'Tis the season to be jolly. And after a year of stress, financial pressures and yet more red tape, many pharmacists will, quite reasonably, be looking forward to letting their hair down. And with all your favourite colleagues in one place and the food and booze flowing all night, what better place to do it than at the annual work Christmas party?

The profession seems to agree to at least some extent. With the RPSGB treating its staff to a dinner dance and many contractors arranging events, rewarding employees for their efforts during the past year is certainly on the agenda. But before you don the Santa hats and party clothes, it might be worth pausing for a second to consider how you're going to behave on the big night.

Whatever the setting, any Christmas party is likely to have attendees who are senior to you and whose opinions will count when you're trying to climb the career ladder. As Sheena Webster, head of HR for Alliance Healthcare, cautions: "It's important to think about how you want to be remembered by those you work with and for."

On the positive side, this means the Christmas party can be a great way to boost your networks. If you can introduce yourself to people you might not normally have access to, it could help you make contact with them professionally in the new year. Ms Webster says it's important not to overdo networking in an informal setting like a party, but she recommends: "Introduce yourself to people; if you think that it would be worth speaking more with this person, ask if you could arrange to meet with them at a later date."

As well as making good contacts for your career, Numark training associate Kristina Adams says Christmas parties can be a great way to get to know the people you work with on a day to day basis. "Christmas dos are an opportunity to get to know those people who you never normally have a chance to really chat to - who are they and what do they care about? Finding these things out can make all the difference to the following year," she explains.

And with a difficult year gone by, and perhaps another ahead, boosting morale like this can make all the difference to your job satisfaction. As Paul Gimson, RPSGB director for Wales, says: "I think work colleagues getting together socially is extremely worthwhile as it helps to create a stronger team."

If you're in charge of a small team you can take this one step further by using the party as an opportunity to give your team some extra recognition and reward. Ms Adams says one of her favourite work party memories is of her boss standing up and giving a speech about each person and giving them all a present, too. "Each of them was of no value - but it was something to unwrap and it was representative of the contribution (or notoriety!) of that person," she says.

If all this sounds a bit too much to think about when you're supposed to be partying the night away, then perhaps even more important than being noticed for the right reasons at the Christmas party is just avoiding being noticed for the wrong reasons. Ms Webster points out: "You may not be remembered for being professional at a party, but you will certainly be remembered for being unprofessional."

There are obvious potential pitfalls, but being aware of who you're talking to and trying not to discuss anything controversial are possibly the most important things to do. As Ms Adams says, bad-mouthing your colleagues to your boss or your boss to your colleagues are not good ideas. And being too friendly is also to be avoided.

Ms Adams warns alcohol can cause the biggest problems as it can lead to a loss of inhibitions. She advises: "It may not be the best course of action to get drunk - even [if] someone else is paying!" On this topic the old advice is probably the best. If you don't want to be tee-total, try alternating alcoholic drinks with soft drinks and eat something before you go.

But while it's important to be sensible, remember that you are allowed to have some fun. As Ms Adams concludes: "You are being treated to a party to thank you for all you have done. It will have cost someone a lot of money and effort to organise and they will want you to enjoy and remember it as a great evening."