Generation Z Stopped Talking to Strangers. We'll Pay You to Start Again. RiseGuide is Hiring a Global Charisma Scout.

We surveyed 2,000 Gen Zers and millennials, and the results are a catastrophe in disguise. 86% say they’ll engage in small talk, but only 34% will start the conversation themselves. One in seven wouldn’t ask a stranger for help even if they were lost without a phone. We built the most connected technology in history and used it to stop making eye contact.

Gen-Z is so anxious that they are now turning to online friendship ads to meet new people. Striking up a conversation at a bar or club? Not that common anymore — primarily because it's too scary for many to attempt.

The bill comes due, too. 78% told us poor communication has cost them money or opportunities — a job they didn’t get, a raise they didn’t ask for. The skill is atrophying, and the people losing it are paying for it. We came up with a hypothesis: what if the social skills atrophy faster in some places than others? Walk through Rome – and strangers argue about football and pasta like family. Walk through some other cities – and you’d think eye contact was a crime. As far as we know, nobody has measured this yet – so we decided to attempt a social experiment.

We’re hiring a Global Charisma Scout.

RiseGuide is hiring its first Global Charisma Scout. The job: spend eight weeks travelling across eight European cities and rank based on criteria provided by our team. You’ll be paid to talk to strangers in the most social cities on the continent. Your data becomes a published ranking of where it’s easiest to strike up a conversation.

What the job actually is:

• Eight cities in eight weeks. One a week. Keep up.
• Talk to strangers everywhere — bars, dinners, queues, parks.
• Log every conversation. Score each city on warmth, talkativeness, ease of approach.
• Document it - with people’s permission, of course. Photos, videos, café napkins and movie night tickets – get creative!
• Help us build the final research piece: The European Charisma Index.

The requirements are short: you’re energetic, outgoing, independent, and love people. You can travel in the EU. You can live out of a suitcase for two months. No degree, no résumé. Charisma isn’t a natural gift — it’s a skill you can build. Traditional job filters select for conformity, and conformity is the opposite of what this role needs.

The offer.

$3,000/month compensation. Flights, hotels, experiences — covered by us. You see eight of the best cities on Earth, meet hundreds of people, and your summer becomes a story we publish across major travel, lifestyle and dating media.

We know this job sounds like a dream. But is it a dream you’re willing to get out of your comfort zone to experience? Our data says 10% of people would rather pay $1,000 out of their pocket than speak in public. We’re offering you a chance to prove that data wrong.

How to apply

Click on the job posting below and read it thoroughly. If you think yourself to be exactly the kind of person we’re looking for – send us a personal introduction video and links to your social media profiles.

At RiseGuide, we believe charisma is not something people are simply born with — it’s a skill built through curiosity, courage, and connection.

If this sounds like your kind of adventure, we’d love to meet you.

Apply now.