Nine years ago, Katie Ortman Doble, a corporate recruiter from Denver, shared her “How I Met My Husband” story on LinkedIn and it quickly went viral. After all, it was unusual to find the love of your life on LinkedIn at the time.

For Katie, finding people on LinkedIn was second nature, a skill she honed through her job as a recruiter. The irony is that the woman who expertly matched candidates for jobs had to struggle to find her ideal partner. However, that all changed when she came across her future husband’s profile while searching for a “content writer” job.

Katie recalls that after seeing his smile in his profile picture and reading about his work, she knew she wanted something more than a professional connection. Fortunately, things turned out just as he had expected.

“The beauty of LinkedIn is that you can learn a lot about a person before you even talk to them,” Katie shared in her post. Today, the couple has been married for over a decade, and as Katie says, “Every time I log on to LinkedIn, I’m reminded of the day I clicked Connect.” How grateful I am for that.”

Katie’s story is no longer unique. Many people today are looking for love on LinkedIn.

Why LinkedIn?

“LinkedIn is a great way to connect with someone who shares your ambitions, education, and goals,” one Redditor commented in response to a question about using “LinkedIn for dating.”

“I’ve heard so many success stories of men and women meeting their partners through the platform,” the post said.

Although LinkedIn bills itself as a “purely 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 have found their dates on LinkedIn. This trend extends to people aged 20 to 40, with 52 percent of respondents acknowledging LinkedIn’s unexpected role in modern dating.

Indians are also not untouched by this trend. Many women have reported receiving unprofessional messages, and many people use LinkedIn to check out the profiles of people they’ve met online or even on dating apps (which is a bad idea. Not there).

In the same post, a Reddit user shared the story of how he met his wife through LinkedIn. They mentioned that they were friends 30 years ago, but neither knew that the other was divorced.

“We were living in different countries, and she saw my photo in a box of stuff she was sorting through. So, she reached out to me on LinkedIn, because it’s the most neutral and least creepy social network One thing began another, love rekindled and three and a half years later, here we are,” the post reads.

‘People are disappointed with dating apps’

A 2023 Pew survey shows that many people are becoming disillusioned with modern dating apps, often citing excessive message volume and disappointing matches.

This growing dissatisfaction, commonly known as “dating app fatigue”, has led to an increase in the number of people looking for alternative avenues, with many complaining of ‘not finding good dates’. In the words of ‘Sex and the City’s wise Charlotte, “I’ve been dating since I was 15, I’m tired! Where is he!”

These options vary widely, from taking a break from dating apps to exploring new ways to meet people, like getting involved in running a club or even exploring unconventional methods like using LinkedIn to find love.

Mumbai psychologist Absi Sam explains India Today This frustration may stem from the way dating apps function. As someone who also uses professional networking platforms, I’ve noticed a shift, with some users turning to LinkedIn as a dating app.

“LinkedIn appears to offer better opportunities for meaningful connections,” Absi says. “It allows people to connect with others who share similar or specific professional backgrounds, which may also appeal to potential partner seekers. There’s a sense of authenticity on LinkedIn that is often lacking on dating apps, where People present a polished version of themselves rather than their true self,” she adds.

This frustration has led people to use dating apps for other purposes beyond finding their ideal partner. Many Indians are now using 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:

Studies also show this trend. A recent study by dating app QuackQuack shows that 46 percent of Indian women consider online dating apps to be the safest way to network.

‘Tinder focuses on personal relationships’

India Today Reached out to Bumble and Tinder, and it seems like both apps place an emphasis on ‘making connections’.

“The guidelines also reaffirm that Tinder is focused on personal relationships, not business relationships. As today’s youth seek new romantic experiences and embrace self-discovery, Tinder continues to provide a world of dating possibilities, Empowering users to define their own success.” Tinder spokesperson says.

Bumble, on the other hand, already has something called ‘Bumble Bizz’ which serves as a professional platform to connect.

“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 mode through your settings by tapping “Choose Mode.” This way, all of your connections and chats will remain in date mode,” says a Bumble spokesperson.

Humans are naturally social creatures, 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 either platform.