Networking in the Netherlands: How International Professionals Find Opportunities Beyond Job Boards

When I mention networking to international professionals, I sometimes see an immediate reaction.

“I do not like asking people for favours.”

That is completely understandable.

It is also based on a misunderstanding of what good networking actually is.

Networking is not asking strangers to find you a job.

It is building relationships with people who help you understand your professional market.

And that can completely change a job search.

Job boards show you only one part of the market

When your entire search happens through LinkedIn Jobs, Indeed, or company career pages, you enter the process at the point where competition is already visible.

A vacancy has been approved.

Published.

Shared.

Perhaps promoted.

Applications begin arriving.

Networking allows you to enter professional conversations much earlier.

You begin learning which organisations are growing.

Which departments are changing.

Which skills companies are struggling to find.

Which teams are hiring.

Which companies may be interesting six months from now.

And importantly, you learn how people inside your industry actually speak about the work.

That information improves everything else you do.

Start with curiosity

A poor networking message asks:

“Do you know of any vacancies?”

A stronger conversation begins with professional curiosity.

For example:

“I am currently exploring how my experience in sustainability strategy could translate into the Dutch market, particularly within the energy sector. I noticed you have built your career in this space and would be very interested in hearing how you see the market developing.”

Notice the difference.

There is no pressure.

No request for employment.

No attempt to disguise an application as networking.

There is simply a professional conversation worth having.

Curiosity creates better conversations than desperation.

Speak with people doing the job you want

One of the most valuable people you can speak with is not always the recruiter.

It can be the person who currently has the role you are trying to secure.

Suppose you want to become a Customer Success Manager in Amsterdam.

Speak with several Customer Success Managers.

What does the role actually involve in Dutch companies?

Which skills matter most?

Which systems are commonly used?

How much commercial responsibility exists?

What backgrounds do people usually enter from?

Which companies have mature Customer Success functions?

After five thoughtful conversations, you may understand the market far better than after reading fifty vacancies.

That knowledge strengthens your positioning.

Build a target company strategy

Instead of asking:

“Where are the vacancies?”

Create a list of organisations where your experience genuinely makes sense.

Research them.

Follow their developments.

Understand their business.

Identify relevant teams.

Find professionals who work there.

You may discover that a company you had never considered is expanding into a market you know extremely well.

Or that an organisation has recently hired a new commercial leader who is building a team.

Or that your international background becomes particularly relevant because the company is entering your region.

This is where networking becomes strategic.

You are not simply searching for available jobs.

You are identifying where your value and organisational need are most likely to meet.

Give relationships time

One networking conversation may not lead anywhere immediately.

That does not mean it failed.

Someone may remember you two months later.

A recruiter may contact you when a more appropriate role appears.

A professional may introduce you to a colleague.

An informational conversation may reveal that the role you were pursuing is not actually right for you.

Networking produces opportunities.

It also produces clarity.

Both are valuable.

Follow up like a professional

If someone gives you their time, respect it.

Thank them.

Mention something specific that was useful.

Stay connected.

If their advice helped you make a decision, tell them later.

If you encounter something genuinely relevant to their work, share it.

Good professional relationships do not need constant attention.

They need authenticity and reciprocity.

Networking becomes easier when your positioning is clear

One reason networking feels uncomfortable is that many professionals do not know how to introduce themselves.

If you cannot explain where you are going, it becomes difficult for someone else to know how they could help you.

Compare:

“I am looking for a job in the Netherlands.”

With:

“I have spent the last seven years working in B2B SaaS sales across Southern Europe, and I am now exploring commercial partnerships and account growth roles within internationally oriented technology companies in the Netherlands.”

The second statement creates possibilities.

Someone might immediately think:

“You should speak with Anna.”

That is what good positioning does.

It helps other people place you in their professional map.

Networking is not about knowing everyone

You do not need hundreds of coffee conversations.

You need the right conversations.

Five meaningful relationships inside your target market can be more valuable than five hundred random LinkedIn connections.

Approach networking with curiosity.

Ask intelligent questions.

Listen carefully.

Understand the market.

Contribute when you can.

And remember that careers are built through people as much as through applications.

At LOGIN Coaching, I help international professionals develop focused networking strategies, strengthen their professional positioning, and approach the Dutch job market with greater confidence and intention.

Because the strongest question is often not:

“Where can I apply?”

It is:

“Who can help me understand where I belong?”

Next in the series: How to Succeed in a Dutch Job Interview as an International Professional