borrel: noun, an informal social gathering with drinks and snacks (plural borrels); borrelen: verb, describing the action of having a borrel.
‘Borrel’ is a very Dutch concept and it involves drinks with bubbles and alcohol. My initial motivation for going to a Borrel is the free drinks (and snacks) even though I don’t usually drink: so don’t be surprised if you see me next time with a cup of tea in hand.
The more I talk to my Dutch colleagues and friends, the more I realize that borrelen is a great way to meet others and expand your network. If you ever go to a networking event or a conference in the Netherlands, you will probably notice that borrels will be included: either directly in the name of the event (‘netwerkborrel’) or as a closing part of the event.
I remember talking about networking in the Netherlands with my colleague Yvonne and she told me: I’d always encourage my PhD students to stay for the borrel after the presentations. Just the other day I met Albina for coffee and she also said something along similar lines: stay for the borrel because you can’t engage with someone during their presentation the same way you engage with them at the borrel.
That makes perfect sense. We feel more at ease in an informal environment and having a drink probably helps to open up. The point of networking is to make a connection and borrelen just provides a great platform to do that. It is also worth mentioning that many Dutch companies have the tradition of a Friday afternoon borrel. If I were you I would definitely attend, not only because it’s gezellig, but it’s crucial to spend some quality time with your colleagues.
Now you understand the importance of borrelen, but I can imagine that the idea of networking might still sound daunting for many. There are a number of great tips on how to start networking that you can find online or here on LinkedIn. One of the greatest ways of making a connection is by asking questions. When I was young, I always liked approaching the teachers right after the class with a bunch of study-related questions. Looking back, I was actually networking at the age of 13!
Feel free to approach me if you need more tips on networking in the Netherlands. In case you’re interested, I offer a training on this topic and you can check it out here.
Stay for the borrel because it is more than just free drinks!
