A Singaporean woman says she chose to move to the US after finding love on LinkedIn, and even if the relationship didn't work out, she'd still prefer the business platform over Tinder or Hinge.
In 2014, Singaporean Shann Ng had just gotten out of a seven-year relationship and wasn't looking for love. However, love made its way into her life, connecting with someone on LinkedIn in the most unexpected way possible, writes the Daily Mail.
Even though the relationship ended after six months, Shann still believes the platform is better than traditional dating apps.
Shann told MailOnline: “I will definitely continue to meet people on LinkedIn. I'd say the odds of me meeting someone on LinkedIn instead of a dating app are 99.9%.“
“The probability of me meeting someone on a dating app is 0% unless that person adds me on LinkedIn“, she added.
She continued: “Honestly, I can't see myself reinstalling dating apps. I have to see all these things that happen to women every day – I'm better focused on myself.“
Shann, who works in the FinTech industry, initiated contact with her former partner for purely professional purposes, asking for his opinion on a product. The two quickly discovered that they not only work in the same industry, but also have many interests in common, from video games to their passion for technology.
“We were like twins”
Recognizing that he was in the middle of “midlife crisis” and in a “dead end in her career”being 41 years old, she added: “He taught me many things and we understood each other very well.”
“When I connected with him for the first time, I thought, “I've never had such a strong connection with someone.” He is the male version of me. We're like twins.”
Just a month after they met, Shann's ex-boyfriend traveled 10,000 kilometers from Los Angeles to Singapore, and the two soon realized they couldn't break up.
According to Shann, they texted each other throughout the ex-boyfriend's return trip. She added: “When he left, I was like, “Hey, I miss you a lot,'' and he said, “Why don't you fly to the US and we'll see what happens from there.'' There was no question, it was like and how would we say, “Okay, let's do this.”
For many, an international move would be quite intimidating, but the 41-year-old woman admitted that she was not afraid at all. “I'm very familiar with the US, so I wasn't afraid to move there. I was really excited, because I didn't live there permanently anymoreshe says. “I was very excited for this new chapter of my life.“
Breakup after six months of dating
The couple rejoiced when Shann first moved into their LA apartment – a period they liken to “a romantic movie”. But six months, another house move and a dog later, the relationship ended abruptly.
After the breakup, which the woman blamed on both of them working too much, Shann made the trip back to Singapore. “It was the longest flight I've ever had in my life, it took me a long time to get over the pain because I had to go through two broken relationships at the same time.“
“Looking back, I wouldn't have changed a thing. Maybe there are regrets, but now there are zero. Everything comes together perfectly, including learning a life lesson.“
Despite the ordeal, the 41-year-old would still use LinkedIn over any other dating app. It is even a requirement to be connected on the professionally oriented platform before even attempting the first date.
“If he doesn't have LinkedIn we don't meet”
“Every time a guy tries to meet me, add me, or meet me, I'll always ask him to add me on LinkedIn, and if I say he doesn't have LinkedIn, I won't meet him“, she joked: “It's 2024. Who's doing great work but doesn't have LinkedIn?“
According to her, LinkedIn provides a much more detailed picture of a potential match, from their educational background, job and interests. She also believes that the platform allows you to gauge a person's personality from the recommendations of their peers and bosses.
“Recently, even my girlfriend mentioned that LinkedIn is a great dating tool. LinkedIn is like submitting your resume to get into a relationshipshe said jokingly.
However, Shann does not encourage everyone to join and use the career-focused social media platform inappropriately.
“I think professionally you shouldn't approach people on LinkedIn because you want to meet them. It's a bit intrusive“, she stated. “I didn't really use it for dating, I just happened to meet my ex on LinkedIn.“
Since breaking up with her ex-boyfriend, Shann hasn't met anyone on LinkedIn, adding that she uses “in a very professional way“. “If I'm interested in someone, I'll move the conversation offline.”
