‘Tis the season of the holiday party, that sitcom land of egg nog, tipsy coworkers, and family stress. It’s also a time when many stalk a new job.

The holiday season is a good time to network, even if serious interviews and job hiring is pushed into the new year, said Bernadette Kenny, executive vice president of Lee Hecht Harrison, a New Jersey-based career-services company.

She says job seekers should attend as many holiday parties, year-end trade and professional group meetings, and community gatherings as possible – but don’t be an obnoxious, desperate boob among people at a relaxed holiday get-together.

“Go with the purpose of connecting with old friends and meeting new people so you’re in a position to pursue a serious networking call in the new year.”

A few tips:

* Dress conservatively. You might have another meeting soon and don’t want to convey the wrong impression with your appearance.

* Don’t come packing a resume.

* Update friends briefly on your search. Inform concisely – don’t bore by monopolizing their time with a detailed recitation of your career situation.

* Don’t complain about how long the hunt takes, or how slow employers are moving.

* Discuss general business conditions in your field, and the major challenges facing the industry.

* Don’t grumble about poor morale, scant raises, and lack of leadership at your former employer.

Most important? Don’t get too hyped about holiday networking and landing a new job from it. After all, it’s just a party.

And for the office parties that include Secret Santa gift programs or presents under the tree in the corner by the Xerox machine, there are some rules of thumb that should also be followed when giving gifts to colleagues and bosses.

Office gifts are tricky for many of us – a minefield of potential inappropriate presents, hurt feelings, fiscal waste, pointless gestures.

But gifts at work need not be a nervous experience, according to Ajilon Professional Staffing, part of Swiss based employment and staffing company Adecco SA.

Among its recommendations:

* Avoid buying presents connected to a certain holiday or religious tradition. Not everyone observes Christmas, Chanukah, or the seven days of Kwanzaa.

* Keep your humor in check. Avoid anything that could be construed as a racial, sexual, or religious joke.

* Don’t feel pressured to spend lavishly to impress. A card or kind act (cup of good coffee, a cookie) expresses your thought just as sweetly.

* Hew the fine line between thoughtful and fanny-smooching. An extravagant, over-the-top gift for the boss looks like what it is – an effort to suck up to a superior. Besides, your peers will loathe you.