Crack open a cold one with your coworkers. Social drinking may help you gain a leg up in the workplace, finds a recent study from New Zealand.
Researchers interviewed young employees and found that many view booze as an important relationship-building and career-advancing tool. “Alcohol has such a central place in our society that people can feel excluded if they aren’t part of it,” says lead study author Benjamin Walker.
However, there’s a fine line between having celebratory drinks with your colleagues and being the guy wearing a lampshade at your office Christmas party. Here’s how to tip a few back with your boss while climbing the corporate ladder:
Order smart
The big guy will probably pay, so let him order first, advises Charlie Whitfield, brand ambassador for The Macallan. As a stalling tactic, ask for a drinks menu and scan it until he decides. Then order a similarly priced drink.
Hold your drink in your left hand
The only thing worse than a weak handshake is a clammy one. If you’re networking, holding your drink in your left hand will leave your right one free for introductions and handing out business cards, says career coach Debra Benton.
Survive the rounds
Feel the urge to overshare? Stop or dramatically slow down your intake, Whitfield says. Remember: Your goal is to have the boss relaxed, not to have yourself relaxed around the boss.
Don’t say “cheese”
Avoid being photographed with booze, Benton says. Even though company culture may be lax at your current job, you don’t know where you’ll end up in the future. Tagged Facebook photos of you holding a drink may harm your case in the future, she says.
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