For some job seekers, Tinder is the new LinkedIn

They say job hunting is just like dating. Some are taking that advice literally. 

“Job market so bad I’m using Hinge to find work,” one job seeker posted on TikTok in December.

Sharing a look at her dating app profile, in place of a photo of her best angle, she instead uploaded a snapshot of her résumé. Answering the prompt “a life goal of mine,” she wrote “to find work in the creative industries.” Since it was posted in December, the video has gained almost a quarter of a million views. 

In a recent update, the TikTok user shared that Hinge has since taken down her profile for breaking their policies. But she is not the only one. 

Others are also using this unconventional method to get their profiles in front of hiring managers. One claimed to land a six-figure job from a match on Bumble. 

“Sometimes I use hinge to match with people in my career field and ask if they’re hiring,” another posted. 

“It’s called being resourceful, innovative and bold,” they wrote in the caption.  

As sites like LinkedIn are overwhelmed with applications and employers rely on AI résumé screeners, applicants are finding creative ways to get their foot in the door. In a recent Glassdoor community pool, 29% of respondents said that they were using or considered using dating apps for career purposes. 

While networking on dating apps isn’t new, it appears to be a growing trend. A ResumeBuilder.com survey of about 2,200 U.S. dating site customers in October also found a third of dating app users had used the platforms for job or career-related purposes in the past year. Nearly one in 10 say it was the primary reason they used dating apps, with the most common platforms being Tinder, Bumble, and Facebook Dating. 

It’s not just those hoping to break into entry-level positions. Almost half of those using dating apps for job-related purposes reported incomes of more than $200,000. 

For many, the strategy has paid off—43% say they gained mentorship or career advice from networking on the apps, while 39% landed an interview, 37% received a referral or lead, and 37% received a job offer. 

One survey participant called the new job-hunting practice “weird but effective,” while another said, “It worked, but you need the audacity to ask.” 

Of course, the lines quickly become blurred when seeking employment in an environment designed for hookups and romantic pursuits. Especially if there’s a power balance at play.

But desperate times call for desperate measures. 

It now takes more than 23 weeks on average for an unemployed person in the U.S. to find a new job. For one in four unemployed people, or 1.8 million Americans, they are still job hunting six months later. 

Long-term unemployment is now at its highest level in three years. Under these circumstances, it’s no surprise job seekers are turning to any means necessary to find new connections. 

And hey, it’s better than the inverse: anyone using LinkedIn as a personal dating pool.