A few useful things you can act on this week.
There was a lot happening in the Netherlands this week, from Prinsjesdag announcements to new conversations about work and international talent.
You do not need to follow all of it.
For this Weekly Signal, we picked a few things you can actually do something with: a career masterclass, a free Dutch webinar, an opportunity for founders, a newcomer event, and a few useful resources worth keeping around.
Looking for work? Try one of these free career sessions
Holland Expat Center South is listing three online sessions of Find your professional path in the Netherlands, run by career coach Manon Rouwette.
- 22 September, 12:00
- 23 September, 20:00
- 25 September, 16:00
Each session is free, runs online and lasts about an hour and a half. If you cannot join live, you can still register and receive the recording.
The sessions cover preparing for the Dutch labour market, CVs and application letters, intercultural differences, career direction and professional positioning.
If you join, go in with one specific question. For example: what is still unclear about my profile to a Dutch employer?
That will probably get you further than trying to fix your whole job search at once.
Been learning Dutch for a while but still struggle to speak it?
On 22 September from 19:00 to 20:00 there is a free online webinar, Speaking Dutch: why most expats struggle and what actually works, hosted by IamExpat with Sofia Karfi and Anneta Geels.
It is aimed at internationals who have been learning Dutch but still find it difficult to actually use the language in conversation.
Before joining, it may help to work out where Dutch is really getting in your way.
Is it work? Talking to colleagues? Meeting people locally? Dealing with everyday situations?
You do not need Dutch for everything. But knowing where it would make a real difference makes it much easier to decide what to focus on.
Raising a round? There is a signup deadline on 22 September
Pitch Elevator takes place on 1 October from 15:00 to 18:00 at the World Trade Center Amsterdam.
It is organised by WTC Amsterdam, Golden Egg Check and StartupAmsterdam. Founders and investors are matched in advance for four speed dates of 15 minutes each, followed by networking drinks.
It is open to digital startups in the Netherlands and the investors backing them, and is aimed at founders who are actively raising a pre-seed or seed round.
Signups close on 22 September for guaranteed matching. You can still register after that, but you go on a waiting list.
It will not be relevant to every founder. But if you are actively raising, it is worth checking now rather than finding it after the deadline.
Before applying, make sure you can answer three things simply:
What are you building? Who is it for? What are you raising money to do next?
New to The Hague? You can get a lot of practical questions answered in one place
On 28 September from 17:00 to 20:00, the Feel at Home event brings together organisations supporting internationals in The Hague. It is free and takes place at The Grey Space in the Middle, but you need to register.
The programme covers areas such as jobs, healthcare, housing, childcare, taxes, volunteering, local services, language learning and community life.
If you have several things to figure out after moving, this can be more useful than opening another ten browser tabs.
Go with one or two questions you actually want answered.
If work is your priority, look for career and recruitment support.
If you want to meet people, look at the community organisations.
If Dutch is becoming a barrier, talk directly to the language providers.
In or around Eindhoven? Save 3 October
The IamExpat Fair Eindhoven takes place on 3 October from 10:00 to 17:00 at Klokgebouw. Entry is free, but you need to register online and tickets are limited.
It brings together organisations around work, housing, mortgages, Dutch courses, education, health, family and other parts of settling in the Netherlands, with workshops and presentations running through the day.
If you are relatively new to the region, or you have several practical questions at the same time, this is one to keep on your calendar.
One thing from this week's news
Prinsjesdag produced plenty of headlines this week.
One relevant signal for internationals is that the government plans to reverse part of an earlier cut on attracting international talent to universities and universities of applied sciences, using 24.9 million euro from the Talent Strategy budget in 2027.
These are budget plans for 2027, not rules that apply today. Several other migration and labour market measures are also still moving through different stages of policy and legislation.
If a headline could affect your residence permit, job or employer, check the official source and the effective date before changing your plans.
A government announcement and a rule that applies to you today are not always the same thing.
A few useful things from Flux Forward
We have also been adding more practical tools for internationals who want to get something done rather than read another general explainer.
Trying to work out how something works in the Netherlands?
How to in NL brings together source-linked, step-by-step guidance around things like BSN registration, DigiD, health insurance, banking, housing, work and residence.
There are also complete Study, Work and Build paths, so you can see how different steps connect instead of treating everything as a separate task.
If you have recently arrived, two useful places to start are:
How to plan your first 90 days in NL, a practical sequence for registration, BSN, DigiD, insurance, banking and other early tasks.
How to set up DigiD, health insurance and a bank account in NL, useful if you know all three matter but are not sure which one needs to happen first.
Looking for employers that can sponsor highly skilled migrants?
The Recognised Sponsors directory lets you search organisations listed in the IND recognised sponsor register and move from the register towards useful company context.
One important thing to remember: being a recognised sponsor means an organisation is listed by the IND as a recognised sponsor. It does not mean the organisation currently has a vacancy, or that it will sponsor every role.
A better sequence is company, then vacancy, then sponsorship fit.
If you are looking for openings, the Flux Forward job board lists jobs and internships at IND recognised sponsors.
Two recent conversations from Bennu
We have also published two new Bennu episodes recently.
A Step Towards Freedom, with Shivangi Dhakad, looks at moving from India to the Netherlands, freedom, belonging, community, work and what it means to build a life somewhere new without leaving parts of yourself behind.
Everywhere and Nowhere, with Ingrid Tappin, explores identity, belonging, leadership and what can happen when difference becomes something you work with rather than something you try to hide.
If you do not need another checklist this week, one of these conversations might be a better place to start. The rest are in the Bennu archive.
You do not need to do all of this
Pick one thing that is useful for where you are now.
Looking for work? Join one of the career sessions.
Dutch getting in the way? Try the webinar.
Raising money? Check Pitch Elevator while guaranteed matching is still open.
Still sorting out life in the Netherlands? Open one How to in NL guide and finish one task.
Thinking more about belonging, identity or building a life here? Listen to one of the new Bennu conversations.
The point of Weekly Signal is not to give you another list of things you should be doing. It is to find a few useful things so you do not have to search for all of them yourself.
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