A millennial manager reportedly secured three job interviews after turning to Tinder as a networking tool. Samantha Rogers, a Swedish-born graduate, changed her Tinder bio before moving to London in 2018.
Rogers said that she wanted to be financially secure keeping the expenses in mind.
“I wanted to be proactive before moving because I'd hate being in London and not having anything lined up because it's expensive here,” Rogers said, according to a report in Fortune.
Alongside conventional platforms such as LinkedIn and Indeed, she updated her profile on Tinder to include the words “seeking work opportunities.”
“For a long time Tinder offered little to no value exchange for me, but just because I didn't find dating successful on the app, didn't mean I couldn't use the platform creatively for other purposes such as networking, promoting my business or exploring new social connections,” she said.
Rogers added, “I thought, if I'm going to be on Tinder and I haven't been successful in getting a relationship out of it so far, I might get a job, it turns out that was easier.”
Within a week, she began receiving responses. According to Fortune, users contacted her with job leads and recommended her for roles internally. “It got me in the door quite quickly for interviews,” she said, adding, “I got two interviews with recruitment consultancies and then I got one sales job.”
Though Rogers did not accept any of the three roles linked to Tinder, she said the experience broadened her options. She later built a career in public relations and is now a PR account director.
Her approach comes at a time when dating apps are also being used for professional networking. The women-first app Bumble launched Bumble Biz in 2017, positioning it as a space for professional connections as well as romantic ones. Meanwhile, Grindr has said that around 25% of its users are on the platform to network, reported Fortune.
At the same time, professional platforms have faced scrutiny over unwanted messages. A 2023 study found that more than 90% of women reported receiving at least one unwelcome message on LinkedIn.
Rogers said, “I remember that I had received multiple flirty messages by men on apps and platforms intended for anything but that. So, I thought I would turn the tables on them and use the dating app as a platform for job seeking.”
A spokesperson for Tinder told Fortune, “Tinder is the most popular dating app in the world, dedicated to fostering meaningful personal connections, not business ones.”
Despite that, Rogers said that the unconventional nature of her approach worked in her favour. “Dare to try unconventional methods because chances are that other people aren't thinking about it, so you might be more successful,” she said.
She acknowledged the importance of caution when arranging meetings. Before attending interviews, she said she researched each company and location “to ensure it was legit.”
“Always make sure you look into the company and make sure it actually exists, and that the interviewer works there,” Rogers said.
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