It’s that time of year when you can safely pull out that ugly Christmas sweater and not have to worry about wearing it since there will be others like you, who will be wearing one. And, like years past, you and your colleagues have been invited to the company’s annual office Christmas party. And, according to many experts, unless you have a legitimate excuse you had better attend, because not only will your absence be noticed but you could be also limiting your career prospects.

Here are a few common sense tips from Dr. Patty Ann Tublin from an article written for The Huffington Post titled ‘Do’s and Don’ts for the Office Holiday Party’ and in no particular order here are a few of these tips.

Tip Number One

“GO! Don’t even think about blowing this party off. Love em or hate em, it will serve you well to be seen at them. Even if this party is touted as being optional – that doesn’t really mean it is. Your absence may very well be noticed. Worse – it may be prone to misinterpretation (he/she is not a team player, is aloof, is a snob, etc.).

Tip Number Two

It’s not good enough to just show up. Since you’re already there – you might as well make the most of it. This is a great opportunity to network with the movers and shakers of your company (i.e., upper management and executives) whom you would normally not have access to. If you’ve never met them before, make it your business to introduce yourself with a brief introduction and non-work related conversation.

Tip Number Three

Dress Appropriately. The office holiday party is not the time to come slinking in with a way too high mini-skirt or stained T-shirt. Rule of thumb: the venue dictates the dress code. If you are in doubt as to how formal or casual the party will be, ask someone whom you believe will know. Every office has that someone who seems to know this stuff!”

These annual Christmas office parties should be seen as fun event and a chance to celebrate, and get to know your co-workers and boss on a personal level. They are not created so, you can “Party like it’s 1999.” After all, who wants to end up being (well, maybe some people) tagged in photos and videos; Snap Chat, Face Book or YouTube, dancing, while seeming incoherent of their surroundings? It could end up being a painful conversation with HR department days later, perhaps resulting in a permanent leave of absence for the party-goer/s.