Flor

Hello everyone - we have decided finally to try and move to HK, after growing 'restless' in London for the last couple of years ...

My husband is English, working in IT as NT Admin with over 10 years experience; I'm originally from an European country and work as an account manager for an International hotel company. We also have a 3 year old daughter (no profession for her ... just yet! ).

We basically are a bit lost as to what to do next. I know we need to get sponsorship from a company over there... I guess I would like to know what 'employeable' our proffesions are, whether try to get a deal with a company based in London or try directly in Hong Kong .... if it was only two of us we would just risk it and go directly and search for a job once there, but with the little one we'd prefer a 'safety net' before venturing out there! We also have a good life here in London, at least on paper (big house in nice area, can afford good education for our daughter, etc), and wouldnt want to be worse off if we move to HK (maybe an orientation on salaries we may get would help...)

I guess any advise on our chances, and how to start things moving would be really appreciated; there are many experts in this forum, hope I can get your input!!

Thank you in advance
-Flor

JackTheLad

Hi Flor,

Just curious, what made you decide to move to Hong Kong? Have you been there before and have you got family and friends there?

I am originally from HK and worked there for a number of years. Nearly all of the expats I have met were either in finance (investment banking to be preciese), ran their own businesses, or transferred within large multinational companies.

There are already lots of IT professionals in HK so I wouldn't expect your husband to have any advantages over the locals on getting an NT admin job, even if you speak Cantonese. I personally know quite a few local NT administrators with 6-13 years' experience so I'm sure there's no shortage of them.

Your experience as account manager in a hotel chain though can be quite interesting. Does your company in the UK have an operation in HK or mainland China? That might be your best bet if you can transfer internally. I'm not familiar with the hotel industry so can't comment on the job market.

For either job, do a search in the classified section of the South China Morning Post (the leading English paper in HK), there are a number of hotel and IT jobs:

http://www.classifiedpost.com/jshome.php

Here's the paper's homepage:

http://www.scmp.com/

The paper version of the SCMP every Saturday has multiple sections (usually 10+ sections) on jobs called the Career Post. If you can find someone to send you a copy you might have a better idea on what is out there.

Good luck,
Mrs JTL

alexleeson

I am curious as to WHY HK? If it is for quality of life, forget it! If it is just for the sake of a new experience.. then only for a short while.

There are many other nice places to live... Canada, Australia, even UK is better.

I have lived in Asia for a few years and I lived in HK for a year - the quality of life is bad compared to UK - so many people (you queue even for restaurants), long hours of work (six days a week is the norm and not five), 2 weeks vacation only a year, accommodation is expensive and very very small.

Even very senior professional people have small flats with tiny rooms- so you would have to consider that. I had two bedrooms both the size of a kingsize bed. I remember my whole apartment could have fit into my 12x20 lounge in the UK (and it was a 2 bed flat!) I felt very claustrophobic there, and as much as possible went out of the city to the other islands to get away (these are beautiful).

I don't want to be all doom and gloom. It was fun to experience for a year, and I made some good friends, but never again! I also enjoyed having a maid to do everything for me - maids/nannies are cheap in HK.

I now have a family, and I would never subject my childre to living in a cramped apartment, with seeing a patch of green park as a special treat rather than the norm.

The good thing is the money - though if you are not an expat, most of it goes into accommodation.

Good luck in your decision.

Tycoon 2 B

My dad worked there with cable and wireless. Meaning my whole family lived there when I was three years old and again when I was 9 - 11 years old.

It was awful. Heavily polluted. We had no garden to play in - stuck in a damp flat. Traffic was a nightmare.

Wouldn't wish it on anyone.

Also, it is v. expensive property wise. Cannot think why you want to go there?

We are thinking about leaving UK but more inclined to go to Dominican Republic/Panama/Thailand for cheap cost of living and good quality of life.

I wouldn't say either applied to H.K.

Perhaps you should go for a long holiday to get to know it a bit better?

Desert Dweller

[QUOTE=Tycoon 2 B].....Heavily polluted......We had no garden to play in - stuck in a damp flat. Traffic was a nightmare. We are thinking about leaving UK but more inclined to go to ---- Thailand for cheap cost of living and good quality of life.
[QUOTE]

The only place you'll be able to make money in Thailand is Bangkok and that is worse than HK.
Not all accomodation is small in HK and definitely not damp. Agree on garden space unless you're up in the New Terrirories.
Hong Kong is a great place but it does take a certain person to enjoy it, fortunately the large majority of expats here do.
You may as well do a couple of years at least in Hong Kong and put as much money in your bank as possible so later in life you have the option of choosing where you want to live as opposed to thinking about making money.

Tycoon 2 B

This is nonsense...
The only place you'll be able to make money in Thailand is Bangkok and that is worse than HK.
Not all accomodation is small in HK and definitely not damp. Agree on garden space unless you're up in the New Terrirories.
Hong Kong is a great place but it does take a certain person to enjoy it, fortunately the large majority of expats here do.
You may as well do a couple of years at least in Hong Kong and put as much money in your bank as possible so later in life you have the option of choosing where you want to live as opposed to thinking about making money.[/QUOTE]

It totally depends how you make your money...

If you are in construction/property there is loads of money to be made all over Thailand. If you are IT inclined and you make your money over the internet you could live anywhere...

Our accommodation was not small - Cable and Wireless paid for it... but it was in a flat. Hong Kong is humid. It is DAMP. We had humidifier's running constantly and had to tip water out all the time. Pictures crease up, clothes go mouldy...

Where in HK do you live???

Bangkok is horrible it is a polluted city.

HK is a tiny place where millions live... it is all heavily populated and polluted.

Just wouldn't bring up children there having experienced it as a child myself. There are nicer places to live.

But then if you are going to palm your kids off on arma's and go out every night. Perhaps I am wrong - HK would be great for you.

hongkonger

hi,

I disagree with most of the previous messages and advice, you see I live in Hong Kong, moved here more than 12 years ago, and still love the place......
in addition to the link from the classified post (that the primary english newspaper here) visit click here,
and here for more information.

And yes To work you will need an employment visa sponsored by your employer, not a simple task if you are in London.

Perhaps it might be worth considering a holiday, and search for work on the ground very much easily than from abroad.

cheers,
John

Tycoon 2 B

Don't know what you disagree with?

All I stated was facts and from my experience of HK. How can you disagree with that. Go to any weather channel or website and you can get humidity measures.