PowerPoint Dating
August 20, 2008 
16 Comments
How many of you are just so sick and tired of resume-exchanging dates? You know: you meet someone, you go out to dinner, and you spend the whole night just basically exchanging resumes?
“Well, from 2001 to 2003, I dated and lived with Mary Thompson. In 2004, I was depressed from the breakup so I didn’t really date anybody. In 2005, I got back into the dating world, and I dated the following six women… In 2006, I had a mini-relationship with Ann Johnson.”
It’s almost like listing your entire resume! You tell the same stories over and over again and you feel like a broken record.
The next time you go out on a date, why not bring a PowerPoint presentation and a tape recorder? Then all you have to do is press play! Put up the slideshow and she can see your childhood, where you went to college, what you looked like when you were younger, and photos of your first girlfriend.
Just bring a PowerPoint! You can show a photo of the shrink you saw in 1999 and explain that this was your “confused year.” When she asks about your job history, you can go to that section of the PowerPoint and show her some of the companies you’ve worked for.
Really, dates are incredibly monotonous. I don’t believe in dates. I believe in hanging out. I have to take my dog for a walk – why don’t we go together? I’ll even bring the plastic bag and clean up after Daphne!
Resume exchange dates and even PowerPoint presentation dates are not very fun. There is nothing interesting about them.
So the next time you want to do a PowerPoint presentation date, why don’t you think outside the box? Why don’t you do some of the dates that we’ve talked about over and over again on the blog? There are so many fun and different dates.
Let’s abandon the PowerPoint presentation and resume dates. Let’s start thinking and having fun and interesting dates.
You’re going to thank me because you’ll be out on a date this week, having dinner with someone and once the date gets a little boring, you’ll think to yourself, man, David was so right! I wish I’d brought my tape recorder to take over for me! I don’t want to be here!
And the tape recorder can do it. You could even just have two tape recorders talking to each other!
Todays video is all about how to meet people in the park. Summer is almost over and the time to meet is now!
I don’t think I ever even had a “resume-exchange” date. Then again, my own dating life has been a bit unorthodox considering how young I was when I began getting involved in the “community.” Thus, one of the first things I was taught not to do was take a girl out to a typical dinner date and tell her boring facts about my life in an unrelatable manner. Whenever my friends tell me that they just met a girl, the next day took her out to $79 dinner at red lobster, told her all about their lives and how much they like her, and now can’t figure out why she’s calling back… I just laugh
*Correction* There’s absolutely nothing wrong with telling her about your life… just do it in either a way that she can easily relate to or at least be somewhat interesting.
i am really sorry if i offend you now, david.. but why do you say you don’t believe in dates, when you’re site is filled with “dating products”?
i am asking in the most non offensive way such a thing can be said!
anyhow, i do agree but it has to go both ways.. ask the right questions and you might get some interesting conversation going..
i haven’t experienced a resume – exchange date yet.. probably because i’ve done more “relationship” than “dating”.. i feel though as one should share experiences more than just simple facts, as it reveals a lot more about who you are as a person
like just now, if i share this on a “date” it might say a whole lot about me to the other person
I’m a female fan of your articles and blogs, David, and have been reading them for a while. I realized that all my “relationships” have been “hook-up relationships” not real dating relationships since living in LA. I’m not sure I agree with the ‘hanging out’ dating advice. It’s great to hang out, but so many guys are wishy-washy on dating, and what the relationship is, esp. LA– I’m from the midwest, and this place seems to have its own rules… but encouraging guys not to date doesn’t seem to help us girls who are confused enough with lax/lazy dating guys as it is!
CR
THis was humor and i was never telling guys not to date.
In previous blogs i had lists of fun dates that people can go on.
I live in LA and i have fun on my dates. Went to the beach last night and the other night went to look at houses.
Its thinking outside the box.
Arent you sick of listing your resume across the table from someone?
oh my god, i’m so gonna bring my raptop next time i’m going on an interview date. and maybe i’ll even have like a jeopardy session towards the end of the date!
Ya, I agree the best dates don’t have the premise of “SHIT, we’re on a date!!!” The best mini date I went on this summer was on a cruise ship, and we just basically explored the cruise ship together, went to random room parties, bars, and our own little adventure. It was focused on fun more than an actual date with all the pressure involved.
My resume has in the final line “References provided upon request”:-)
I can see if you are with a girl who has been in a dating groove for awhile a dinner date is not going to impress her and be very routine. I think it is a great idea to do a combination of the two. Like Dave and Busters. Great food and atmosphere for stimulating conversation and play some of the games together afterwards for some fun and flirting.
I rarely get approached in LA, let alone asked on dates out here in LA…. this place is weird for dating. I have a lot of single, attractive girlfriends who feel the same way… guys don’t approach out here like they do in the midwest or east coast.
Cr
Let me ask you a question.
Are you open and approachable?
A lot of women complain that men do not approach but are not aware of what signals they are giving off.
Do you smile at men you are attracted to?
Do you look over and make eye contact?
What about your body language is it open or closed?
I have found that most women do not make themselves approach friendly due to the way they think.
They go out and think men do not approach so what they think about they bring about!
Let me know
CR –
Guys approach in the midwest? I must live in a different part than where you were living …
I actually really like this idea of the “casual” type dates — dates where you’re doing stuff (like walking on the beach, going to a store, running errands, going to a museum) because it makes it so comfortable to develop conversation without having to do a “resume exchange…”
Hey guys…I haven’t commented on a blog for a while, but I’ve been on some fantastic dates lately so I feel like I have to share — I also have a question for David about how to get beyond the resume-date.
First, my great dates. I live in a town that actually plans great stuff for the community to do and I have to go to a loto fo these events because I am an entertainment repoter — so I’ve been bringing fellas with me on my dates. Big-band music in the park, plays that I have to review, eating and assessing food at the county fair, concerts at the Buffalo Chip, listening to CDs I have to review, belly-dancing classes and visiting the new hookah bar.
That sort of stuff. It has been great and I realized that it’s stuff that anyone can do — you just have to read the newspaper to see what’s been going on. Almost every local paper has a section that lists events — do what David says and skip the dinner and a movie. We’ve also done stuff like go to the local book store, pick out magazines to read and sit and read them and then dicuss what we read — or driven around in the country.
Okay, now my question, David. How do I move beyond the resume-talk. Just because something fun is going on doesn’t mean that the conversation automatically goes beyond where I work, what I do and all that stuff. I know everyone has a deeper level that they operate on — their feelings, ideas, etc — but with some people it is virtually impossible to get to that level. Any advice?
I’m all for any kind of fun date. I actually prefer activity dates or low key events to an awkward dinner; maybe I misinterpreted the blog for “hanging out” making it a blurry distinction from actually being on a “date”. Relationship boundaries are just confusing nowadays if you’re ‘hanging out’ but then you’re physically a bit more than friends, but it wasn’t a date b/c you were just hanging out, etc. That’s what I meant.
Thanks for the advice, David. I’ll have to pay more attention, and maybe what I think is approachable isn’t coming across that way. And if I’m creating my experience w/ my thoughts I’ll definitely work on changing that. I really do love the advice you give on your site, and hope all the guys will take it to heart; your stuff is good!
Well, I’ve never been one of those women who expect men to pay for everything, but I know that etiquette dictates that men usually pay on a first date — so this whole “when’s the check coming and who’s going to reach for it” dynamic on a first date dinner always stresses me out!
So the idea that you can have a fun and romantic first date that has that element removed is awesome David!
Activity dates are always more fun.
If your date is boring, at least you still can have fun together doing whatever activity you have planned.
As far as dinner dates, I never make dinner AS THE date. I make hanging out, going to an event, doing an activity the date… and if I like the other person enough, we might continue into coffee or dinner.
It’s so much better that way.
For CJ,
To go to a deeper level of connection, ask the right questions. You can go beyond the “what do you do” conversations by first answering those questions yourself in more interesting ways. Lead by example.
Also, by asking the right questions, I mean… ask for people’s motivations and feelings on what they do in life. If you keep digging deeper, you’ll find what you’re looking for.
And if you really can’t go that deep with a person, maybe you should let that person go. Sometimes you just don’t have chemistry.