Dating Tips and Advice | Dating Blog

It’s office party time again and no doubt there will be the usual embarrassed faces the following day.

There is always the old ‘has been’ that gets plastered and thinks he is casanova and all the 20 year old secretaries are dying for some of what he has got or the female vamp that thinks she can use her authority to get the young men to ‘pay her some attention’ under the mistleoe.

I doubt it is normal for you to get roaring drunk and dance to “I’m too sexy” whilst stripping off to your undies on a monday morning in the office, so why would you do it at the office party? The office party is an extension of your workplace, your colleagues and employers are not your mates out to paint the town red, so retain your dignity and follow these tips to ensure you remain employed after the holiday season is over.

1. What to Wear

It is a great time to show a more relaxed, attractive side to yourself rather than the boring grey suit or white blouse and pencil skirt but don’t go too far, the boob tube and ultra mini skirt are not appropriate. Too much cleavage, thigh or the rude t-shirt you bought on holiday is not going to impress the boss and may well damage your reputation at work. Wear party clothes that allow you to look elegant and attractive without looking like the office bike.

2. Timing is Everything

Ensure you arrive on time and don’t stay too long. If you are in the festive mood then arrange to meet your friends after the party is over, where you can let your hair down and be as silly as you like. Remember your new mantra ‘the office party is still the office’ so make sure you stay until after the boss has left, they will usually make a quick exit knowing the employees want to have fun.

3. Alternate Drinks

Getting roaring drunk and trying to touch up Tracey from personnel or telling the boss he is a fat, bald useless twat may seem like a good idea at the time but is always a very bad idea at the office party. Alternate your drinks between something alcoholic and something soft to stay relatively sober and avoid such undignified behaviour. If you start to feel you are getting drunk switch to soft drinks and stay away from members of the opposite sex (especially the bosses wife).

4. Not a First Date

You have fancied someone in the office rotten for ages so surely the office party is the perfect place to make your move … right? Wrong, oh so wrong. First consider the pro’s and con’s of dating a work colleague before you consider making any advances. Yes it is a good place to get to know them and let them know of your intentions, perhaps even manage to arrange a first date but it is not in itself a date. Don’t spend all night following each other around like love sick puppies or ignore your other colleagues, just swap numbers or arrange a date and then spend the night doing the ‘eyes across a crowded room’ thing. Always remember that anyone you approach is also someone that you have to see again in the office so rejection may lead to embarrassment for both of you, make sure you can read ‘yes I am interested’ signals before asking out a work colleague.

5. Bringing a Date

Only consider bringing a date if it stated that the party is for employees and their partners. Don’t bring someone you met last week that you can’t keep your hands off or heaven forbid use it as a first date venue for someone you have not been out with before. You want to be professional in your work so don’t ruin things by spending the Christmas party with your tongue down someone’s throat.

6. Have Fun

It is possible to have fun without getting drunk and throwing up in the waste paper basket … no honestly it is. Join in the festivities, get up and have a dance or sing-song and show them there is more to you than they have thus far seen (more personality not more flesh). Enjoy the party but remember that you have to see these people again on Monday morning so being caught with Sharon from packing having a knee trembler in the loo is perhaps not going to seem like such a good idea when you are sober (especially if you are Sharon from packing).