How to Handle Your Office Holiday Party

For Northeastern collegiettes™ on co-op, the holidays can be an exciting time: shopping, going home to see family and attending the first office holiday party. Even though it’s probably your last week of work, you still don’t want to leave on a bad note. So here’s what to do (and more importantly, what not to do) so you can rock your first grown-up holiday party.

DO – Use the party as a chance to network with people from the company that you may not see on a day-to-day basis.

DON’T– Make out with that hot guy from HR, even if he’s only a few years older than you and you’ve been making eyes at each other all night and this will be your last chance to see him. Just don’t do it.

DO – Act professional. A holiday party is a chance to let your hair down, but not too much.

DON’T – Gossip. You can tell your friends about the antics after the party, but you don’t want your boss to overhear you talking about how ugly her outfit is.

DO – Know the dress code. Ask around beforehand to find out if it’s casual, dressy, or if you should wear what you usually do to the office.

DON’T – Wear this.

Or this. Save that for the club.

DO – Know your limits when it comes to drinking. Just because it’s an open bar and the bartender is making really good drinks and you’re used to drinking only warm beer at a small, cramped apartment party, there’s no excuse to overdo it.

DON’T – Drink at all if you’re under 21. Even if you have a fake ID or you think your boss won’t care.

And one extra don’t:
DON’T – Do anything Michael Scott would do on a Christmas episode of The Office.