Embracing Anticareerism on Polywork

Today I'm thinking about how Polywork is inspiring me to resume my work on The Anticareerist, which was once my most popular creative project. Where might this lead?

For one thing, since my Polywork profile is public, it’s entirely possible that by tagging myself with the anticareerist badge and embracing Professional Anticareerist as my title, I’ve disqualified myself from ever again working for employers who would Google my name after an interview, read my work, and find reasons not to hire me or even take me seriously as a professional writer and editor. That’s a risk I’m taking.

But here’s the thing: calling myself an anticareerist is also a vote of confidence in my ability to find new clients if I should ever need to. I’ve been gainfully and happily self-employed for a decade now, so that’s a reasonable assumption to make. It’s unlikely that I’ll ever be conventionally employed again. Especially considering the future possibilities for earning crypto through the Ethereum ecosystem.

It’s also reasonable to take precautions to limit risks that are within my control, though, so putting this title front-and-center on my new Polywork page still feels like going out on a professional limb. Yet I’m still inclined to do it because Polywork feels like a space that affords greater self-acceptance. I get the sense that I can pull this off on Polywork in a way that would never fly on LinkedIn. 

Embracing the concept of anticareerism on Polywork can serve as a filter that avoids wasted time and energy on all sides. Visitors to my page who find the idea of anticareerism off-putting will likely look elsewhere. Meanwhile, my openness about it reduces the chances that I’ll need to field awkward queries and weigh the risk of losing my income if potential employers ever discover my anticareerist predilections.

It also brings the possibility of fruitful collaborations on the topic!