- Young Chinese professionals use dating apps to find jobs amid networking gaps after LinkedIn's China exit
- A woman secured a job referral by matching with an employee at her target company on a dating app
- Professionals find dating apps offer more respectful responses for networking than traditional job sites
In China, young professionals are scanning LinkedIn-like recruitment platforms to connect for dates. And using dating apps to find jobs. Sounds bizarre, but a report by the South China Morning Post (SCMP) highlights how the line between dating and networking has blurred in the hyper-competitive job market in China.
The professionals are struggling to find jobs, especially after LinkedIn shut down its localised China app in 2021 and closed InCareer in 2023. A networking vacuum has been created for graduates chasing multinationals.
But professionals have found a way out. They are relying on dating apps to look for the perfect jobs.
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According to the SCMP report, a Chinese woman opened up about matching with a man. She failed to find a spark with the man, but later found out that he had a job at the same company where she wanted to work. The man eventually referred her, and she got a position.
In a separate incident, a professional revealed that they use dating apps for networking as people respond more respectfully.
Another incident involves a Human Resources professional who called a woman for a position at the company. Although she didn't get the job, they ended up becoming close friends.
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What's the reason behind it?
A 2025 ResumeBuilder survey found 1 in 3 dating-app users had used Tinder, Bumble, or Facebook Dating for professional purposes in the past year. Of those, 63% wanted to expand their network, 42% sought referrals, and 40% pursued job offers.
It is believed that traditional portals feel saturated, and AI screening filters out CVs before humans see them. Dating apps let users bypass HR and talk directly to insiders.
But the practice also raises ethical questions, with some dating sites saying that business use violates community guidelines. Some might feel misled when a match is really prospecting for a job referral. Some users also argue that job-seeking on dating apps devalues the platform for users with good intentions.
