About online dating sites and your profile

Online dating sites are becoming more popular all the time. Sites such as match.com and chemistry.com that allows all comers, and then the more specialized sites such as jdate, and seniorpeoplemeet, and loveand seek.

Everyone has less time to date these days, with jobs being more demanding, and commutes taking up more time. Therefore, we turn to the Internet dating sites to meet other like-minded individuals. As a Dating Coach, I repeatedly am asked, "But where can I meet someone? I'm too busy." Well, consider that others are feeling this way too.

If you are going to be on an Internet dating site, your profile, and your profile photo are key. Basically speaking, men are keyed into visuals, and the photo is most important. And women are keyed into words, so the written profile matters a lot.

There are certain things to keep in mind when writing a profile. First of all, let me recommend that you get a coach to help you write it. Yes, it's that complicated.

As a Dating Coach, I've perused thousands of profiles, and more than that, I've heard from hundreds of clients about what works and what doesn't.

Here are a few of the basics.

While you should feel free to show who you are, good grammar and spelling still count. Women, particularly, are turned off by poorly written profiles. This includes words that are misspelled, grammatical errors such as run-on sentences, and sentences where Every Word is Capitalized.

While you don't want to sound too stilted, you do want to sound like someone well enough educated to string together some correct sentences.

That having been said, we will all forgive the odd spelling and grammar mistake, and the obvious typo, if what the person says is engaging.

Most of all, we want to get a feel for what the person is like, to see if it's worth taking that next step and contacting them. We want to know what "compatibility" means to them -- and trust me, for each person it is different. While one man wants a hard-driving career woman for a partner, another man wants the traditional wife to stay home and keep his house for him while he works and is the sole provider. While one woman wants a serious engineer for a spouse, another thinks only a marketing person, or sales person is exciting and versatile enough. Don't be afraid to show who you are, and, just as importantly, to say what you are looking for.

Here are portions of some profiles that have gotten good reviews. Some I wrote for clients, and come they wrote themselves. See what you think, and feel free to share you thoughts. I also include many examples on my facebook site. Please invite me to be your friend on facebook.

EXAMPLES OF GOOD PROFILES:

45 y.o. m: Hi, Have you ever been so excited about something you couldnt contain yourself, so excited that you wanted to scream YEEEEAAAAHHH ... that is how excited I want to be about you!!!!.... I love all music from Metallica to The Cleaveland Symphony Orchestra, I walk/run 4 miles a dayl...I give a 100% and I want the same from you.. I believe in chemistry and I know what I like, You probably do too

‎21 y.o. male: Generally, I’ve always been a guy about breaking barriers and jumping out of my comfort zone and I’m looking for someone who’s likes to do the same. Staying positive is key: I love to be with people who can see the glass as half full, and extra points for a great smile, especially when dealing with my sarcasm! I love being around people and enjoy every chance to meet someone new,

21 y.o. female: I just moved to Maryland from Florida after graduating with my bachelors degree in Psychology. I hope to continue on to graduate school sometime soon but right now I'm concentrating on working. I find it a bit hard to describe myself, because honestly I'm a little bit of everything. That probably comes from living in a lot of different places because I'm an Air Force brat.

60 y.o. male: Four days a week, I am a practicing attorney and mediator, specializing in family law, who also manages real estate which I have acquired in the Historic District of Annapolis. In my spare time (which I hope to expand), I love taking trips to places near and far--including a lake house I own in New Hampshire. I also enjoy digital photography

50 y.o. male: My family comes first and is "everything to me". I would love to find that special someone who shares my view of the cosmos and with whom I can communicate in every way. That person would enjoy spending time with me and sharing all the wonderful things that life has to offer while, at the same time, retaining her own identity and not feeling compelled to abdicate

49 y.o. male: Anything in the mountains or by the water is enjoyable. I travel the globe as a function necessary for my chosen career and to name any one place would be difficult. I do enjoy Italy and Ireland but always enjoy coming home to refuel. I enjoy music from the fifties and sixties, big band sounds, the occasional opera. TV is reduced to Learning and Discovery Channels and football playoffs...

66 y.o. female: I don't say "friends first," because "friends" is something else. I need a man in my life who will txt or call me in the day to tell me what just happened at work, and check and see if I'm safe on the road, who loves life as I do, and loves to be in love. Someone I can't wait to see at the end of the day, can't wait to wake up to in the morning, & who feels the same way about me.

43 y.o. female: I admire and respect people who do good when no one is watching, who believe in paying it forward, who create happiness around them, have the courage to risk failure and rejection, and do not see the world as black or white. I enjoy creating a warm and happy home life for my man. I believe that life is about those small moments of magic....

If you'd like help writing a profile that works, email me at sdunn@susandunn.cc . I offer dating coach to help you get out of the dating world and into the relationship you've longed for.