Nine years ago, Denver corporate recruiter Katie Ortman Doble shared her “How I Met My Husband” story on LinkedIn and it quickly went viral. After all, finding the love of your life on LinkedIn was quite unusual back then.

For Katie, searching for people on LinkedIn was second nature; it was a skill honed through his work as a recruiter. Ironically, the woman who expertly matched candidates with jobs had a hard time finding her own perfect match. But everything changed when she came across her future husband’s profile while searching for a “content writer” for a job posting.

Katie recalls that after seeing his smile in his profile photo and reading about his work, she knew she wanted more than a professional connection. Luckily, events turned out exactly as he hoped.

“The beauty of LinkedIn is that you can learn so much about a person before you even talk to them,” Katie said in her post. Today, the couple has been married for more than a decade, and as Katie puts it, “Every time I log into LinkedIn, I’m reminded of how grateful I am for the day I clicked connect.”

Katie’s story is no longer unique. Many people today find love on LinkedIn.

Why LinkedIn?

“LinkedIn It’s a great way to connect with someone who shares your passions, education, and goals,” one Reddit user commented in response to a question about using “LinkedIn for Dating.”

“I have heard so many success stories of men and women who met their partners through the platform,” the post added.

Although LinkedIn describes itself as a “strictly professional” app, that hasn’t stopped people from finding love on the site. A recent study shows that 61 percent of individuals ages 35 to 40 find their dates on LinkedIn. This trend includes people between the ages of 20 and 40; 52 percent of respondents acknowledge LinkedIn’s unexpected role in modern dating.

Indians are no exception to this trend. Many women report receiving unprofessional messages, and many use LinkedIn to check out the profiles of people they’ve met online or even on dating apps (which isn’t a bad idea).

In the same post, a Reddit user shared the story of meeting his wife through LinkedIn. He said they became friends more than 30 years ago, but neither knew the other was divorced.

“We were living in different countries and he was going through a box of things when he came across my photo. He reached out to me on LinkedIn, the most neutral and least scary social network. One thing led to another, love was rekindled and here we are, three and a half years later,” the post read.

‘People are fed up with dating apps’

A 2023 Pew survey shows most people are disappointed with modern dating apps; most often referring to very high message volumes and disappointing matches.

This growing dissatisfaction often leads to “dating app fatigue” has led to a growing number of people exploring alternative paths, with many complaining about ‘not being able to get good dates.’ In the words of the wise Charlotte from ‘Sex and the City,’ “I’ve been dating since I was 15, I’m tired! Where is he!?“

These alternatives range from taking a break from dating apps to looking for new ways to meet people. joining running clubs or even exploring unconventional methods to find love, like using LinkedIn.

Absy Sam, a psychologist from Mumbai, explains: India today that this frustration may stem from the way dating apps work. As someone who also uses professional networking platforms, he has noticed a shift with some users turning LinkedIn into a sort of dating app.

“LinkedIn seems to offer a better chance for meaningful connections,” says Absy. “It allows people to interact with others who share similar or specific professional backgrounds, which can attract the attention of those looking for potential partners. There’s a sense of authenticity on LinkedIn that’s often missing on dating apps, where people tend to present a polished version of themselves rather than their true selves,” he adds. .

This frustration has also led people to use dating apps for purposes beyond finding their ideal match. Many Indians now use them to find concert or match tickets, make professional connections or even just make friends.

For example, with upcoming events like Coldplay and Diljit Dosanjh’s concerts, some Indians are using dating apps to find tickets or find someone to attend. Take a look at some of these:

Research also reflects this trend. A recent study by QuackQuack, a dating app, reveals that 46 percent of Indian women consider online dating apps to be the safest way to network.

‘Tinder focuses on personal relationships’

India today It’s made its way to Bumble and Tinder, and it looks like both apps put an emphasis on ‘connecting’.

“The rules also confirm that Tinder focuses on personal relationships, not business connections. As today’s young adults explore new romantic experiences and embrace self-discovery, Tinder continues to offer a world of dating possibilities and empowers users to define their own success.” says a Tinder spokesperson.

Bumble, on the other hand, already has something called ‘Bumble Bizz’ that acts as a professional hookup platform.

“In India, Bumble connects people through dating (Bumble Date), friendship (Bumble For Friends) and professional networking (Bumble Bizz). You can switch to BFF or Bizz modes by tapping “Select mode” in your settings. This way, you can switch to BFF or Bizz modes by tapping “Select mode” in your settings. “All of your connections and chats in date mode will remain,” says a Bumble spokesperson.

Humans are social beings by nature, and when it comes to meeting someone or finding love, connections can happen anywhere, even in the most unexpected places. Whether it’s work on Bumble or love on LinkedIn, if you’re lucky, you can find what you’re looking for on every platform.