Ideally, there are two things you want out of a first date: 1. To gather a few facts about the other person, which you can later ponder to your heart’s content, and 2. To keep the conversation flowing with minimal (preferably no) awkward silences. How do I achieve both of these things simultaneously, you ask? With a series of well planned and thought out questions of course! Here’s 5 things you simply must ask about on a first date…

What they do for a living
An obvious question, but a valuable one. Dig a little deeper past their job title and finding out what someone does for a living gives you an insight into their interests, their passions (or rather, non-passions if they hate their job), their financial stability and whether they are a super-career-focused, live-to-work type of person, or someone who simply prefers to work to live.

What stage of life they’re at
You probably already know from their profile that they’re “looking for that someone special,” but are they looking for the same “someone special to relocate to the country, have a fairytale wedding and 3 children with” as you? Best not to directly ask them that, but the answers they give to more subtle questions about how long they’ve been single for and if they already have any children, will give you a pretty good indication about whether you’re on the same page.

Their family
To know someone, it helps to know where they came from. Asking thoughtful questions about siblings and parents will not only give good indicators of compatibility but you’ll know pretty quickly if they’re from a huge close-knit family, all of whom you’re going to have to meet!

Their favourite place to visit
Asking if they have a favourite holiday destination or country that they’re passionate about can not only create a good talking point if you’ve both been there but you’ll also discover how adventurous and open to new things they are. If you’re the stay at home type, and they spent their 20th birthday climbing the Himalayas, it’s probably not going to work.

If you can see them again
Of course, if you like what you’ve found out up to this point, your final question has to be, “would you like to do this again sometime?” Don’t add too much pressure by throwing a time or event in, but letting them know that you’ve enjoyed their company and you’ll drop them a text sometime should be enough to seal the deal… unless of course, they don’t feel the same way and then it’s back to the website for you my friend.

Until next time,

The Just Singles Team.

About the author…

Emma is a Marketing Engagement Executive. She went to Bournemouth Arts University and has a degree in Fashion Studies. She has a love for vintage markets and enjoys nothing more than a weekend at a muddy music festival.