I hope to work in Hong Kong after completing my Commerce/Law Degree in UNSW. Can someone walk me through the possible path that I'd have to take to reach there? Preferably, I want to work for an Australian subsidiary such as the HK Branch of a company like Macquarie Group.
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Working in Hong Kong in the future? (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter chakky123
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mitchy_boy
blue
learn canto, and get 99 in all your subjects
it's hard enough to get a job with macquarie as it is, let alone going Over seas,
one
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it's hard enough to get a job with macquarie as it is, let alone going Over seas,
one
step
at
a
time
Thanks for your reply. I know it is going to be hard, but I dont necessarily need to get into Macquarie. I would be happy to be working for any Australian company as long as it's based in Hong Kong. I already speak Canto, but is it easy to request an overseas transfer when I am in the company?
mitchy_boy
blue
it really depends on the company, and the position you hold, what year are you in at uni?
2nd year.
mitchy_boy
blue
just finished? or about to start?
lyounamu
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Honestly, no need to learn Canto. English is very common in HK. For most firms, I assume English is only the necessary language. Secondly, no need to get 99 either. I am sure the job demand in HK is far much greater job demand here in Australia. 99? Nah. More like decent mark 70+ and nice presentation will score you a job.
However, what's essential is the right visa to work in HK.
Depends on company and industry. What are you looking at?
Either recruit directly to HK or recruit in Australia and hope to transfer to HK at a later date.
Visa depends on company policy but if they are willing to recruit you from Australia, they will sponsor visa.
Either recruit directly to HK or recruit in Australia and hope to transfer to HK at a later date.
Visa depends on company policy but if they are willing to recruit you from Australia, they will sponsor visa.
You are right to assume job demand in HK is far more greater than AUS, but you need to get your gpa/wam as high as yon can. Why? HK a global city and financial center, you are competing with bright talents around the globe. Not to mention people from mainland has some advantages.
Lettuce be honest, good law and finance job here in AUS already hard enough to get into what makes you think he'll easily get into some job in HK.
op, learn canto and get your marks as high as possible. Also fill up your resume.
kaz1
et tu
Hong Kong is pretty gross.
lyounamu
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But I would still argue that marks around 70 are good enough. I have 2 mates who are going to HK this summer for IB experiences (morgan stanley + some other one). They are sitting on mid 70 WAM atm.
Getting a job in Aus is difficult? Yes it would be very difficult without skills to sell yourself. Even from my personal experience, I was below 80 WAM when I got Big 4 + MC (not MK/Bain/BCG) and I know tonnes....yes tonnes of people who were around 70 WAM who got offered internships/cadetships at Big 4 banks/accounting firms (including IBM, zurich). It's more about work experience that you had as well as your ability to sell yourself through interviews and ACs.
At the end of the day, marks are only important to certain point and what firms look for are the individuals with various strength & experience and determination to complete all the given task (and go beyond that of course).
I would daresay that marks are only important to certain point where recruiters decide to see you for interview or not. From that on, it's just how you present yourself.
And yes, that's not to say that marks are meaningless. That's why I said 70+ to be on more conservative side.
I dont know what you mean by "as high as you can". But if I had the choice of getting a work experience but lowering my marks little bit, I would take that any day.
Probably because to apply to those HK positions from Aus, you mostly need to be able to speak Mandarin. I assume with 70 WAM, they are not doing a straight Commerce degree and have very good work experience/ECs otherwise they wouldn't have made the cut to interviews.
Work experience and ECs can always compensate for poorer marks. Not to mention some firms don't like people with high marks and no work experience/ECs.
Newbie
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two pathways for your consideration
1. Investment Banking - you need very good mandarin skills, potentially need to work in the sydney office and then transfer over after your first or second year. Can get lucky in the HK internship recruitment rounds for next july (HURRY interviews are starting next week and through to Jan) but frankly though UNSW will not get hired over an ivy League. WAM: 70+
2. Law - need to get a grad offer or at least summer internship in hk (all the big ones are here, not so much the aussie big6). Then you need to do an extra year of PCLL. Very tough work environment (imagine Australia x 1.5 the hours). WAM 70+ (you are competing against UK universities)
dont bother with anything else as you will be paid local pay for accounting and consulting firms (ie fuck all)
Visa as someone mentioned is not an issue
1. Investment Banking - you need very good mandarin skills, potentially need to work in the sydney office and then transfer over after your first or second year. Can get lucky in the HK internship recruitment rounds for next july (HURRY interviews are starting next week and through to Jan) but frankly though UNSW will not get hired over an ivy League. WAM: 70+
2. Law - need to get a grad offer or at least summer internship in hk (all the big ones are here, not so much the aussie big6). Then you need to do an extra year of PCLL. Very tough work environment (imagine Australia x 1.5 the hours). WAM 70+ (you are competing against UK universities)
dont bother with anything else as you will be paid local pay for accounting and consulting firms (ie fuck all)
Visa as someone mentioned is not an issue
seremify007
Junior Member
I think the OP has got his priorities/thought process around the wrong way. Key questions are what is his intended career path (e.g. accounting, law, finance, etc), and why does he want to work in HK. How important is it to work in HK (i.e. is it a nice to have, or something which you must have at some point, or something which you must have as your first grad job). I use 'he' loosely as it may be a she.
In pretty much every Commerce field, there is potential to work in HK and in some cases it's more desirable than others... but realistically if you are wanting a company/firm to sponsor and transfer you to HK, you need to show that you are both of a sufficiently high quality to make it worthwhile (either the company needs to get a benefit from you coming back and increased skills/experience/loyalty, or you need to be good enough to transfer over so they don't look like idiots for sending you), and also you need to be able to fit in with the locals for whatever reason. Knowing cantonese is obviously a big help over there, but it also depends what nationality/appearance you have- if you look Asian, you'll be socially expected to know cantonese.
In pretty much every Commerce field, there is potential to work in HK and in some cases it's more desirable than others... but realistically if you are wanting a company/firm to sponsor and transfer you to HK, you need to show that you are both of a sufficiently high quality to make it worthwhile (either the company needs to get a benefit from you coming back and increased skills/experience/loyalty, or you need to be good enough to transfer over so they don't look like idiots for sending you), and also you need to be able to fit in with the locals for whatever reason. Knowing cantonese is obviously a big help over there, but it also depends what nationality/appearance you have- if you look Asian, you'll be socially expected to know cantonese.
Omnidragon
Devil
Lol that's the last place you'd want to work, let alone in HK. Good luck with your $20k bonuses. Not sure if you can afford some A Testoni shoes with that.
Omnidragon
Devil
That's the worst advice I've ever heard... learn Canto. Hahahahaha. What are you, living under a rock?
Omnidragon
Devil
Wrong again! Another noob.
Here's the real trick. Learn mando, or you've just lost 60% of the job opps.
Gee you kids talk with so much authority but have nfi what you're saying.
seremify007
Junior Member
I wonder how many people here have sat in on a graduate or post-graduate interview for an international job before... but anyway, I'd say canto is socially expected unless you don't look Asian.
Omnidragon
Devil
Socially expected - definitely not needed in my field though.
Depends what sort of jobs you're after. Had a friend just go over to a property/construction firm - Canto there was important.
Depends what sort of jobs you're after. Had a friend just go over to a property/construction firm - Canto there was important.
seremify007
Junior Member
Let's make this topic more relevant/timely now- Omnidragon, would you recommend HK as the place to go for new people or do you see the demand moving elsewhere? Singapore perhaps?