# My Impression of Polywork As A Web Developer And A Technical Blogger

Hello Fellow CodeNewbies 👋,

If you're on Twitter, you must have heard about [Polywork](https://www.polywork.com).
<br>
But if you haven't, try to Google it. And you will find:
> Polywork is a professional social network where people highlight the things they've been up to - work, life, learnings, plans & more.
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  -- [www.polywork.com](https://www.polywork.com)

In this article, I want to share my impression of Polywork, as a web developer and a technical blogger.

## Getting To Know Polywork

The first time I learned about Polywork was from some members in [my community](https://virtualcoffee.io/) who gave away their VIP codes. 
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So I took a VIP code, bypassed the waiting list (Thank you, [Nick Taylor](https://twitter.com/nickytonline)!), and created an account.
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But I wasn't active in updating my account because I didn't know exactly what it was.
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I admit that I created an account to see what people are talking about 😆. 
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There were some articles about people's experiences with Polywork. But I still didn't see how different it is with LinkedIn or Twitter (which I have an account on both platforms). 

One day around August (yes, it took me that long to finally work on my profile 😁), I decided to update [my profile on Polywork](https://www.polywork.com/adiatiayu).
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It took me around 2 hours to update my profile. I went back and forth between Twitter, GitHub, and blogging platforms. But it finally gave me a sense of what Polywork is.

Polywork offers something between professional and social networks. We have a place to display our professional work and skills. But we also have space to be who we are outside our professional life. 

And that's what I like about it!
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We are not only our professions. We are also people who have lives, personal interests, and other activities.

And another thing with Polywork that I like is that they don't provide a "like" button.
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It makes people get less (if not free from) social anxiety, leading to mental health problems. 
<br>
Although there is no like button, comment and message features are still available. 

## Polywork's Features

Let's explore Polywork's features.

![let's go gif](https://media.giphy.com/media/3o7TKUM3IgJBX2as9O/giphy.gif)

### Badges
Badges are labels of our skills and interests. We can add as many badges as we want.

You might know me as a self-taught web developer and a technical blogger. But do you know that I am also a foodie who cares about communities, has an interest in photography, etc.? 😄

![badges-polywork.jpg](https://cdn.hashnode.com/res/hashnode/image/upload/v1636854041681/Zt4LmdM3Y.jpeg)


### Highlight

This is where we want to post our activities, achievements, or anything that we want to highlight.

![highlight-button-polywork.jpg](https://cdn.hashnode.com/res/hashnode/image/upload/v1637107547230/R6ziMlNVd.jpeg)

#### Shortcuts

Shortcuts on the highlight page come in handy at the bottom.

![highlight-shorcuts-polywork.jpg](https://cdn.hashnode.com/res/hashnode/image/upload/v1637109096344/bJl8bfG3K.jpeg)

### Timeline

Like any other social platform, the timeline in Polywork is the list of our highlights. 
![timeline-polywork.jpg](https://cdn.hashnode.com/res/hashnode/image/upload/v1637108207802/9wANm4ZvZ.jpeg)

### Collections

This is one of the features of Polywork that I love!
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Our timeline is getting longer and longer as we add new activities.
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But we can create some collections and group our activities together. It's much easier to see our top highlights within our collections.

One of my favorite personal collections is "💙 Ayu's Mood Booster." I group some milestones and shoutouts that I received from lovely friends as a reminder for me to be grateful 💖.
![collections-polywork.jpg](https://cdn.hashnode.com/res/hashnode/image/upload/v1637109426741/av1v0S67L.jpeg)

### Positions

We can add our current and previous positions just like other professional platforms.
![positions-polywork.jpg](https://cdn.hashnode.com/res/hashnode/image/upload/v1637109927265/KMj8QLVj2.jpeg)

### Opportunity Preferences

Polywork opens chances for people to collaborate.
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This feature lets people know that we are open to opportunities or collaboration.
![opportunity-preference.jpg](https://cdn.hashnode.com/res/hashnode/image/upload/v1637110244657/pxwst3aDv.jpeg)

### Space Station

You can find people who are open to collaborations and opportunities on this page.

![space-station-polywork.jpg](https://cdn.hashnode.com/res/hashnode/image/upload/v1637191745268/Tgb7WVleN.jpeg)

## How To Make The Most Out of Polywork?

- Take time to think about what you will write in your bio. 
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  This would benefit you when you are looking for opportunities.
- Re-arrange your badges from the top skills and activities. 
  <br>
  This way, people can catch your skills and abilities in a glimpse.
- Update your highlight as soon as you have done a new activity or achievement.
- Create collections. 
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  It's easier for people who are looking for someone to collaborate with. They can take a look at your collections rather than scrolling through the timeline.
- Add activity tags every time you post a highlight. 
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  It will help your space to be discovered on the Polywork network.
- Add collaborator(s) if any.
- Fill the opportunity preference to open your door to possibilities of collaborations.

## My Impression of Polywork

As a web developer, I can highlight my skills and activities. And as a technical blogger, I have a place to highlight my blogposts, achievements, and many more.
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Bonus point. Highlighting things outside my professional life on Polywork doesn't make me feel awkward. I can highlight my personal interests, activities, and something that I care about. I can be me 😄.

The bottom line is, I love Polywork!

If you have a chance to grab a VIP code, take it and experience Polywork yourself. Otherwise, you can join the waiting list 😊.

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Thank you for reading!
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Last but not least, you can find me on [Twitter](https://twitter.com/AdiatiAyu). Let's connect! 😊

