Key Takeaways
When Match Group CEO Spencer Rascoff took over the courting big final February, he requested in regards to the firm’s internship program — solely to be advised that the earlier CEO canceled it.
This yr, Rascoff determined to carry again Tinder’s summer season internship program — and it was instantly standard.
Greater than 30,000 Gen Z candidates utilized for 27 seats, giving the internship a 0.09% acceptance fee.
Gen Z is going through a tricky job market as corporations reduce employees and entry-level positions disappear. On this panorama, Match Group CEO Spencer Rascoff is taking a special method and doubling down on early-career expertise.
Quickly after Rascoff took over the courting big final February, he began asking about internship packages to offer extra younger employees a approach into the corporate.
“Two or three months after I began, I referred to as my head of HR and mentioned, ‘I’m simply curious in regards to the summer season intern program. When do the interns arrive?’” Rascoff not too long ago advised Fortune. “And he’s like, ‘Oh, no, we will’t. The final CEO canceled the internship program final yr to save cash.’”
Rascoff referred to as the information “the craziest factor” he had ever heard. In his eyes, Match Group, the corporate behind Tinder, Hinge, Match.com, and OkCupid, builds apps for Gen Z. The corporate’s primary demographic viewers is eighteen to 22-year-olds, and even a number of months of younger interns “spreading vibes” and chatting with colleagues can assist the enterprise, he added.
“In fact, we’d like as many of those people round our halls as potential,” he mentioned.
With that in thoughts, Rascoff moved quick to revive Tinder’s summer season “Tindership” program this yr.
As a substitute of rolling out a giant advert marketing campaign, Rascoff simply shared the internship on his LinkedIn and different social channels, and the itemizing went reside on Match Group’s website. The response was rapid and overwhelming: greater than 30,000 individuals utilized for less than 27 spots, giving this system a 0.09% acceptance fee.
Why the internship attracted a lot curiosity
The flood of functions took management without warning. Rascoff mentioned that the frenzy of curiosity confirmed how determined younger individuals are for stable job alternatives. He additionally thinks the demand was supercharged by the pull of the Tinder model and by a broader surge of curiosity in working at consumer-facing corporations.
“It in all probability speaks somewhat bit to the challenges of job searching for amongst early profession individuals, I’m certain,” he mentioned. “However I’d prefer to imagine that it largely speaks to the standard of the corporate that we’re at. I’m so excited.”
This system begins on June 1. The 27 interns will spend the summer season embedded inside Tinder’s engineering, product, design, advertising and marketing and analytics departments till August 28.
Match Group has overhauled the curriculum, teaching and mentorship classes to make the expertise extra structured and substantive. Rascoff additionally plans social extras, like a pickleball day the place interns carry their managers, and a gathering at his dwelling to spark mentorship.
The broader job market reveals that internship postings are falling, particularly over the past couple of years. On Handshake, one of many largest early-career job platforms, internship postings fell greater than 15% between January 2023 and January 2025.
On the identical time, functions surged: As of January 2025, 41% of current graduates had utilized to at the very least one internship on Handshake, up from 34% in 2023.
Key Takeaways
When Match Group CEO Spencer Rascoff took over the courting big final February, he requested in regards to the firm’s internship program — solely to be advised that the earlier CEO canceled it.
This yr, Rascoff determined to carry again Tinder’s summer season internship program — and it was instantly standard.
Greater than 30,000 Gen Z candidates utilized for 27 seats, giving the internship a 0.09% acceptance fee.
Gen Z is going through a tricky job market as corporations reduce employees and entry-level positions disappear. On this panorama, Match Group CEO Spencer Rascoff is taking a special method and doubling down on early-career expertise.
Quickly after Rascoff took over the courting big final February, he began asking about internship packages to offer extra younger employees a approach into the corporate.
“Two or three months after I began, I referred to as my head of HR and mentioned, ‘I’m simply curious in regards to the summer season intern program. When do the interns arrive?’” Rascoff not too long ago advised Fortune. “And he’s like, ‘Oh, no, we will’t. The final CEO canceled the internship program final yr to save cash.’”
