This is a sponsored article on behalf on Once.
We love the Once concept: the new dating app delivers just one handpicked match per day. But who are the Cupids behind the magic and how do they pair you with your perfect other half? We meet matchmaker Caroline to find out.
What do you like most about the job?
I've been known to play matchmaker among my friends so working full-time as a matchmaker seemed like a natural progression and I jumped at the chance! I love helping people looking for a relationship and it's amazing to think that my decision can have a real impact on the future of our users. Plus, how fun is it to play Cupid?
How does the matching process work?
The matchmaking process is quite simple: intelligent algorithms preselect 20 profiles for one person depending on their preferences — location, age range, interests, Facebook likes, education level, occupation... That's why it's important to put in as much information as possible. After this, the human element comes into play to make a really good match.
The matchmakers can only see pictures — we don't have any information about the profiles — and our job is to make the best match from these. It's all about gut feeling: we have to be very observant and pay attention to the smallest details.
What kind of things do you look for to find a good match?
When looking for a match, we analyse all the elements in the picture. We look at the person's face, their attitude, and try to glean their personality from this. Details like haircuts, outfits, jewellery, piercings and tattoos all come into play. Then there's the background of the picture, the context; if someone's on holiday, playing sport, with friends, with pets, partying...
Do you find out how your dates get on?
We get to see how many people connect... After that we wait for people to get in touch with those success stories!
And do you have any success stories?
We're receiving a lot of messages congratulating us on the concept, on the app in general, and telling us they've been on dates and met cool people. So hopefully strong and lasting relationships will result from the matches we are doing every day! We also listen to feedback if matches weren't quite right and take those preferences into account. We're still at an early stage but we're sure that very soon, some serious relationships will result thanks to Once!
Have you used Once yourself?
I have indeed; I'm single at the moment and have been using Once myself. I've connected with some guys, been chatting and even been on my first Once date. It went really well, so watch this space...
Why should we use Once?
Once is a very different concept to other dating apps. I definitely recommended it if you're looking for a serious relationship and I believe that the human element to the matching process makes all the difference. For people who have been reluctant to use dating apps in the past, or who are just not familiar with them, it's a great option: you won't feel overwhelmed by countless profiles, it’s very private as only your suggested match sees you, and you've got 24 hours of your match’s attention guaranteed.
Download the Once app now and let Caroline and the other fairy godmothers make you a match today. Want to know more about Once? Find out here.
