Getting Jobs Through Dating Apps! A Bizarre Trend Goes Viral in China

New Delhi: Amidst China’s rapidly evolving job market, young people are now adopting new and unconventional methods to secure employment. Due to a scarcity of traditional networking platforms, dating apps are now being utilized to forge professional connections.

According to reports, the South China Morning Post noted that the boundary between professional networking and dating is increasingly blurring. In fact, LinkedIn shut down its local app in China in 2021, followed by the closure of its professional networking service, InCareer, in 2023. Consequently, young people were left with limited options for networking.

As a result, many individuals have begun using dating platforms—such as Tinder, Bumble, and Facebook Dating—specifically to establish professional connections. In one instance, a woman matched with a man on a dating app. Although no romantic connection developed between them, the man referred her to his company, ultimately helping her land a job.

Some users claim that initiating conversations on dating apps is easier because people tend to respond with greater courtesy and openness. In another case, an HR executive reached out to a candidate via a dating app; although the candidate did not get the job, the two ended up becoming friends.

‘Finding a Date Is Like Screening Resumes’
This trend is also manifesting in platform design. In 2024, Boss Zhipin relaunched its platform, Kanzhun, with a dating-style interface and adopted the tagline: “Finding a date is just like screening resumes…”

The Unconventional Use of Dating Apps
The scope of such unconventional usage is expanding. A 2025 survey conducted by a resume-building service revealed that one in three users has utilized dating apps for professional purposes. Among these users, 63 percent use the platforms to expand their professional networks, 42 percent to secure referrals, and 40 percent specifically to search for jobs.

While this approach is novel and intriguing, it is also accompanied by certain concerns. Many platforms consider this to be a violation of their rules, and questions are also being raised regarding transparency.