Eight years ago, Elliot Rogers arrived in the Netherlands with no job, no Dutch, and no real roadmap — just the willingness to put himself out there. Instead of waiting for the perfect vacancy to appear online, he printed his CV, got on a train to Groningen, and started knocking on doors. 

Make it in the North sat down with Elliot to hear more about building a career from scratch in Groningen, adjusting to Dutch work culture, and why, in his experience, opportunities often begin with a simple conversation.

I’m Elliot Rogers and I’ve been in the Netherlands for eight years now. I’m originally from the southwest of the UK, close to the coast, the tourism-side of the country. I moved here eight years ago and I’ve never looked back.

My partner brought me here. I was working in France for a camping company, so still in tourism, and I met a lovely Dutch girl who was studying here. I didn’t really have anything holding me down in France, so I thought: why not? Let’s move and see how it goes.

No. The first time I ever came to the Netherlands was the day I moved here. I dived right into the deep end. It was definitely a shock, but in a good way.

No, that came afterwards. We lived with my partner’s parents for three months. I just thought: I’ve got somewhere to stay for a little while, then I’ll figure it out once I get here.

Very old school. Initially just printed off a bunch of CVs, got on the train into Groningen, and walked into places where I thought I could get away with speaking English. I’d just start conversations.

I’ve always liked that approach because you get a feel for the employer straight away — what the atmosphere is like, who you’d be working with.

I started in an Irish pub. I’d worked in bars and clubs before, so it felt natural. It was a way to earn some money while looking for something more long-term or a more “adult job” let’s say.

It was also a great way to meet people. I didn’t know anyone here. An Irish pub attracts lots of internationals, so I thought it would be a good way to build a friend group and find other people in the same situation.

It worked! Most of my current friend group came from that pub. We all started there and have since moved on to different jobs and careers in the city.

That social foundation was really important for me. I didn’t want my life to just be work and home.

I registered with recruitment agencies, even Dutch-only ones, and uploaded my CV everywhere. I searched job sites using keywords like “English”.

After a few months working in the pub, a recruitment agency contacted me about a customer service support role at Gallagher, an agricultural company in Groningen. That was my first office job here and the start of my more corporate path.

I now work for Parkos, an airport parking comparison website. It’s a super international company.

I started as a country manager for the UK market since they wanted a native speaker to help open that up. Now I work in a broader European role, supporting partners across multiple markets and working on new business development.

It’s going the way I wanted. I didn’t originally think I’d go into sales or account management. At Gallagher, I was in customer service, but I started helping the sales team and realised I really enjoyed it.

When the sales colleague left, I stepped into the role. That’s what kick-started my account management career.

Parkos then approached me to open the UK market. That’s grown again into a wider European position. Working with different nationalities and cultures is something I really enjoy.

I see quite a bit of difference.

Job security feels much stronger here. Once you’re on a permanent contract, you feel protected. In the UK, it felt easier to be replaced. There was more turnover. Here, I feel safer.

And then there’s Dutch directness. I actually really appreciate it.

In England, everything is very polite, sometimes too polite. People beat around the bush, and it can be hard to know what they really think. Here, if you want something, you ask. You get a straight answer. You know where you stand. I like that clarity.

For me, I really enjoyed getting to know other cultures and aspects of people around Europe. 

So when I was in the UK I lived in a bubble meeting mostly English people. Here, I’ve made friends from all over the world. It’s been really cool to learn how other people think, how they grew up, and listen to their stories.

It’s changed how I communicate. I used to speak very fast. But when you’re in an international environment, you slow down, speak more clearly. It makes communication better overall.

Even my accent has changed. I’m from the southwest of England, and the accent there is quite strong. It's a farmer’s accent. I’ve lost most of it. Now I’ve picked up nuances from Canadian, Irish, and other accents. When I go home, my family says I sound strange.

For me, Groningen is the perfect size.

I come from a town of around 7,000 and 8,000 people, so I’m not a big-city person. Capitals overwhelm me. Groningen still feels like a small town as you bump into people you know, but it has everything a city offers.

There’s nightlife, festivals, sports, activities. It strikes the right balance.

I’ve been a big fan of the music scene here. There’s Eurosonic, and it feels like every few months there’s some festival or event happening.

I’ve also taken up bouldering recently. It suits me because I have ADHD and it’s a sport full of short bursts of climbing, then rest, then go again. It’s perfect for my attention span.

And honestly, there are always the usual things too. You’ve got cinemas, bowling, go-karting. There’s plenty to do.

The language.

As a native English speaker, you can survive here easily. But I want to stay, so I want to learn Dutch.

I tried a university course when I first moved here, but classroom learning isn’t really my strength. So I’ve been learning slowly through work and my partner’s family.

I understand a lot now, but I still don’t have the confidence to speak it properly. That’s probably my biggest ongoing challenge.

Talk to people.

Groningen is small. Everyone knows someone via someone. There’s a strong international community here.

Join meetups. Join Facebook groups. Conversations happen before jobs appear online. Sometimes you hear about opportunities through word of mouth first.

Don’t rely only on the internet. Go out and speak to people.

Again: reach out.

There are groups like Expats in Groningen where people post things like, “Hey, I’m new here! Does anyone want to go for a walk?”

Go to bars, even on your own. I’ve seen plenty of internationals come into the Irish pub alone and leave with a friend group.

It doesn’t always have to be about the job. Build your social network first. Opportunities often come through those connections.

The interview has been edited for clarity and brevity.