Don’t get caught at the photocopier machine!

Holiday office parties by nature, carry much more pressure than normal parties. For some, it can even be more stressful than a regular work-day! This December, be careful to  ensure that you adopt an “office party” personality, rather than let that party vixen in you out loose for your boss to see.

Still, I wonder what’s so bad about loosening up, just a teeny bit on that one measly night in front of your colleagues. You see, I’ve been a student all my life and never once have I been to an office party but yet I’ve read and heard scores of  work-party related stories gone horribly wrong – to the point of even affecting one’s career advancement!

Surely, somebody should not be judged based on that single time he accidentally smacked his boss’s ass (while under the influence of liquor, free flow, provided by the boss himself)! Apparently, an impeccable track record that take months and years for you to build up in the office, can be easily tarnished at office parties itself. How ironic.

Anyway, here’s a story to tickle you about how Jessica (click here to read in full) tried to fit in and made a complete fool out of herself at an office party.

A few jobs ago, I was trying to ingratiate myself with my newish coworkers during the holiday fete. I didn’t really fit in and I didn’t know anyone particularly well, so I kept trying to join conversations that were already going on. I entered one such convo in media res, and the subject was Wicca. Boorishly, I heard “Wicca” mentioned and blurted out, “Oh my God, do you know any Wiccans? I thought they were all 13-year-old goths.” To which one of the conversants responded: “Yes, my wife is Wiccan.” Rut roh! I violated one of the major rules of polite workplace relations, which is avoid topics like religion and politics.

I suppose that further reiterated the fact that advice from the more experienced should be heeded as far as possible. Here’s what I’ve gathered so far; exercise complete self  control and behave with decoram at ALL times, especially when attending ANY work-related function. An office party is really simply a test, in the sneakiest of disguise. Everybody will be judging you, from the moment you step in and “party”.

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