Men Explain How They Use Grindr to Find Jobs

When I asked my followers if they'd ever found a job on Grindr, the response was amusingly predictable: "Yeah, a blowjob (lol)." That's because Grindr is the dating app that MSM (men who have sex with men) turn to when they're looking for a good time, not a long time.

But the way people use the app – which claims to have "roughly 13 million monthly active users in virtually every country in the world" – is diversifying far beyond its original intention. "According to data from a survey of Grindr users, approximately 25 percent of our users say that one of their key activities on Grindr is to network," a company rep recently told Insider. "We know people use our app to meet new people in their area and in new towns, and we also have plenty of anecdotal evidence of people making connections that lead to professional opportunities like jobs."

Grindr regulars will know that personal trainers often use the app to advertise their services – after all, it gives them instant access to a notoriously body-conscious section of the population. Sex workers have also been known to use it to scout for trade, although it’s prohibited by the app’s community guidelines.

But, beyond these two very specific examples, is Grindr becoming a kind of LinkedIn with benefits? To find out, I spoke to five guys who've used the app for networking and career progression, rather than pole and hole.

“I was chatting to this guy on Grindr one night but it got late, so I asked him to add me on Facebook – it was back when you would actually do that. About six weeks later, I was applying for jobs in London and not really getting anywhere. A friend said, ‘You have to know someone to get a job in London. Go through your Facebook friends, see who's got an interesting job, then message to see if they can help.’

“I saw that the guy from Grindr worked in PR, so I messaged him even though we'd never met IRL. He pretended we were friends and recommended me for a job at his company, which I went on to get. I like to call him my 'fairy godfather' because he has changed my life twice.

“About eight years later, he was working as head of comms for a travel app that hired the agency I was working for. I ended up getting an in-house job with his app that involved a move to New York. Honestly, that one late-night chat on Grindr has played a massive role in my life.” – Ethan, 29, New York

“One day I was on Grindr when a pop-up appeared seeking applicants for a role at Grindr HQ. I realised I was qualified, decided to apply, and got the job. I ended up working in the brand partnerships department for more than five years, so I can vouch for the fact that Grindr puts its money where its mouth is when it comes to recruitment.” – Darren, 30, London

“I'm a professional songwriter who's worked from home for the last six years. My own singing skills are average, so I'm always looking for talented singers to sing my songs. I generally have Grindr on in the background, so whenever I see 'singer' in a guy's profile I send him a message, whether I fancy him or not.

“Good singers who are serious about doing it for a living are surprisingly hard to find, but Grindr has helped me discover a fair few over the years. I now have 'hit me up if you're a singer' at the bottom of my profile which has made it even easier to connect with potential collaborators.” – Peter, 52, Birmingham

“I have a tragic habit of needing to help people out, so I have a note on my Grindr profile that says: 'Need a job? I know of some.' I always have friends who are looking to change jobs and I've worked in recruitment in the past, so whenever I see a job advertised online or on the local high street, I add it to my rolling list. These jobs can be anything from marketing and admin to bar work, care work and shop assistant roles.

“Sometimes guys message me saying, 'How do you know about these jobs? Are you a recruiter?' Most of them aren't suspicious, though, and just seem grateful for the help. Some guys who message me are already employed but want to know if I can help them get something better paid.

“Helping people to find jobs isn't my main reason for being on Grindr, but I don't see anything weird about using it in this way. It's just a natural extension of the 'networking' tag that Grindr lets you use as a search filter.” – Kristof, 31, Manchester

“I didn't get hired on Grindr, but Grindr definitely helped to save my job. About 12 years ago I was working at a new hair salon in south-east London that was aimed at middle-class mums and families. The business had some serious staffing issues, which meant hardly any clients were coming back and it was on the verge of collapse.

“We only had one or two clients a week and so, as the only member of staff, I spent most of my time on Grindr. At first I'd just get the usual 'looking for now?' messages; but after a while, guys would ask what I did for a living. Some of them started coming in for a haircut – probably just to check me out – but I didn’t care, I was just relieved to have some clients.

“Over time, the salon started getting busier because those guys told their friends and neighbours, and our reputation grew. I ended up managing that salon for six years and, by the end, the appointment book was always full. I don't know if I ever told the owner that Grindr saved his business, but I'm happy to take the credit for using it to turn things around.” – Arran, 39, London