Is Tinder the new LinkedIn?
by Tony the Tiger
Those who are not on Tinder (or Bumble, Hinge ) assume it’s just a bunch pervy peeps looking for a hook-up, that same night! It's not exactly like that.
Did I meet my prince charming on a dating app? No, but it sure helped me get out of a funk after a break up. And I ALSO accidentally networked the bleep out of myself.
Here’s why. If a stranger reaches out to you on LinkedIn to grab a drink, or discuss opportunities – would you go? Probs not, even if you wanted to, life gets the best of you. But the following is the most common scenario of human interaction that I had as a result of Bumble, my dating app of choice:
I’m interested in someone. We match. We chit-chat.
- If I conclude they’re not murderers or terrifying, I accept the invitation to grab a drink after what I deem is a ladylike amount of chit-chat.
- I realize that I don’t like them, and I sense they don't like me. No chemistry. (Tinder networking is only valid if you both don’t like each other).
- You still have a cordial conversation for about an hour, unless one of you is rude, which if you chit-chatted enough before you should know by now.
- Convo ends up being about work or interests, which likely differ immensely, and all of a sudden you’re having a convo outside of your day-to-day bubble.
- You part ways, have each other’s numbers.
- A few weeks pass, and you need a *fill in the blank profession* and you remember Tinder guy #6.
- You call him and boom. You networked on Tinder.
Because effective networking isn’t dressing up in a suit and awkwardly shaking hands, networking apparently is meeting up with randos.
I also recently used an old Tinder date’s shipping company. We only went out once, but boy were his movers good!
Can’t really say I have had those same results with LinkedIn.
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