What to Write About Your Job on Your Profile

Wednesday, October 17th, 2012
A red combine harvester next to bails of hay


If you gather together a group of people who don’t know each, you can almost guarantee that it’ll be less than five minutes before the conversation turns to what people do for a living (assuming you’re not all at an industry event). So it’s only fair to assume that when someone is looking at your dating profile they will want to know what your occupation is. So here are a few things to consider when writing about your job:

Be honest about your job

If you’re currently working odd jobs to make ends meet after being made redundant, or are looking for your first job after education, don’t be ashamed to talk about your situation. Tell people about what you’re doing now and what your dream job would be, if they aren’t the same thing.

For example, “I’m currently doing admin work for a local business to pay the rent, but I have always wanted to work with horses. I help out at my local riding school at the weekend and I plan to run my own equestrian business once I’ve built up enough experience. ”

Challenge the stereotypes

Stereotypes exist about certain jobs, but they can be broken with some carefully chosen words. For example, “As an accountant for a famous car company I get to travel the world and I been given corporate tickets for lots of big events, like the Grand Prix, so I’m not stuck in an office all the time.”

Say what you love and hate about your job

Try to create a balance of what you do and don’t like about your job, e.g. “I work on the family farm and love being out in the countryside.  I really enjoy getting stuck in with everything around the farm, particularly around harvest time as I’m not one for standing still for too long.  I couldn’t imagine being stuck in an office all day; it’s bad enough having to help with the paperwork on the farm”.

Remember it is not your CV

Be positive about your job and your achievements, but your online dating profile isn’t LinkedIn, so there’s no need to list facts and figures about your job. Think more “I’m really pleased to be in my dream job so soon after leaving university”, than “I have hit my targets for four quarters in a row”.

Do you travel for work?

Whether you travel for work or not may be important to a future partner. Some people are keen to meet people who have experienced new cultures with their work, whereas others may be keen to date someone who won’t be called away on business.

As with all aspects of filling in your profile, it is a good idea to fill in as much as possible, without writing so much that your reader loses interest.