How to network in Denmark

Why you should network

There are many good reasons to spend time on networking.

Networking is often the quickest way to a new job. It is also a great way of finding new business contacts, bettering your skills and finding professional inspiration and solutions.

'Denmark is a nation of late adopters, so we are not that used to networking, but we are rapidly improving and understanding its importance. It keeps your career alive and breathing, and I recommend you spend time on it, even if you are not looking for a new job at the moment,' Senior Career Consultant at IDA, Lise Dan, says.

She points to the fact that companies can lose a lot of money, if they end up hiring the wrong person as one of the reasons why networking is becoming more popular.

'Many managers hire people who they know, or who come highly recommended by employees. You need to know an employee to get a recommendation, and one of the things networking does is grow the number of people you know. Getting to know employees in companies can often involve sharing knowledge, which leads to developing your skills,' Lise Dan adds.

Networking is about meeting and engaging with people. People are part of cultures – both personal and professional – that partially define them. This makes it especially important for foreign students and professionals to know how to network with Danes.

You're already networking

'Many people think that networking is something new, but it is not. Any time we go and meet people, we are networking by getting to know people and engaging with them. What is new with what we call networking today is that we structure what we are doing,' Carina Heckscher says.

She is the owner of networkingekspert.dk, and has written a book about how to integrate networking into your everyday work life.

'What I mean by structure is that any networking should start with identifying your goal', Carina Heckscher adds.

Charlotte Junge, owner of the networking consultancy JUNGE, agrees. She has been teaching networking for more than ten years and believes that the engineer mind set is well-suited to networking activities, if the general mentality is not.

'If you are a "classic" engineer who is an introvert, then getting out of your comfort zone and meeting people can be difficult. You could, to a point, extend that to most of the Danish population. We are not great at going out and meeting people we do not know. This makes it extra important to know what you want to talk about and be prepared when meeting people. Instead of going in guns blazing, you should try to start with small talk and work your way towards your goal,' she says.

'A way of approaching networking is looking at it as an engineering project. Start by defining your goal, then identify what you need to do in order to reach it, identify how to achieve these part goals and finally identify what tools you need to use.'

The elevator pitch

When networking, there are certain tricks and methods you can use. For example, when meeting someone one-to-one, it is a good idea to have a semi-formal agenda ready.

'I recommend using an informational interview format for one-to-one meetings. Agree in advance what you want to talk about. This gives you a good starting point for a conversation,' Lise Dan says.

'If you are meeting people at a conference or network meeting, then remember the elevator conversation or presentation. You should be able to present yourself and your skills in the time it takes an elevator to get between two floors. Many people are not able to answer a simple question like ‘what do you do?’ in this sort of time frame,' Carina Hecksher adds.

Charlotte Junge thinks that a special Danish trait plays well with networking for engineers.

'Danes are very fact-oriented. You could say that we are a ‘show it, don’t tell it’ nation, where it is more important to show what you can do with your skills than talking about what school you went to. This sort of measurable, quantifiable success is generally something that works well with engineers,' she says.

Getting out of the comfort zone

Generally speaking, meeting new people is something that fills you with trepidation. If this is the case, then working with a result sheet can be a good strategy.

'Someone once told me that the difference between an introvert and an extrovert engineer is that the introvert engineer stares at his own shoes when talking to you - the extrovert stares at your shoes. Of course, this is an exaggeration, but if you are shy about meeting new people, a checklist can be a good idea. For example, you can have a goal of talking to three new people at a conference, which keeps you going, even after you have talked to the first,' Carina Hecksher says.

Lise Dan recommends STEM professionals to look beyond their usual circles when networking.

'While many are good at networking internally within the company and industry they work in, they forget to network externally. This is a shame, as it is a great way of getting inspiration and new input. I recommend at least two networking meetings with external sources a month. Instead of lunch, I think that the best way forwards is to have morning coffee. Leave home half an hour earlier and meet somewhere like a café. You will most likely come to work buzzing with new ideas,' she says.

Another thing that makes you a good networker is to challenge the Danish idea of being able of doing everything on your own.

'Ask questions and ask for help – and be ready to give it when your network wants it. It also works well with Danes, who you can ask to make sure that things you are working on comply with Danish standards and rules. Plus, it is important to remember that networking is all about give and take,' Charlotte Junge says.

Where should you network?

Networking means interacting with other professionals - but where do you meet them?

'Start by looking at your LinkedIn. I would say that analysing your network here, finding out who you know and where they work, and joining the right groups – as well at conferences and face-to-face networks - is a very good beginning for most people,' Carina Hecksher says.

'Danish STEM professionals generally love to be involved in groups where they can focus on ‘nerdy’ interests, so finding them gets you talking to members of the right industries very quickly. Another thing to remember about LinkedIn is the sharing function. If you have published articles, then do not be afraid to share them,' she adds.

Join IDA communities for free and get a network of both Danes and expats

For Charlotte Junge, IDA is probably the best place for foreign professionals and students in STEM to begin their networking.

'As a foreigner, you usually start off not knowing that many Danes, but professional communities where you get to meet face-to-face are a great place to begin. They offer you a chance to meet in person, which is desirable when networking – especially the first time you meet someone – and in a setting where others can see your professional skills. I would say that the first thing you should do as a foreign engineer or student coming to Denmark is join as many of the IDA Professional communities as you can,' she says.

'Danes can be hard to get to know. If you arrive as a foreign engineer or study engineering in Denmark, the professional networks are probably the best way to get to meet them. It is a relaxed setting where you talk about shared interests, but also get to know each other,' Lise Dan says and continues:

'If you are interested in working in Denmark, IDA's communities are a great way of networking with people, who might end up being your colleagues or future manager. In the networks, they can get to know you and your professional skill-set.'

The first thing to keep in mind is that you are already networking.

Networks