# Moving to HK from USA...In need of advice



## gordonm

Hello all,

I am looking to move to Hong Kong from the USA and I would like to know the degree of difficulty in locating a job. I have a BSc in Business Administration, some grad school experience and 5 years experience in retail and wholesale banking. I am looking to find employment in the financial/banking services or corporate finance...Any advice?

Thanks,

gordonm


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## dunmovin

in short and blunt... don't. As a USA citizen you'll need a work visa not easy to come by.I suggest you try to find a post with a banking company, let them deal with imigration and visas. Going to HK "in the hope of finding work",unless you have a definate lead, or lots of local contacts, is a recipe for disaster. The language barrier is the 1st thing you have to get past( speaking mandarin or cantonese helps) even then the cultural barriers can sink you faster than a cargo ship with 6 topedeos hitting below the water line!

Don't go there, speculating you might find work.... get a job 1st and be sure to get the right "package " HK is a great place, but it chews up and spits out those not prepared for it


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## gordonm

Thanks dunmovin! Great advice. Definitely would not move to HK blindly. Finding employment first is the plan.


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## jcherryhill

gordonm said:


> Hello all,
> 
> I am looking to move to Hong Kong from the USA and I would like to know the degree of difficulty in locating a job. I have a BSc in Business Administration, some grad school experience and 5 years experience in retail and wholesale banking. I am looking to find employment in the financial/banking services or corporate finance...Any advice?
> 
> Thanks,
> 
> gordonm


Hi, my background is very close to yours. I also plan to move to HK in the near future. I am bilingual (English and Mardarin) I just wonder if you have found your job yet. If you do, could you also provide advice to me?


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## David7

In case its not clear, us Hong Kongers speak Cantonese.

There are thousands of layoffs from banks here. The people are highly skilled and have over 20 years experience. Why would banks here hire aliens who would need work visas?

Look at the situation locally.


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## jcherryhill

David7 said:


> In case its not clear, us Hong Kongers speak Cantonese.
> 
> There are thousands of layoffs from banks here. The people are highly skilled and have over 20 years experience. Why would banks here hire aliens who would need work visas?
> 
> Look at the situation locally.


Thank you for your comments. It is good information but also it is very discouraging.


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## David7

jcherryhill said:


> Thank you for your comments. It is good information but also it is very discouraging.


I'm sorry to sound so harsh, but it is the reality here right now.

People are not being let go for bad results in the region. They are paying the price for the bad situation in Europe and America.


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## Pawsss

I would have to disagree on above statements. I relocated from AU to HK and there are lots of opportunities here in Asia. All major MNC's will easily get work permit for you.
The catch is that rent is the most expensive in the world. It can be as cheap or expensive as you wish.
HK is and will be the gateway to China so if you have Mandarin capabilities that is big plus.
Major GLobal banks are expanding here in Asia so I would suggest you come and visit first before you jump into something you wished you never did.

Lance


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## jcherryhill

Pawsss said:


> I would have to disagree on above statements. I relocated from AU to HK and there are lots of opportunities here in Asia. All major MNC's will easily get work permit for you.
> The catch is that rent is the most expensive in the world. It can be as cheap or expensive as you wish.
> HK is and will be the gateway to China so if you have Mandarin capabilities that is big plus.
> Major GLobal banks are expanding here in Asia so I would suggest you come and visit first before you jump into something you wished you never did.
> 
> Lance


Thanks for you comments. I thought the same.


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## MikeN0726

I have a friend who owns an headhunter agency for the banking industry,
although it is true that there are big turnarounds... but maybe you can give him a call and talk to people?
I'm not sure if I can post a website here? maybe a number, if you're interested


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## advocateknight

hey gordomn,

here's my story. i came to hk a year ago because I found some work over here. but when times got bad and I lost my job, I just can't find anything else. n even if i can, the options are much more limited from what i can find in spore. 

moral of the story? if there is some personal reasons as to y u want to move to hk, eg partner, wife etc, then even if the odds are against you, there is at least some motivation to be here, but weigh your pros n cons carefully, n c how u can get additional help from you frens. 

if you just want to move to hk and try finding a job once u are here, i dont suggest u to do it, at least not for now. times are bad, rent is sky high. yeah no doubt that you can TRY to find a job, but the POSSIBILITY of success is LOW. where as your costs are HIGH, eg finding a place to stay(paying rent, which usually involves a year's contract), getting furniture, settling down, language barrier(i speak fluent chinese and english, but its still difficult to get around some places and make more local frens as hong konger's main language is still cantonese.) why put yourself in such a bad situation? find a job in hong kong first, then move over. good luck!


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## JWilliamson

Learning Cantonese and or mandarin will help you tremendously! Banking and anything with making money such as:sales, financ e, trading and generally office work is a plus (big plus). It is a different world here and yeah you can live in small bubbles (pockets) where expats tend to stay and never really be in Asia if you like. JW


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