4 Tips to Confidently Navigate Alcohol at a Networking Event

When I was a young professional, I worked at a firm that loved to celebrate: Someone passed the bar? Let's celebrate! Someone getting married? Let's celebrate! Won a case? Client in town? Nice summer day? Let's celebrate! You get the idea. These celebrations were known as "balcony parties" and they were not only fun but also a great opportunity for staff to mingle with stakeholders in a low-pressure, genuine way. Still, these parties were work functions, and I approached them as such: regardless of how fun and friendly everyone was in the moment, we were at a professional event, and people were paying attention.

This mindset informs the approach that I share today with early-career professionals about managing alcohol at networking events. Here are 4 tips to consider as you navigate your option to drink—or not.

1. Set Your Boundaries

Before you go to the event, decide if you're going to drink alcohol. This simple decision can help you show up confident and ready to build relationships. If you choose not to drink, a simple "no thank you" is all you need to say. You have agency over your choice, even in libation-forward cultures like my old firm. A toast is a good example—raising a non-alcoholic beverage is a common preference these days. But if one isn't available, you can always toast with water.

2. Hold Something

Often, just holding a glass of something you are comfortable drinking (or a small plate of hors d'oeuvres) can help you feel more at ease. As an early-career professional attending a networking event, you're more likely to be asked if you'd like something to drink as a gesture of hospitality than to be questioned about whether your beverage is alcoholic. Choosing a non-alcoholic option still signals that you're part of things.

3. Follow the One-Drink Rule

For those who choose to drink alcohol, consider following the one-drink rule. Choose one alcoholic beverage and sip it slowly throughout the event. Networking events are for building relationships, gaining knowledge, and making new connections. They're also a chance to demonstrate your judgment. Drinking past your comfort zone can quickly shift how others perceive you in a professional setting.

4. Consider the Camera

It's a given that everyone carries a device in their bag or pocket that has damaged more than its share of careers. Keep in mind that an informal after-work gathering can surface on a colleague's socials by morning. The choices you make, including what's in your glass, are part of the impression you leave.

But whatever you choose, the goal is the same: leave the event feeling confident about how you showed up.

Always follow your organization's policies and norms around alcohol at work-related events. When in doubt, ask a trusted manager or HR partner.

Stayce Wagner is a business etiquette consultant with more than a decade of experience positioning early-career professionals for success. She is trained and licensed by The Protocol School of Washington and is the author of a business etiquette guidebook used in academic and professional settings. She's the founder of Spencer Crane Etiquette and believes business etiquette is the foundation that helps early-career professionals show up as their most confident, credible, and authentic selves.

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This content reflects general business etiquette perspectives and is not legal or HR advice.