As published in the Winnipeg Sun. Ever since 9/11, the trend has been for companies and organizations to tone down their holiday celebrations for the Christmas season. Yet, this year, the number of invitations I’ve received so far seems to indicate that people are back into a celebratory mood. The recession is over, the job market has stabilized and the H1N1 pandemic didn’t hit as hard as was predicted. Perhaps people are reacting with a sigh of relief. Whatever the reason, there seems to be a lot of invitations out there and a lot of opportunity to attend special events.

For job seekers, especially those at a senior management level, networking during the holiday season is a great career strategy. These events allow you to find out more job market information in a short period of time than it would take through regular communication channels. Instead of three months of lunches and exploring what opportunities are out there, you’ll be able to quickly scan the environment through talking with the various people who attend these celebratory events. And this is only one of several benefits of attending.

Another benefit is that attending a celebratory event enables you to facilitate introductions to people that you might not necessarily meet in other circumstances. Typically, when meeting new people in a non-work environment, conversation will be casual and pleasant and people are usually more willing to talk about themselves, their careers and their work environments. It is also your chance to make a positive impression on many people at the same time.

Speaking of making a positive impression, attendees must keep in mind that no matter what, these events are all “business”. In other words, pay good attention to social etiquette because, in reality, you are on display for all to see. The following tips will help you to successfully apply your career strategy at each event:

Put a smile on your face – it is important to stay upbeat. A positive personal attitude and happy body language will attract people to you. People will want to talk to and learn more about you. So, put that smile on your face and get out into the crowd.

Take the initiative – a lot of people have a problem with introducing themselves to strangers. Therefore, you make the first move! Approach someone who may be standing alone and introduce yourself. Start by asking what interested them in attending and go from there.  Share your friends by introducing them to other individuals.

Be a good listener – believe it or not, more success will come from listening than from talking. People like to talk about themselves, their work, their families and/or their winter holiday plans. Show interest in what is being said but avoid debate on issues such as politics and religion. Bite your tongue and keep any negative comments to yourself.

Avoid grandstanding – people will also be interested in you and what you do. Avoid overtly bragging about yourself and be careful not to monopolize the conversation. Remember to keep your comments positive.

Work the room – celebratory events are an opportunity to develop new network relationships. Take time to look around the room and search out any attendees that you want to meet. Either reach out to them and introduce yourself and/or ask an attendee to facilitate an introduction. Spent about ten minutes with the individual, ask for a business card and permission to contact them in the future and move on.

Your business card is a parting gift – while most events are quite busy and you want to make the best of your time to meet and greet as many people as you can, it is considered rude to quickly flash your business card as part of an introduction. It is much more courteous to offer your business card as the parting gift especially when you have developed some sense of communication interest between the parties.

Celebratory social events, especially during the Christmas holiday season, are excellent career opportunities to become a known entity and make an impression to advance your career. There seems to be a lot of social activity this year, so take advantage of these events whenever you can.