Go to London, they said. There, you’ll launch your career (as an intern), find yourself (in a tiny flat), gain true independence (when you no longer have to rely on CityMapper to get around) and spend a lot of money (be poor). Oh, and you’ll meet a lot of brilliant people. No catch. All things aside, it’s a pretty spectacular place to live, learn and allow your life to be shaped by the people around you. It’s no secret that London, one of the most delicious cultural melting pots of the world, continues to attract some of the most diverse, bright, accomplished and determined people from all over the globe. The best part of London is the people you meet in the city. After all, it’s all about who you know.
The difficulty lies in knowing how to know these ‘who’s’. Whether you’re new to London or have been here long enough to remember when rent was affordable, you’ll realise that meeting people isn’t always simple. Yes, you have your colleagues and clients at work; yes, you have your friends; but it’s sometimes tricky to stretch much further than that. You probably meet lots of new people every week, but, one – they’re not necessarily the people you want to be meeting and, two – it’s not always with the intention to establish strong, meaningful relationships. Meet Shapr – the social app that enables you to take ‘who you know’ completely into your own hands.
Imagine if Tinder and LinkedIn were to have a lovechild, only, it just got the good genes. It kept the slick, swiping usability, the mutual matching and the easy to create profiles while getting rid of the awful one-liners and the endless unwanted messages from people trying to sell you things and get in your pants. The result is Shapr, an app that creates a perfect environment for establishing fantastic professional relationships.
Like Tinder, you can only ever speak to people if you’ve also stated you want to ‘meet’ them. Potential matches are found based up your interests (using a selection of #hashtags), your location, your experiences and potential, as well as the app’s learning algorithm. There’s also a section in which you can specify what you’re looking for, be it a new job, a mentor or to simply bounce some ideas around. While the app isn’t targeted specifically at job hunters, it certainly is a logical way to go about getting your name out there. Making a true connection with a person is always going to be more powerful than sending out a faceless CV to a recruiter for their unnamed ‘client’.
Swiping through Shapr becomes somewhat of a daily ritual – a healthy daily dose of exciting possibility. It will give you the chance to meet people you wouldn’t have crossed paths with otherwise. And hopefully you will turn some of your in app messages into coffees and collaborations. Surrounding yourself with brilliant minds and personalities is the best thing you can do in London (and, perhaps, the only way you’re going to survive in the crazy, wonderful city). You can download Shapr for free here – get connecting!