Most expats have had friends or family back home ask them to explain exactly what they use WeChat for—a seemingly straightforward question, but no simple one to answer.
The best way to sum up this omnipotent, all-in-one app in one word? Oxygen—because in China, it's just as essential for daily life.
Image via Apple
The Tencent-owned goliath boasts over 1.3 billion monthly active users worldwide, with roughly 845 million of them in China alone.
The majority of the country uses WeChat to pay utility bills, order taxis, shop online, post vacation photos, advertise businesses, read news, transfer money... you get the point.
In China, you can practically survive with just one app on your phone.
What began as a simple messaging app back in January 2011 has mushroomed into an inescapable green portal—one you're sucked into upon entering China.
Image by Yinmai O'Connor/That's
We bet the last time a friend visited, your first piece of advice was, "Download WeChat!" (That is, if you still manage to talk to anyone who doesn't already have it.)
Can you remember the last time someone in China asked for your phone number? We'd wager your call history is almost entirely comprised of kuàidìs trying to get into your building and impatient Didi drivers warning you of their impending arrival.
These days, most people get more work-related WeChat messages than emails—if you want your employee's attention, you shoot them a WeChat message.
Image via Notboring
Now, WeChat is expanding its remit once again with its 'Nearby Jobs' (附近的工作) mini-program—a digital marketplace for part-time jobs ranging from modeling shoots to plumbing repairs.
As more and more young people find themselves working in the gig economy, the aim of this new feature is to connect flexible job seekers with verified employers across a vast range of occupations.
The mini program's search function allows you to set preferences for proximity and pay rate, as well as navigate by job requirements such as skill, gender, and age.
Translated screen capture of Nearby Jobs. Image via Weibo
The offers listed are from employers and recruitment agencies that have verified their company's qualifications, the legality of the job, and established dispute resolution procedures with local government employment service operators.
After the initial approval by local operators, the job listing is then screened by the human resources department before getting the final verification to go live from Tencent.
To further protect the rights of gig workers, WeChat has implemented a 'Micro Work Card' system, which integrates functions such as electronic signing, real-time location clock-in, attendance management, and insurance.
'Nearby Jobs' was first launched in Jiangmen and is now available in Beijing, Hebei, Jiangxi, Guangdong, and Shenzhen.
However, the mini program currently doesn't list jobs available to foreigners, nor is there an English version.
It also only covers short-term work, though there are plans to expand into skilled freelance roles in fields such as design and programming.
Tencent has stated it will continue to develop and optimize the service to meet broader user needs—so who knows? You might find your next job on WeChat!
Netizens have welcomed the new feature, praising it as a convenient way to job hunt, with many believing it will revitalize the gig economy.
Just when we thought WeChat already did it all, the 'everything app' finds yet another aspect of our lives to infiltrate—so, what's next?
[Cover image by Yinmai O'Connor/That's]
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