How Tinder, other dating apps are helping Chinese people find a job
In China, the youth is finding it tough to find jobs due to competition and a scarcity of opportunities, a report has said, adding that this is forcing them to look for jobs at an unlikely place: dating apps like Tinder.
A report in NBC News said that young people are using Tinder and similar dating apps to land jobs. A student was quoted as saying that she finds Tinder useful to connect with fellow professionals for casual coffee chats. She said the responses of her dates are generally welcoming.
“We can’t help but feel a surge of excitement when we come across someone working in the same industry, even while browsing a dating app,” said a graduate of a British university who is now based in Beijing.
Tinder is one of many apps that are blocked in mainland China. Chinese people also don’t have access to LinkedIn, which is also blocked in China after the Microsoft-owned company pulled out of the country in 2021. However, they can access it using virtual private networks (VPN).
Reportedly, some jobless adults are working as “full-time children” for their parents, doing chores and running errands in exchange for financial support.
Other apps are also used to find jobs
Not only Tinder, people have claimed to have found jobs on Xiaohongshu, China’s equivalent of Instagram. “When hiring managers ask me how I know the vacancy — me: Tinder,” a widely shared meme said.
The post was apparently shared by a user who said she had successfully found a job by using a Chinese dating app. Similar posts that claim to prioritise dating apps to find jobs are not uncommon on Chinese social media, the report said.
“By using dating apps, we can reach more people. Normally, we need a long period of time to get close to people. But with dating apps, you hang out with strangers for a couple of hours and they can already provide you with tons of their personal information,” a job seeker said.
A report in NBC News said that young people are using Tinder and similar dating apps to land jobs. A student was quoted as saying that she finds Tinder useful to connect with fellow professionals for casual coffee chats. She said the responses of her dates are generally welcoming.
“We can’t help but feel a surge of excitement when we come across someone working in the same industry, even while browsing a dating app,” said a graduate of a British university who is now based in Beijing.
Tinder is one of many apps that are blocked in mainland China. Chinese people also don’t have access to LinkedIn, which is also blocked in China after the Microsoft-owned company pulled out of the country in 2021. However, they can access it using virtual private networks (VPN).
Reportedly, some jobless adults are working as “full-time children” for their parents, doing chores and running errands in exchange for financial support.
Other apps are also used to find jobs
Not only Tinder, people have claimed to have found jobs on Xiaohongshu, China’s equivalent of Instagram. “When hiring managers ask me how I know the vacancy — me: Tinder,” a widely shared meme said.
The post was apparently shared by a user who said she had successfully found a job by using a Chinese dating app. Similar posts that claim to prioritise dating apps to find jobs are not uncommon on Chinese social media, the report said.
Expand
“By using dating apps, we can reach more people. Normally, we need a long period of time to get close to people. But with dating apps, you hang out with strangers for a couple of hours and they can already provide you with tons of their personal information,” a job seeker said.