If you’re a competent and reliable engineer (at the level senior or lower), then social events are optional. No one will care if you do or don’t go.
Sadly for many other fields (especially sales/marketing) or for management positions, social events are essentially mandatory. Sure you can skip one every once in a while, but if you start skipping too many your career prospects in the company will be impacted.
Sadly for many other fields (especially sales/marketing) or for management positions, social events are essentially mandatory. Sure you can skip one every once in a while, but if you start skipping too many your career prospects in the company will be impacted.
*obviously this is company/industry dependent.