Recession. Unemployment. Home foreclosures. It seems everywhere you turn these days, the news is filled with stories about how tough the economy is across all income levels, locations, and professions. And while there’s no doubt that it’s a terribly tough time for those who are out of work, a small glimmer of good news is coming out of the online dating industry.

Online dating is one of the few really strong growth industries around; by some estimates, it’s poised to expand as much as 20% to even 30% in the next one to two years. With all of this tremendous growth, then, it’s not too surprising that the online dating industry is one sector that has experienced (and continues to experience) steady job growth.

What most people don’t stop to think about is all of the “behind the scenes” stuff that goes on at an online dating website. From programmers to customer relations to marketing to web designers and more, there are lots and lots of jobs available for those who are interested in pursuing them. In most cases the jobs are clustered in whatever city or location is the headquarters (or major regional hub) of the dating site itself, but in some cases you may be able to work remotely.

For instance, Match.com and Chemistry.com have a number of jobs posted for their Dallas, Texas, location, while eHarmony.com lists several diverse types of jobs for their Pasadena, California, location. There are even a number of international online dating sites with plenty of job openings, including DatingDirect.com (France), Shaadi.com (India), Lavalife.com (Canada), and FriendScout24.com (Germany).

So if you’re looking for a job and feeling frustrated, it might be a good idea to check out job postings at a variety of online dating websites.

Dating Essentials Dating Business, Economy, Jobs

This terrible economy doesn’t seem to be getting better very fast. Chrysler and General Motors have gone bankrupt, housing prices are rebounding slowly (if at all), and the ranks of the unemployed continue to swell by huge numbers each month. With all of this bad news around us, who has the enthusiasm to bother with dating?

Yes, things are tough, but one of the worst things you can do is to totally give up on dating altogether. Just because you’re facing financial challenges does not mean you are any less interested in finding a partner whose companionship you enjoy. The trick is figuring out the dating scene when everything around you seems to be falling apart.

Here are some tips and suggestions for dating in a terrible economy:

1. Broaden your preferences. It used to be that no self-respecting woman would consider dating a man who didn’t have a job, and a large number of men took the same approach. Today, however, you’re more likely than ever to find potential matches with people who are out of work for one reason or another. If you want to stay in the dating scene you need to consider broadening your preferences a bit so you don’t automatically exclude someone whose current situation is not ideal.

2. Get out and meet people. Let’s face it, online dating services can be pretty expensive, and that’s a cost your budget might not be able to handle anymore. The solution is to get out into your community more so you can meet people in the traditional way. Volunteer at a charity, take a class at the community center, or simply go for a walk each day along the same route. You’ll be amazed at how many opportunities to meet new people will come your way!

3. Stick with low cost activities. It’s okay to let the person you’re interested in know you would prefer to do low cost activities, so don’t be shy. If you can’t afford to go out to dinner, for example, suggest packing a couple of sandwiches and meeting at the park for lunch. Put on your thinking cap and be creative to find the best low cost activities to enjoy!

Dating Essentials Economy, Job, Meet People, Money, Volunteering

Let’s face it – we’re all cutting costs wherever we can. We’re cutting back our cellular phone plans, our dinners out, and even our online dating memberships.

But is this any way to find love in the digital age? No.

The good news is that there are plenty of online dating sites which don’t make you pay – and yes, they’re good sites too. With these sites, you can stay in the single mix, meeting fun and exciting people who want to learn more about you too.

And since everyone’s in the financial mess together, you already have something to talk about.

Try going to sites like:

PlentyofFish.com
Metrodate.com
OKCupid.com

And these are just the tip of the dating iceberg – there are plenty of others for different sexualities, fetishes, and more.

You don’t have to pay to date, after all. In this time of cutting back and making sure that you’re spending as little as possible, you don’t have to cut out love or dating.

All you need to do is to cut out the high priced dating sites that don’t really offer you anything more than the free sites. Free sites might have more advertisements, but they also allow you to mingle on the cheap – and sometimes, that’s really all you want and all you can afford.

News & Views Economy, Free, Metrodate.com, Money, OkCupid.com, PlentyOfFish.com