As a former "vice president of romance" for Dallas-based Match.com, Trish McDermott has seen her fair share of successes and failures in the dating world.

Now vice president of global communications for Engage.com, McDermott is a 16-year veteran of the industry and a sought-after authority on all things romantic. She recently put matchmaking aside to answer a few of our questions.

Q: Before you entered the world of online dating, you were working in the bricks-and-mortar matchmaking industry. What advice would you give to singles looking for a place to meet a significant other beyond the bar scene?

A: The best way to meet singles is to be more social in all aspects of your life. Throw dinner parties; go to sporting events, fairs, concerts and art openings; talk to a lot of people and be friendly and approachable. You should certainly join at least one online dating service, because these services attract singles who hope to meet someone just like you do.

Q: Shared values are an essential part of any successful relationship. How can singles find that?

A: If you're dating online, it's important to pay attention to deal breakers (smoking, whether or not someone has or wants children) and to screen candidates out when they come up. After that, be sure to talk about the things that are genuinely important to you in your profile. Ideally, a potential date will read about your values, goals and beliefs and feel like there is a fit.

Q: How safe is online dating?

A: The first step in dating online is generally secure, as most sites use a "double blind" e-mail process that allows both parties to protect their anonymity. After that, you're essentially on your own using traditional dating sites.

We took security seriously on Engage.com, which is why we added features where friends and people you know can vouch for your character and help reassure potential daters that you are who you say you are. Engage also allows users to rate each other on character traits like kindness and honesty, which tends to keep online daters on the site better behaved.

DATING HAIKU

Your Patek Phillipe
Made me notice your presence
You're a total babe

She's 45, blonde
And will only date young men
Cougar-in-training

WHAT ABOUT THE PHOTO?

Looks are given special emphasis in the online dating world, and not everyone can be a supermodel. But photos taken from far, far away aren't always the answer. "Everyone can improve how they look in a photo, even very attractive people," says McDermott. "First of all, post a flattering shot. Post photos that show you having fun (natural smiles make you a lot more attractive) and doing visually interesting things. In other words, let the photos not only show what you look like, but also what you're like – the things you love to do, etc."