Networking Is Not Enough.
What Still Feels Missing for Many Internationals
In a previous article, we wrote about the hidden rules of networking in the Dutch ecosystem. The focus there was on understanding where to go, who to talk to, and how trust actually builds over time. For many internationals, getting a clearer picture of these dynamics already helps. Things start to make more sense, and the system becomes a bit less confusing.
But even when people begin to understand these rules and act on them, something still doesn’t fully click.
They attend the right events, meet the right people, and slowly learn how things move. On the surface, it looks like progress. But underneath, there is often still a sense of distance. They are present, but not fully settled. Connected, but not really part of it.
From many conversations, it becomes clear that this is not just a networking issue.
It has more to do with a sense of belonging.
Most advice focuses on interaction. Go to events, meet people, follow up, stay visible. These things matter, but they are not where a sense of belonging is built. That usually happens somewhere else, in parts of life that are easy to overlook.
It happens in everyday situations. Seeing the same parents at your child’s school. Talking to people regularly at a local sports club. Getting to know your neighbors over time. These are not “strategic” environments, but they are where familiarity starts to grow.
And that familiarity changes something.
Over time, you stop feeling like a visitor. You start to feel that you are part of something, even if it is small. That shift is quiet, but it has real impact.
When that sense of grounding is missing, it shows in subtle ways. People hold back a bit more. They are less confident in how they present themselves. Their positioning feels less natural. Even when opportunities come, it is harder to fully step into them.
This is where the idea of the activation gap becomes more complete. It is not only about understanding the system or translating your skills into a new context. It is also about feeling rooted in the place where you are trying to build something.
If the focus stays only on networking, one part of the problem is addressed, but another part remains untouched.
A more useful question might be how internationals can build local roots, not just professional connections. Because those small, repeated interactions in everyday life tend to accumulate. They slowly change how someone experiences a place and how they show up within it.
At Flux Forward, the focus has been on activation, on helping people move from potential to contribution. But it is becoming clearer that activation depends on more than access and understanding. It also depends on whether someone feels grounded enough to actually step forward.
Understanding how the system works is one step. Feeling that you are part of it is another. Without that second layer, progress often remains partial.