NETWORKING HAS NOW EMERGED to become one of the most crucial steps for career advancement. Sure, expertise, skills, and elite degrees do show up in your resume and boost your standing as a potential job candidate. However, such is the state of the current job industry that skills and work experience alone aren't a guarantee that one would land a job. The more powerful, well-connected people you know and the more referrals you have, the better chances you have of advancing your career and landing a good opportunity. Many companies hire by word-of-mouth before ever posting a role online, and a referral from an existing worker makes your resume stand out instantly. Recently, a driver associated with Rapido — a ride-hailing app that primarily operates as a bike taxi aggregator — took career networking one step further when he asked the passenger he dropped off for a job referral. 

Rapido Driver Messages Passenger on WhatsApp, Asks for Job Referral

Sharing his unusual experience on Reddit, the male passenger recalled how a Rapido ride turned into an unexpected job request when the driver who just dropped him off messaged the man on WhatsApp. The driver wasn’t asking for app ratings or trip feedback, instead he provided his resume to the man and asked to be informed about any job vacancies. The driver said he is a recent graduate with a bachelors of technology degree and is a fresher.

The reddit user posted a screenshot of the Rapido driver’s message on the social media forum, which read: “Hello, good morning, sir. I completed B.Tech in April 2024, sir, and I am looking for a job, sir. I am a fresher. If you have any vacancy, please message me, sir.”

The reddit user at first was uncomfortable with the Rapido driver’s message, stating that he has concerns over how safe the bike-taxi app is. Even though the driver asked about a job vacancy and didn’t say anything out of the sorts, the reddit user remarked that it is a “breach of privacy” that any driver has access to a rider’s phone number and can contact them. In an update on his reddit post, the man said he has given the Rapido driver’s resume to his company’s HR department.

See also: Bike taxi driver arrested in Bengaluru for touching woman rider inappropriately

Social Media Reacts to Rapido Driver Asking for Job Referral

The reddit post has ignited a debate on the social media platform. While many users are lauding the Rapido driver’s hustle while looking for a job, some users are agreeing with the redditor who made the post and argue that the Rapido app does have security issues. 

One reddit user urged the passenger to understand the Rapido driver’s situation, and said that the man should consider giving the driver a referral. “Bro you should understand his position that he is so desperate for getting a job. If you can please give him a referral or something. Rapido should implement an uber-like system which shows only the company's number,” the user’s comment read.

See also: Gig Workers Union Holds 5-Hour Shutdown Demanding Minimum Wage Increase to Match Rising Fuel Prices

One user remarked that he likes the Rapido driver’s hustle, commenting: “I like the hustle for sure.”

Another reddit user sympathized with the Rapido driver and asked the man to give him a job referral. “Ek toh bechara itne respectfully puchra..refer krdo yaar (The poor guy is asking so respectfully... just give him a referral, man).

A third reddit user agreed to the point that the man made, about how Rapido app’s mechanism that allows drivers to directly message passengers is a security concern. “Everyone in the comments is missing OP's [original poster] point, yes he should get a job but there should be privacy, how can drivers send messages to the people afterwards, makes it unsafe.”

(Edited by Ritik Singh)

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