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Partying Advice
Don't talk shop or sell yourself at the office party. Don't spend more than 10 minutes chatting with anyone. And please, don't drink beer from a bottle.
That's some advice from Cynthia Lett, who runs Lett Group in Silver Spring and teaches etiquette to professionals and executives.
Workers sometimes think of the holiday party as a social event, but it's more an extension of the office with fun thrown in. So skip the sexy club clothes and wear something more appropriate for a meeting.
Most conversations should last three or four minutes -- 10 if you really hit it off. "You've got to keep it on happy talk," Lett said, perhaps by focusing on music, movies, community activities or Web sites. More of her advice:
- Don't stuff yourself at the buffet or overindulge in drinks.
- Introduce yourself to higher-ups with first and last name and your department or the project you're working on.
- Meet many people. "It's a networking opportunity, one of the best if they use it correctly."
Remember: Bosses are watching for people with social skills and confidence.
-- Vickie Elmer
