When to Include (& What to Leave Out) in Your Dating Profile

When to Include (& What to Leave Out) in Your Dating Profile


Posted by Alex Johnson for BounceBack.com

With summer coming to an end many people will be putting away the volleyball nets, saying goodbye to the beach and ending those fleeting summer romances. In exchange for that goodbye to the season they might also be saying hello to the dating scene. Most will be putting themselves back on the market which also means they will need to dust off their online dating profiles or create a brand new one.

Before we all boot up our online dating profiles with pictures of us looking amazing, let's first go over a few Do's and Don'ts to making ours unique and stand out above the rest!

The Do's -

1. Hobbies - When writing your profile be sure to include your hobbies, whether that be the sports you are into, the movies you attend or the concerts you go to. This will help build that common ground between each other when you do meet. You will at least have something to talk about in the beginning.

Related: Be Yourself Online (To Thy Own Self Be True)

2. What You Are Looking For - This can be tricky but try and be a specific as possible of what kind of person you are looking for. I am not talking about putting down that you want someone that makes a million dollars a year, has a penthouse apartment and four BMW's sitting in the driveway. I am talking about your "ideal" person. Talk about the type of personality that you are attracted to, the age range in which you are willing to date someone and a few moral/values that you want someone to possess.

3. Fun Fact - Include one or two fun facts about yourself. Not the typical, "I like long walks on along the beach." Something unique, like, "I was my senior class president." Or "I can't start my day without a big cup of coffee." Make it fun and light hearted something that will grab someone's attention.

The Don'ts -

1. The Past - Try not to give away too much about your past on your profile. In this case, less is definitely more. There is no need to put on there that you have suffered a bad break-up, that you had bad acne as a teenager or even that you have been divorced. Leave these topics for the third or fourth date for that will also give you a chance to learn about the other person and you might even have similar backgrounds or experiences.

2. Criminal Records - This one is probably self explanatory but it should be mentioned that if you have ever been arrested, even if it was for shop lifting a piece of gum from your local deli. Don't mention your criminal history until you have secured a date with a live person.

3. Cats - I don't want to offend anyone who has a cat and loves cats. I actually like cats myself. But let's face it, cats have a bad rap and they are usually associated with lonely or sad people that don't have any relationships or social skills. I would not mention that you have a cat until the first date but do not talk about the cat(s) as if it is a person on this date. You have a cat(s). Period. If you write about your cat(s) on your profile, it will give the impression that the cat(s) you have is your longest relationship and that you are not interested in human contact.

Related: Stop Stumbling on Your Words on the Web

With online dating being as common as owning a tooth brush, the best thing to do when creating or updating your profile is to put your best energy forward. Let the words and pictures showcase the best version of yourself. The most important thing to know when going into the online dating arena; is to go in there with a positive attitude and keep the expectations low and maybe...just maybe. You will get what you are looking for!

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Alex Johnson is a freelance writer and is currently living in New York City. Follow his blog about love, dating and all in between at:
www.updatenyc.net