How To Create An Online Dating Profile That Works

By Sarah Stefanson
[Personals]
Online dating sites are a great place to meet new people.  Sarah Stefanson tells you how to represent the best version of yourself.
Have you thought about joining an online dating site, but have no idea where to begin?  Maybe you already have a profile up, but it’s not getting the kind of attention you want.  Think of your profile like a resume.  You would want to walk into an interview with a carefully constructed list of all of the experience and skills that make you a great employee.  The same should be done for your online profile.  You want to give people an idea of all the things that make you a fabulous and unique person, so that they’ll want to learn more!

Basic Information

This is the part where the site asks for your name, birth date, location, education, work information and perhaps your religious or political views.  Be truthful here.  There’s no point listing your age at 29 if you’re actually 35.  This will come up eventually in any relationship you form online and you’ll end up looking silly.  It’s okay to use a screen name instead of your real name for safety’s sake, but you should share your real name with someone once you make a connection.  Avoid being too specific about your education or work information.  Listing your occupation is okay, but don’t include your company name or address.  If your religious or political views are not an important part of your life and personality, feel free to leave this blank.

Contact

If the site asks for your full address and/or telephone number, make sure to find out for sure whether this information will be shared on the site or kept private for the use of the site’s owners.  You should never be required to give your contact information; it’s generally up to you to decide.  Even if you have the choice to list this info on your public profile, I would seriously advise against it.  There are plenty of creepy people online and you don’t need to make it easier for them to stalk you in real life.
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