Published on and written by Cyril Jarnias
Moving to Denmark for work can seem like a Nordic dream: a dynamic job market, a high standard of living, extensive equality, and trust everywhere. But once there, many expatriates hit the same wall: without a network, accessing the best opportunities becomes difficult, even frustrating. In a country where a significant share of jobs are never advertised and are filled through connections, building a network isn’t a “plus”—it’s a professional survival tool.
To succeed in professional integration in Denmark, it is crucial to understand the local culture, approach the hidden job market, participate in clubs and events, use LinkedIn according to local norms, and build trusting relationships while remaining authentic.
Understanding the Danish Playing Field
Before rushing to all the after-work events in Copenhagen, it’s helpful to understand what makes the Danish context so unique, at once very open… and surprisingly difficult to penetrate for a newcomer.
Danish society rests on an exceptionally high level of general trust. People spontaneously grant credit to strangers, institutions, and companies. This trust permeates professional life: people delegate, grant autonomy, and expect everyone to do what they said, without constant oversight. A given word truly matters.
At the same time, networks are dense and form early. Many Danes keep their childhood friends, university classmates, and sports club teammates for life. This creates a tight-knit web of relationships, very effective for those who are part of it… and intimidating for those who arrive later.
Over 200,000 foreigners already work in the country, demonstrating the possibility of successful integration.
An Egalitarian and Direct, But Unexpressive Culture
In daily life, working in Denmark is characterized by very flat hierarchies. Superiors are seen more as coordinators or “coaches” than as authoritative bosses. Everyone uses the informal “du” (in Danish), uses first names, and expects every team member to give their opinion, even to the director. Respect is expressed not through distance or titles, but through listening and reliability.
Communication is direct, factual, and unemphatic. There are no hints as in Japan, nor polite, elaborate phrases as in some Mediterranean countries. If something is wrong, you say so. If you agree, you say so too, but without superlatives. Exaggerated compliments are rather poorly received, as is overly visible self-promotion.
This restraint is partly explained by the famous ‘Law of Jante’, an informal cultural code that discourages anything resembling ‘I am better than others’. Bragging about your degrees or successes can quickly earn you the ‘arrogant’ label, even if in your culture of origin, it would simply be normal professional communication.
The Law of Jante (Janteloven)
For an expatriate wanting to network, this means two important things:
1. You must learn to talk about your skills without overselling them. 2. You must accept that relationships are built more on consistency, honesty, and modesty than on charisma or charm.
A Largely Hidden Job Market
Studies on recruitment in Denmark show a massive use of networks in finding candidates. A notable proportion of positions never lead to a public advertisement: they are filled via recommendations, unsolicited applications, or contacts identified on LinkedIn.
Statistics on LinkedIn usage by Danish companies are telling:
| Indicator (Recruitment in Denmark) | Approximate Value |
|---|---|
| Companies using LinkedIn to recruit | ~71% |
| Large private companies using LinkedIn | ~70% |
| Private SMEs and public sector using LinkedIn | ~49% |
| Companies reviewing candidates’ LinkedIn profiles | ~58% |
| Hirings without advertisement, following a LinkedIn contact | ~20% |
Added to this is a very flexible labor market system (“flexicurity”): layoffs are relatively easy but compensated by strong social protection. A logical consequence is that even while employed, it’s beneficial to actively maintain your network, as changing companies is part of normal career progression.
For an expatriate, this means moving beyond a purely “response to job ads” mindset and decisively entering an approach of visibility and relationship building, online and offline.
Social Codes for Networking Without Missteps
Networking in Denmark requires adjusting to sometimes very different etiquette rules, especially if you come from more expressive cultures.
The first impression often starts with a firm handshake, frank eye contact, and a “Goddag” or “Hej”. Maintain a reasonable distance (about two arm lengths), avoid touching your interlocutor, and scrupulously respect schedules: arriving five to ten minutes early to an appointment is a sign of respect. Being late without notice can be enough to break nascent trust.
In a conversation with a professional contact you just met, some topics are quite welcome, others are frankly best avoided. Quick summary:
| Topics to favor | Topics to avoid initially |
|---|---|
| The country, culture, city where you live | Personal financial situation |
| Hans Christian Andersen, Lego, Danish design | Religion and beliefs |
| Environment, renewable energy | National politics or “socialism” |
| Gender equality, quality of life | Detailed family life |
| Your country of origin, your career path | Hierarchical or status comparisons |
Humor certainly exists, often very dry, ironic, sometimes tinged with self-deprecation. Don’t feel obliged to one-up it right away. If a joke escapes you, calmly asking, “I’m not sure I understood, can you explain?” offends no one.
In Denmark, the boundary between private and professional life is very distinct. Colleagues generally go home early for family or personal activities (sport, associations) and don’t spontaneously extend work evenings. To develop your network, it is advisable to participate in structured activities where Danes invest their free time: clubs, associations, courses, or organized events.
Learning Danish to Open Doors
Technically, you can live and work in English in Denmark, especially in large companies and Copenhagen. In practice, language remains a major axis for social and professional integration.
Although the majority of the population speaks fluent English, Danish remains the dominant language in professional life (meetings, informal exchanges, internal emails, relationships with local clients) and administration (contacts with schools, associations, public services). Mastering the fundamentals of the language allows you to move from the status of a “passing foreigner” to that of a person who has chosen to settle long-term, profoundly changing how others perceive you.
The course offering is very extensive, and a large part is funded by municipalities for residents with a CPR number. Centers like Studieskolen, IA Sprog, Copenhagen Language Center, SPEAK, or UCplus offer modular programs aligned with the European framework (A1 to C2). Courses can take place during the day, evening, in-person or online, with intensive or lighter formats.
For an expatriate, the advantages are twofold:
For professionals, learning Danish allows understanding meetings, participating in informal discussions, and reading internal documents, thus improving mid-term employability, particularly in SMEs or the public sector. Simultaneously, each class becomes a micro-network of expatriates and residents, serving as a contact laboratory where participants help each other find housing, jobs, and good tips.
There are also free conversation groups in libraries and meetups dedicated to practicing Danish, such as The Copenhagen Danish Language Speaking Meetup Group, which brings together several thousand members. Participating offers the opportunity to meet both Danes and other motivated internationals.
Mapping Denmark’s Networking Ecosystem
Denmark has a very strong tradition of associational life, the famous foreningsliv. You can find clubs for almost everything: sports, singing, theater, board games, volunteering, environment, tech, business… For an expatriate, these structures are natural gateways to Danish circles.
Expatriate Groups and International Networks
In Copenhagen and major cities, several structured communities act as an “airlock” for new arrivals.
InterNations, presented as the largest global expatriate network, has a very active community in Copenhagen. It organizes monthly events (evenings, cultural outings, themed activities) and groups by interest (culture, books, gastronomy, etc.). It’s a good starting point for connecting with other already-settled internationals, often happy to share advice on neighborhoods, international schools, and administrative procedures.
Targeted associations to meet people sharing your profile and benefit from professional support.
Networks like the American Women’s Club or the International Women’s Club of Copenhagen, organizing social and professional events.
Online communities such as ‘American Expats’ or ‘Brits, Yanks, Paddies, Aussies, Kiwis, Canucks in Copenhagen’ for exchanging and mutual aid.
Structures like Copenhague Accueil or Les Francophones de Copenhague, offering meetups, CV workshops, and professional conferences.
At a more professional level, organizations like the American Chamber of Commerce in Denmark (AmCham) offer mentoring programs and leadership events that connect international managers and Danish executives.
Meetup, Clubs, and Thematic Events
The Meetup platform is very developed in Denmark, particularly in Copenhagen. You can find groups focused on:
– young internationals (Young Internationals – Copenhagen),
– entrepreneurs and creative freelancers,
– international parents,
– wine, photography, hiking enthusiasts,
– pole dancing practitioners, founders’ running clubs,
– “Dinner with Strangers” or “Restaurant of the Week” evenings dedicated to meeting new people over a meal.
These groups are valuable for breaking the ice and starting to weave informal ties that, over time, can lead to professional opportunities.
Certain networking events, like Everybody Networks Here Copenhagen or WomenHack – Copenhagen, are specifically designed for professional development in sectors like tech, finance, or design. They generally follow a precise format: a brief presentation followed by a long informal networking session, often over a drink.
The strength of these events lies in the fact that they mix Danes and internationals in a setting where talking to strangers is legitimate—which isn’t always the case in public spaces, where approaching someone without a pretext can be seen as intrusive.
Professional Associations and Chambers of Commerce
Large sectoral networks also play a key role in Danish economic life. For example, the industrial federation DI (Danish Industry) organizes a whole series of delegations abroad, sectoral conferences, forums on bioeconomy, hydrogen, defense, digital. These events attract decision-makers, export managers, technical experts, and offer an opportunity to position yourself within an industry.
Number of members of the IDA association (The Danish Society of Engineers) which offers professional development services.
These structures are open to internationals as long as they adhere to the values of transparency and modesty specific to the Danish context.
Volunteering: An Accelerator for Integration
Volunteering holds a central place in Danish culture. Getting involved in a local association or a festival can be one of the most effective ways to meet Danes in a non-formal yet structured setting.
Platforms like Frivilligjob.dk list many opportunities, including for English speakers. In Copenhagen, Copenhagen Volunteers coordinates volunteers for major cultural events, for example. Sports, environmental, and educational associations regularly seek help, offering a privileged setting for practicing Danish, understanding society, and creating deep connections.
Several studies on volunteering show it improves relational skills, strengthens professional motivation, and significantly broadens your network. The effect is even more pronounced in tech circles, where initiatives like Coding Pirates or CoderDojo allow you to work alongside engineers, developers, teachers, while contributing to an educational project.
LinkedIn: Your Business Card in the Danish World
For an expatriate in Denmark, LinkedIn isn’t a gadget, it’s the central tool for visibility and networking. About a third of Danes have a profile, and the vast majority of recruiters use it as a sourcing or verification channel.
Yet, the usage norms are specific. Again, Danish modesty influences how you present yourself.
Optimizing Your Profile for the Danish Market
Danish recruiters primarily look at a few key sections:
| Profile element prioritized by Danish recruiters | Share of interested recruiters |
|---|---|
| Past professional experiences | ~73% |
| Common connections | ~34% |
| Summary / “About” section | ~29% |
| Recent activity (posts, comments) | ~23% |
| Recommendations | ~21% |
| Photo | ~9% |
This gives several guidelines:
For an effective profile, use a clear, descriptive title focused on your value-add (e.g., ‘Data analyst specialized in data quality for the pharmaceutical industry’). In the ‘About’ section, briefly tell your story and highlight what you want to bring to the Danish market (collaboration, international experience, tool mastery, affinity for sustainability…). For professional experience, emphasize concrete results, responsibilities, and international cooperation with a sober tone. Finally, a complete and illustrated profile (with links to projects, presentations, or publications) is significantly more credible.
Highlighting your progress in Danish—even modest—is appreciated. Mentioning “Danish: A2 level (in training)” signals a long-term commitment.
Networking on LinkedIn the Danish Way
The first instinct is to join relevant groups for your sector: tech communities, engineering networks, marketing groups, alumni from your school, etc. In a Danish context, these groups primarily serve to exchange knowledge, share articles, and announce conferences. A purely commercial approach is very poorly viewed.
The maximum acceptance rate for a personalized message mentioning a specific point, versus 15% for a standard message.
An example aligned with local norms might look something like:
> “Hej [First name], > I recently attended your talk at [event] on [topic] and found your perspective on [specific subject] very insightful. > I myself work in [field] and would very much like to follow your posts and, if you agree, ask you one day for a virtual coffee to better understand the sector in Denmark.”
The follow-up happens in small touches: liking, commenting pertinently, sharing content related to your skills and Danish issues (sustainability, equality, innovation…). The idea is to be recognized as someone who understands the local context and brings value, not as a desperate opportunity hunter.
Professional Coffee Meetings: A Ritual to Master
The famous “coffee meeting” is an institution. It is a short meeting—often 30 to 45 minutes—to discuss career paths, sectors, professional challenges, without any promise of a job. In practice, it’s a powerful tool for moving beyond simple virtual exchange.
The key to making this type of meeting work is to clearly present it as a request for advice, inspiration, and not as an attempt to force a recruitment. You can, for example, propose to meet a professional to:
To get the most out of an informational interview with a professional in Denmark, it is recommended to: understand how he or she got to their position, better grasp the expectations of Danish companies in your field, and ask for feedback on the relevance of your profile for the local market.
In return, you offer your own perspective (for example, on your country or original sector), you share references, you offer to help if one day the person is looking for a contact in your network. The central principle is reciprocity: you don’t take without giving.
A good indicator of a successful coffee meeting is when the person ends up saying “you should talk to X at such company, I can introduce you” or “look at this type of position at Y, I think your profile might fit”. It’s often at this point that you start accessing the famous hidden job market.
Leveraging University and Alumni Networks
In Denmark as elsewhere, connections created at university have a lasting impact on professional trajectories. A study conducted at Copenhagen Business School (CBS) followed students randomly assigned to 35-person workgroups at the start of their studies.
Former members of the same student group have a significantly higher probability of later working in the same company or sector, sometimes in companies linked to their parents’ employers. This co-option is associated with higher salaries and greater job stability, an advantage particularly marked for students from very affluent backgrounds.
In short, even in a country known for its egalitarianism, alumni networks play a major role—and they can reinforce gaps between those who know or dare to activate them, and others.
For expatriates who study or have studied in Denmark, this offers a real avenue of work:
To maximize your chances of finding a job in Denmark, actively mobilize alumni networks. Join the alumni associations of your program or university. Participate in events organized by your institution’s career services. On LinkedIn, use the “alumni” tools to identify and locate former students from the same institution who already work in Denmark. Do not hesitate to contact these connections for informal exchanges, to better understand the specific pathways into certain Danish companies and obtain practical advice.
Even if your studies didn’t take place in Denmark, the alumni networks of your school internationally remain very useful. Many universities have local chapters, LinkedIn or Facebook groups, and alumni are often delighted to help a compatriot or “co-alumni” find their way.
Coaching, Mentorship, and Support Programs
Restarting your professional life in a foreign country, even a very welcoming one, can be destabilizing. Between culture shock, administrative procedures, job search, and identity adjustments, it’s common to feel lost or exhausted. This is where mentoring and coaching can serve as a compass.
The Danish engineering union IDA offers a structured mentorship program. It connects volunteer mentors and mentees for a six to nine-month journey, with monthly meetings. The agenda is set by the mentee, and the goals combine progress on concrete aspects (CV, interviews, managerial codes) and building a lasting, trusting relationship.
Initiatives like those of AmCham, which offers a mentoring program between experienced leaders and promising executives, also provide access to decision-making circles that would be difficult to reach otherwise.
Alongside these institutional programs, international platforms connect mentors and mentees in the IT or business domain, sometimes with mentors based in Denmark. Some are paid, others free depending on the case.
The benefit is twofold: for the mentee, an acceleration of integration and a better understanding of professional unspoken rules; for the mentor, a training ground for leadership posture, broadening of perspectives, and the feeling of contributing to a more integrated diaspora.
Managing the Dynamics of Trust the Danish Way
In Nordic environments, literature on leadership emphasizes the importance of trust as the foundation of collective performance. Models like that of Patrick Lencioni, which places the absence of trust at the base of team dysfunctions, find a particular echo in Denmark, where delegating widely and believing in people’s good faith is considered normal.
For an expatriate, there can be an apparent paradox: you are quickly trusted on an operational level (you receive responsibilities, autonomy) while, socially, your relationships with colleagues or partners remain quite distant. It’s useful to distinguish:
Task trust, granted by default as long as commitments are met, and relational trust, which builds more slowly on consistency, honesty, humility, and the ability to admit mistakes.
In networking, this means it’s better to avoid quick promises or grand announcements. Clearly stating what you can and cannot do, warning of setbacks, scrupulously respecting the confidentiality of information: all this matters enormously. Conversely, exaggerating your contacts, “selling” an introduction you’re not sure you can deliver, can ruin a nascent reputation.
Anchoring Yourself Locally Without Getting Trapped in an Expat Bubble
A major risk for expatriates in Denmark is getting trapped in a circle composed almost exclusively of other foreigners. It’s comfortable, reassuring, but it limits access to the hidden job market and impedes learning the culture and language.
To avoid this pitfall, it is often relevant to adopt a two-tier strategy:
To get started, it is advisable to rely on expatriate networks for practical information, moral support, and collaboration opportunities. In parallel, it is crucial to invest in at least one network with a Danish majority, such as a sports club, cultural association, professional union, evening classes in your field, or a volunteering activity, to foster local integration.
For example, joining a handball club, a choir, a hiking group, or a Danish-language theater workshop has, on the surface, nothing “business” about it. Yet, this is often where the strongest recommendations are forged, because the other members see you act over time, in varied situations, beyond just your CV.
The municipality of Copenhagen, through its cultural services and its International House, provides contacts and guides for discovering associations, sports venues, libraries, and community centers. These structures are designed as entry points for newcomers.
Structuring Your Approach: From Random to Strategic
Faced with a multitude of clubs, events, and networks, it’s tempting to run everywhere at the risk of exhaustion. A more strategic approach yields better results in less time.
A simple way to structure your approach is to ask a few basic questions:
– In which sectors or types of companies do you want to work in Denmark?
– Which places, events, or associations do professionals in these sectors naturally frequent?
– What types of contacts are you missing today: peers, recruiters, managers, potential partners, mentors?
– How many hours per week can you reasonably invest in networking, without sacrificing your mental health or personal life?
A plan over a few months can be structured in several phases. For example, a first phase of research and analysis (month 1), followed by a design and development phase (months 2-3), then a testing and adjustment phase (month 4), leading to a gradual deployment (months 5-6). This approach allows distributing efforts, managing resources, and adapting to the unforeseen while aiming for a mid-term objective.
– take a Danish class two evenings a week,
– participate in a professional event each month (conference, meetup, trade show),
– schedule one to two coffee meetings every two weeks with targeted professionals,
– regularly publish thoughts or resources on LinkedIn related to your expertise and the Danish context,
– commit to a volunteering activity or local club once a week.
The essential thing is to remain consistent over time. In Denmark, trust is built through small, repeated touches rather than through occasional grand gestures. It’s not necessarily spectacular, but it’s effective.
Keeping Your Identity While Playing by Local Rules
There remains a subtle but crucial question: how to adapt to Danish codes without denying your own culture? The answer probably lies in the idea of translation rather than erasure.
A professional network, in essence, is nothing more than a set of relationships where each person tries to bring something to others—information, support, ideas, opportunities. Coming from elsewhere is not a handicap in itself; it’s a resource, provided you present it in a language your interlocutor can understand.
Concretely, this can mean:
Explain how your original practices and experience in diversity, emerging markets, and intercultural management can enrich a Danish exporting company. Own your ongoing linguistic and cultural learning, adopting a humble and curious posture.
Denmark, despite its claimed modesty, highly values innovation, international openness, and the ability to cooperate beyond borders. Leading companies in wind energy, pharma, design, and tech know they need perspectives from elsewhere to remain competitive. By developing a locally anchored network while remaining oneself, an expatriate can occupy a valuable position as a “bridge” between worlds.
Developing your network in Denmark is a patient process based on curiosity, regularity, and respect for local codes of equality and modesty. It’s about showing genuine interest in integrating into society. This approach is the key to accessing the hidden job market and building a fulfilling career in the country.
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Cyril Jarnias is an independent expert in international wealth management with over 20 years of experience. As an expatriate himself, he is dedicated to helping individuals and business leaders build, protect, and pass on their wealth with complete peace of mind.
On his website, cyriljarnias.com, he shares his expertise on international real estate, offshore company formation, and expatriation.
Thanks to his expertise, he offers sound advice to optimize his clients' wealth management. Cyril Jarnias is also recognized for his appearances in many prestigious media outlets such as BFM Business, les Français de l’étranger, Le Figaro, Les Echos, and Mieux vivre votre argent, where he shares his knowledge and know-how in wealth management.
