You might have stumbled upon your local “DomTop69” on Grindr and noticed that his profile says he is open for “Networking”. Five minutes later you receive a message from him and when you open the chat you are eye-in-eye with a picture of his massive piece of meat. You must be thinking: Networking in his profile must mean he is looking for a blowjob. While he might be looking for one, it is probably not what he meant with networking.
Grindr hasn’t given us a reason why they added “Networking” as an option for the “I’m Looking For” field, but looking at the true meaning of networking we can imply that it means that you are open to build connections that may include other reasons than sex, dates or friendships.
The Meaning of Networking
Networking is a term that is often used in the business world, but it can be applied to all aspects of gay life. Networking simply means building relationships with people who can help you achieve your goals. It can involve meeting new people at networking events, or on networking tools like social media or gay dating apps. When you network, you open yourself up to new opportunities and connections that can help you reach your goals.
Asking people about their Networking on Gay Apps
To find out what people mean with “Looking for: Networking” in their profile I went online and conducted a little survey. Because I am a basic gay who doesn’t have Grindr XTRA (How is that $24.99 per month anyway?!) I decided to use Scruff instead and filter down to people who are networking. These are some of the interactions I got:
Networking on Grindr For Your Professional Gain
As I mentioned earlier, networking is often done for professional reasons. Some people on Grindr might just be using the app to meet new people and advance their careers and not be interested in hookups at all. Even though finding a hot hookup is great, networking on Grindr can be a great way to make connections with other professionals in your field, or find potential clients or employers.
I have a friend who is a freelance web developer who has found contracts through Grindr. He wrote in his profile that he is a freelance web developer and also has the “Open for networking” option selected. He told me that he’s met a lot of great people through the app, and that networking on Grindr has helped him find new clients and jobs.
Another friend always checks Grindr whenever he is attending conferences for work. On more than one occasion has he found other attendees of the conference on the app. Being at a conference and not knowing anyone it can be nice to gravitate towards the other homos.
Networking on Grindr For Your Social Gain
Networking on Grindr can also be a great way to meet new people and make friends. You may find people who share your obsession over Drag Race, or someone who you can connect with on a deeper level.
I have met some of my closest friends through networking on Grindr. We bonded over shared interests, and now I consider some to be my best friends. Networking on Grindr has also led to me finding friends who are in the same career field as me, and we regularly discuss work and offer each other support and advice. Gays helping gays, yay!
When I first moved to Vancouver I had a hard time finding an apartment and resorted to putting “Looking for an apartment” as my profile name. Within a couple of days a nice guy reached out to me and told me he was looking to sublet his amazing apartment to me for a friendly price. He mentioned that he had some bad experiences subletting it over Craigslist before and that he would way rather sublet it to a fellow gay.
Give Networking a Try!
Grindr is often known as only a hookup app. While it can be used for networking, a lot of people use it purely for sexual purposes. I know a lot of gays who only use Grindr for hookups, some who complain about finding it difficult to meet friends and create deeper connections.
While Grindr can be a great way to find hookups, there are more opportunities than that. You can meet friends, networking contacts, and even a cute boyfriend on Grindr. It’s important to remember that Grindr is just like any other tool – it’s what you make of it. If you’re only looking for sex, then you’re going to find that all you get is sex. But if you’re willing to explore and put in the effort, then you’ll be surprised at what you can find.
When you’re networking with other gay people, it’s important to be yourself. Don’t try to be someone you’re not. You’ll find that the more genuine you are, the more connections you’ll make. If you want to know more tips and tricks on improving your Grindr game, check out my article “How To Get A Guy On Grindr To Like You“
It’s important to remember that networking is a two-way street. You should offer help and support to the people you meet as well. They’ll appreciate it, and it will help strengthen the connection you have with them.
So don’t be afraid to network on Grindr and see what connections you can make. Who knows, it might just change your life in the best way possible, or at least you will be able to “network” that massive piece of meat of DomTop69 🙂
*Disclaimer: This is just based off my own personal experiences and those of people i know. Your experience on Grindr may of course vary.*
