You never know what can happen at holiday parties, who's going to attend, who works for what company, and what the employment scoop may be, so buck up. It could be a gift waiting to be opened by you, and that gift could be a job.

The Don'ts: Don't over indulge. No whining about your current jobless situation. It's a turnoff. No begging either. Oliver Twist's "more food please" doesn't work when job hunting.

What works? Listening. Listen for opportunities, problems, or situations in a guest's conversation. It could be a golden opportunity for you. One of my clients, an electrical engineer, was visiting a friend during Thanksgiving. My client's friend, who was just hired at a software company, invited him for a tour. Next thing my client knew, he met the owners during the tour and was interviewing for a job the day after Thanksgiving! The interviewers had time to spend with my client because of the standard holiday shut down. He landed the job. Good thing he went to that holiday party. You could be next.