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How to Keep It Low Key at Your Company’s Christmas Party

After working hard all year, you deserve to cut loose and party with all of your coworkers around the holidays, right? Well, not exactly.

Ask around in any company, and you’ll quickly start hearing horror stories of holiday parties past. After hearing a few of these stories, it shouldn’t take long for you to realize that getting completely wasted and dancing on the bar probably isn’t a great career move.

Conversely, you shouldn’t be a ‘stick in the mud’ either. If you do enjoy the occasional adult beverage, it’s perfectly fine to have one or two at the company Christmas party. The trick is being able to maintain that balance between having fun and keeping your professionalism intact.

If you plan on going to your company’s Christmas party this year, below are a few tips and how you can keep it low key and come into work the day after with your head held high.

Show Up

Whether you’ve been employed full-time with the organization for years, you just started, or you’re just a short-term consultant, the annual Christmas party is a great chance to network and form deeper connections with your colleagues.

At the party, you can build goodwill with coworkers or lay the foundation for a move inside the organization, possibly in the coming year. If you’re leaving, you can strengthen network connections for down the road.

Follow the Dress Code

Some companies hold an informal after-hours holiday party at the nearest watering hole, and others go all out – renting a room at a local country club or event space. If your company does the latter, be sure to find out what the expectations are for attire and follow them. You don’t want to show up on a tux if everyone else is wearing jeans and a hoodie.

Eat and Drink, in Moderation

If you’re going to drink, make sure you eat. Also, don’t drink to excess. A holiday party cliché is to have two drinks less than your boss, but a better rule of thumb is to only have two drinks. Drink lots of water and never drive drunk.

If you’re worried about drinking too much, skip the alcohol altogether.

Talk to as Many People as Possible

Holiday parties are the perfect events for networking. Everyone is usually in a good mood, and the conversation flows easy. Also, everyone has a lot in common.

Because of this, you should take the opportunity to go beyond your usual circle of coworkers and talk to people you don’t see on a daily or weekly basis. You never know when a connection made at a holiday party can pay off.

We Can Help You with Your Holiday Job Search

If your holiday plans include looking for a new job, we can help. Our team continues to work hard throughout the holiday season to connect job seekers with great career opportunities. Please contact us today to find out how we can bring you the gift of a new job.

Blog published date

Dec 19, 2019
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