MikeF

Hi,

I live in Aberdeen in Scotland and work as a Network Administrator. If I wanted to move to Hong Kong then how would I go about it ? Getting a job etc ? Can you buy a small flat there or are they all too expensive ? Is there a lot of demand for IT people like myself or would I have to go through the teaching english route ?

Regards,

Mike

paddythepilot

Mike,

If you are serious about looking for a job in HK try looking at the 'South China Morning Post' web-site classifieds (www.scmp.com)

From what I know there are jobs here for IT guys, but like 75% of all jobs here most are not advertised but are passed around through word of mouth (keeps the costs down). It would be easier to actually come here and try your luck!

Yes you can buy a small flat here, in fact the prices are now becoming reasonable. There was a property bubble in 1997 which subsequently burst.......apparently prices are now 70% down from their peak! (UK be warned!).

As a guide you could probably find a brand new 2 bed place, (nice one with a sea view), in a decent location for around 120,000 Quid these days.

Beward though......prices are still falling, so it would be wise to rent first!

If you really want any more details please feel free to send me a Personal message and I'll try to help!

By the way Hong Kong is a great place, wonderfully exciting and very good financially (15% salary tax) but can I ask why you are interested in moving here?

Cheers

ladyofthelake

Wow! I'm amazed to hear the property prices have dropped so much since we were there in '97. Have wages taken a dive aswell? I was only there for a year and was sad to leave when the time came. Took me while to get used to it in the first place though!

paddythepilot

Yep!

Salaries have taken a bit of a hit, un-employment is now at around 8%........which is hight for Hong Kong as you know.

Property prices have fallen an average of 10% in the past 6 months alone, so it has been seriously bad for anyone who bought anything around 1996/97.

Having said that, HK is still a wonderful place to work and the financial rewards are still very good compared to say UK.

Shame about the pollution though eh?

Cheers

ladyofthelake

Saw a program about the top ten places for shark attacks on Discovery last week. Hong Kong came in at number 10! Apparently there have been 7 attacks since 1990 and all were fatal. Another reason not to go swimming eh? Never liked the look of the water either. Even though I lived in the NT at the Gold Coast with the beach so close by, not even my little toe ever went into the water!

This may be a daft question but, I have the Over Hong Kong book Volumn V , did you have anything to do with the flights to take the pictures? I love looking at that book, and wonder how much more has been built since it was published!

paddythepilot

Whilst I am a pilot, I was not the helicopter pilot who flew for the 'Over Hong Kong' book, shame really........nice charter job!

Actually I only fly for fun, during the rest of my life I work as a Security Manager.

Don't worry too much about sharks in the waters around HK, most of the attacks happened off Sai Kung where the water is 'reasonably' clean. Apparently most shark attacks happen in the early morning, sharks eat breakfast early I guess!

You are more likely to be subject to a 'shark attack' if you go shopping for a camera in Tsimshatsui!

Cheers.

ozbear

British citizen can work in HK without work permit or work visa? How about Australia citizen?

ladyofthelake

Prior to 1997 British Citizens did not need a work visa. Now a work permit is required for all non-Hong Kong permanent resident card holders or those who do not have right-of-abode status.

paddythepilot

Yes! It is now true that all British Citizens and everyone else now require a Working Visa to work in Hong Kong since 1997.

In fact you now have to live here for 7 years to obtain your PR........long time eh?

Cheers

wongstonn

Hi All

I've an interest in working in HK too. My wife is Hong Kong Chinese and due to family circumstances we may be obliged to move over there from my native Britain.

My main query to readers in the know is how difficuly is it to get jobs when one can only speak English? Having been to HK several times since '97, I've noticed that many more job ads in the South China Morning Post ask for Cantonese and/or Mandarin speaking skills nowadays. I'm an IT project manager for a blue chip UK insurer (with no HK presence, unfortunately).

Thanks

Neil

paddythepilot

Neil,

There are loads (Thousands) of people work work in Hong Kong who can't speak a word of Cantonese, so don't worry too much about the language requirements.

Basically Native English speakers still seem to get jobs quite easily and so I think it is still worth your while to give it a go!

I am not sure about the IT industry here, but most likely you would need to arrive and then do some networking to see what opportunities there are in your area.

Lucky for us the economy is now turning around and everything is improving!

Life can be very good here and salaries are still better than in London!

Please let me know if you need any further assistance.

Cheers & good luck!

wongstonn

Thanks for that, Paddy.

I've just come back from a fleeting visit to HK. One of the things I did while there was look around some kindergartens for my daughter. I don't know if you, or anyone else reading this, will be able to help me on this query:

Do you know of any kindergartens, especially on HK Island, that provide all day provision for 3 year olds? The one that I visited (Victoria International School in South Horizons, Ap Lei Chau) said not when I asked. The others that I saw advertised did not either. Given that I am struggling already, it seems silly to be more picky, but bilingual English/Cantonese would be ideal!

Thanks

Neil

paddythepilot

Neil,

Your lucky! My Wife is a Kindergarten teacher here in Hong Kong, (well Kowloon Tong actually).

OK try the following web-site where you can find links to all the kindergatens in Hong Kong Island, you will find some offer a full-day option:

embhsc.hkedcity.net/kindergarten/index.html

Hopefully you will find something suitable there for your kid.

Let me know if you need any more assistance or you fancy a beer in Wanchai next time you are back in town.

Good luck!

Desert Dweller

Hong Kong is a cool place to live, especially if you like getting out and doing things. Rent is one of the killers about being here, but you can easily live in a bigger place if you live slightly outside the centre in places such as Lamma Island or Sai Kung.
I moved here with a company called Links Relocations who turned out to be much cheaper in the long run than Crown and Allied etc. They also have a good resource website at www.linksrelocations.com Another good website for jobs is www.jobsdb.com which seems to have a lot of jobs. The SCMP site also has the recruitment agencies listed.
Good luck. Where in Aberdeen do you live? I used to live in Bieldside and miss the place a lot.