself.’
She said she doesn’t ‘owe anyone anything,’ adding, ‘If you want the privilege to project onto me, pay me. Otherwise, shut up.
‘It’s weird to share something to own it, then having others take it and try to make it theirs anyway.
‘It’s wild to witness folks blatantly secrete their misogyny, respectability politics, and hatred for sex workers on a “professional” platform – but then I remember who invented the concept of “professionalism” in the first place.’
She concluded: ‘I don’t need to be the face of any of this – folks been out here since the beginning of humanity hustling and healing.
‘If you don’t know any sex workers, it’s either because you haven’t earned the trust for them to tell you, or because your friends are kind of boring.’