How to turn swiping on dating apps into a full-time job — and you don’t have to be single

Brooke Steinberg
·3 min read
Andrew Boese, a 38-year-old Arizona-based music enthusiast, isn't a fan of travel. But online and for work, he might find himself impersonating an older Australian gentleman with wanderlust looking for love. He's adopted several other different personas too, including a professional ice hockey player, advertising executive and 22-year-old heir to a family business fortune.

Singles have joked that using dating apps is like a full-time job — and that’s now true for some.

Matchmaking company Vida Select has turned swiping on the apps into a career for its employees, charging clients a pretty penny for their services.

The global site promises to do practically every aspect of online dating for its clients, including creating their profiles and vetting potential matches.

Vida Select’s website claims that typical dating app users should “expect to spend at least 12 hours per week glued to various dating platforms,” quipping, “Welcome to your new part-time job!”

Or, shell-shocked singles could choose to hire one of Vida Select’s proxies to do the hard part of online dating, such as Andrew Boese.

Founded in 2009, Vida Select has been helping clients who are busy and don’t have time to swipe or just want a little assistance in finding a compatible date. VIDA Select
Founded in 2009, Vida Select has been helping clients who are busy and don’t have time to swipe or just want a little assistance in finding a compatible date. VIDA Select

Boese, 38, has been a ghostwriter for the company for the past decade, landing the job after answering a classified ad for a creative writer, he told CBS News.

Behind the screen, he loves music and isn’t too fond of traveling. But when he logs on for work, he takes on the personalities of many different people: an older Australian man, a 22-year-old heir to a family business fortune, and a pro ice hockey player, to name a few past personas.

He learns to take on these people’s mannerisms, communication styles and dating preferences to help find one of the company’s 387 clients’ perfect match.

“It gives you a chance to live vicariously through your clients. You may be terrified of heights, but typing the words ‘I love bungee jumping’ could be cathartic,” Boese told CBS.

While it’s unclear just how much a Vida employee makes, it costs clients $1,195 – $2,595 per month. VIDA Select
While it’s unclear just how much a Vida employee makes, it costs clients $1,195 – $2,595 per month. VIDA Select
According to the website, dating apps are the most popular way to meet someone. VIDA Select
According to the website, dating apps are the most popular way to meet someone. VIDA Select

“It’s a chance to try on new shoes and see myself in another life.”

The pro swiper admitted he’s not a rich man thanks solely to the gig, but enjoys some of the freedoms often afforded to those who are, such as a flexible schedule and the ability to work from anywhere in the world.

Ironically, the single himself has refrained from the dating app pool. “It’s like a car mechanic that drives a broken-down pickup truck. You don’t take your work home with you, I guess. There are other ways to meet people and I enjoy those,” Boese joked.

Founder Scott Valdez was an “overworked” sales and marketing manager who struggled to find a romantic partner amid regular 70-hour work weeks when he dreamed up the company in 2009.

Andrew Boese spends his days logged into dating apps, working remotely and setting his own hours. Andrew Boese/Facebook
Andrew Boese spends his days logged into dating apps, working remotely and setting his own hours. Andrew Boese/Facebook

Valdez, 39, would later meet his wife through the platform in 2016 to become “one of VIDA Select’s countless success stories.”

The modern matchmakers told CBS News declined to disclose its exact revenue or how much employees are paid for doing the hard part of dating, which could cost clients upwards of $2,595 or more per month.

“Package cost highly reflects the total number of hours that should be dedicated to your search, considering parameters such as ‘ideal partner’ criteria and number of locations,” the website states.