Hi! I’m Peter, CEO of Kickresume, and these career-related stories caught my attention this month — and might catch yours too.

Let's take a moment to chat about office Christmas parties. 

They're intended to be festive and fun, but not everyone's feeling it.

At least according to statistics.

Not everyone's cup (of eggnog)

Here are some numbers that shed light on the matter. 

A survey from Business Environment tells us that that 20% of employees view Christmas parties as just another task on their to-do list, and 13.7% would happily skip them altogether. 

68% of respondents are not particularly excited about a holiday party being the chosen gift from management.

In fact, more than two-thirds would rather have some extra cash in their pockets than another round of Secret Santa.

The verdict is clear: Christmas parties don't quite hit the mark for everyone.

Challenges of office Christmas parties

Despite the good intention to spread holiday cheer, corporate Christmas gatherings often fall short of expectations for various reasons.

For starters, nearly 70% of people aren't big fans of being 'socially coerced' into hanging out with colleagues outside the confines of office walls.

It turns out, chit-chatting over canapés with someone you've only exchanged emails with can feel a bit... awkward.

And it's not just the small talk.

About 10% point out the not-so-glamorous side of these events. Think overindulgence in holiday spirits leading to embarrassing dance moves, regrettable conversations, and sometimes, cringe-worthy romantic pursuits.

Adding another layer to this is a study pointing out how racial dynamics play out in diverse workplaces.

It seems these parties might bring some people closer, but only within their own racial groups, not so much across them. This can lead to discomfort among employees in diverse groups, who might attend more for external rewards than social enjoyment.

What makes an office Christmas party enjoyable?

According to research in Nature, a genuine sense of community, a change of scenery (read: not the office), engaging activities, a laid-back atmosphere, and some meaningful traditions are key to a successful holiday bash. 

Simply put, less grandeur and more genuine connections.

Now to you. Reflecting on these insights, how did your 2023 Christmas party measure up?

Wishing you a holiday season filled with just the right amount of merriment and minimal office party awkwardness.

Cheers to all the office party survivors!

Handpicked remote job paying in $$$:
ML/AI Engineer at Figma

Drive fundamental and applied research in ML/AI and explore the boundaries of what is possible with the current technology set.

+ Annual Base Salary Range (SF/NY Hub): $168,000—$350,000
+ Equity to employees
+ Health, dental & vision benefits
+ Generous PTO
+ Company recharge days
+ A work-from-home stipend, and others

Learn more here >

Random piece of career advice that actually works

Who still reads cover letters in 2023, right? 

Sure, writing a cover letter is a bother, especially when you need to tailor it for each job ad. Some job seekers don't even reply to a job ad because they hate writing cover letters.

However, you never know if this time the cover letter won’t be the game changer for scoring your dream job. 

Now, you can generate a tailored cover letter in minutes – thanks to AI.

Try the following set of prompts:

1. Act as a career consultant and experienced writer who can craft compelling resumes and cover letters. I want you to write a cover letter for me based on my resume, job ad, and company profile. Don't start with writing the cover letter until I explicitly tell you to do so. Do you understand the assignment?
   

2. First, I am sharing with you my resume. My resume is as follows:

   [PASTE RESUME CONTENT HERE]

   Based on this resume, you will help me create a tailored cover letter for a job. Before you start crafting the cover letter, I will also share the job ad and company profile with you.
   

3. The job I'm applying for has the following description: 

   [PASTE JOB AD CONTENT HERE]

   Considering my resume shared earlier and this job ad, you will help me create a tailored cover letter for a job. Before you start crafting the cover letter, I will share the final piece of information with you and that is the company profile.
   

4. The company I'm applying to has the following profile:

   [PASTE COMPANY PROFILE CONTENT HERE]

   With this in mind, and considering my resume and the job ad shared earlier, let's proceed to craft the cover letter.

Or just use our AI Cover Letter Writer to help you with the first draft in seconds.

Thanks for sticking with me to the end.

Since no great scroller should go unrewarded, here’s a 20% discount code for Kickresume Premium.

Catch you later!

Peter