How to Work a Holiday Party

The season’s festivities include opportunities to advance your career
Published: December 20, 2009
By John Challenger

If you get an invitation to a company holiday party, accept it! Holiday parties are not just about celebrating good fortune. They are a way for companies to show employees how much their hard work is appreciated. It is also the time for employees to get involved in their company on a personal level. Those who know how to ‘work the party room’ could seriously boost their career potential.

Holiday parties outside of work also offer opportunities to advance your career or your job search. You learn about jobs by talking to people. In a relaxed social atmosphere you can meet the most important job-search requirement – making yourself liked – and gain valuable rapport with prospective employers. If your spouse has a job where couples are invited to social events, you should always attend. New vistas may open up as a result.

may not be feeling in a party mood if you are unemployed, but you should recognize that accepting invitations is one of the best ways to turn your situation around. Social get-togethers offer you a marvelous chance to make new contacts. You don’t have to ‘talk shop’ at the party, but you can set up appointments in the coming weeks, which will give you a chance to sit down and have a more serious discussion.

 

Companies Lay Off Celebrations

While the economy is beginning to show signs of possible recovery, many companies will remain cautious when it comes to spending. Evidence of this continued frugality is seen in a new survey showing that fewer companies are planning holiday parties this year and, among those that are, nearly one in three is budgeting less for the event.

In its annual survey on holiday parties, global outplacement consultancy Challenger, Gray & Christmas, Inc. found that 62 percent of companies are planning holiday parties this year, down from 77 percent a year ago. In 2007, nine out of ten companies were planning holiday parties. The survey was conducted among approximately 100 human resource executives in a wide variety of industries nationwide.

The strength of the recovery, or whether we are even in recovery, is still unclear. Companies are postponing major investments, hiring initiatives, and many other expenses, including holiday parties. For companies that have recently announced layoffs or other significant cost-cutting measures, such as wage freezes, it would be difficult to justify, let alone get in the mood for a holiday party.

Among companies that are planning holiday parties, the most popular theme is likely to be low profile, low budget. About 64 percent of companies are spending the same as last year and 28.5 percent are spending less – 10 percent to 20 percent less, on average – than they did a year ago.

More than half of the employers holding parties are reportedly having it on a workday or near the end of a workday, while nearly two-thirds are inviting employees only. Fifty-six percent are using a caterer or outside service compared to 69 percent last year.

For employers, there is significant risk associated with hosting such events, especially when they include alcohol. There are also legal risks associated with the increased potential for sexual harassment claims.

Use It, But Don’t Lose It

Although a holiday party could be filled with pitfalls, such as overimbibing or getting a little too flirty, it also offers great opportunities, like socializing with senior executives you might never interact with at the office.

For employees, now is not the time to draw attention to oneself with embarrassing conduct at the holiday party, particularly at a time when everyone’s job is at risk of being downsized. However, employees who simply stand in the corner in an effort to stay off the radar are missing the boat.

Make an effort to break away from your comfort zone and introduce yourself to those who might make a difference in your career.

Source:http://www.jobjournal.com/article_full_text.asp?artid=2846