[doraemon]

Hi everyone. i'd just like to know, how long it takes for a foreigner, who is unable to speak any cantonese or Mandarin, without a working visa, to get a job here in Hong Kong.
Usually, how to find a job here other than jobsdb and scmp? well, just got no answer from them, i am wondering if it really works.. maybe not in my case.
hope to know your experiences, thank you everyone!!

[PDLM]

How long is a piece of string?

[jimbo]

Originally Posted by PDLM

How long is a piece of string?

Agreed it depends on a lot of factors such as.

Your experience

Your chosen field

Your salary demands

Your native country

The quality of your C.V

Don't rely on looking for job openings in the papers and or online, you'll need to network and get yourself known. Head to chamber of commerce cocktail evenings. Trade shows etc that kind of thing.

[doraemon]

i know it depends on many factors.. i am just trying to know the "general situation" and the job market here.

my friend has...bachelor degree.. and maybe 8-9 years of working experience... i think.. it is not a very special or outstanding qualification here

[jimbo]

Put it this way.

I have 17 years experience in the global mnc sector. Excellent references and I'm still nowhere further than where I was when I first arrived in HK 8 months ago.

Better qualified people than myself have given up already and went back home.

Unless you have an excellent network out here and an almost unlimited supply of money and the patience of a saint then I would not suggest that anybody comes out to HK without a job to go to.

firstly you have these things working against you.

Fresh/recent graduates will work for peanuts just to get there foot in the door. They're still living at home so are able to live on a salary of $12000 a month.

They don't need sponsorship for a work permit and can start immediately.

They're fluent in cantonese/mandarin and have a good level of english.

Locals in HR don't understand the western C.V and will in fact pass you over when in fact you're better qualified etc than the locals.

They think that applying for a work permit on your behalf is too much hassle.

Does that answer your question?

Yes I've learnt this from experience.

[JAherbert]

Originally Posted by jimbo

Put it this way.

I have 17 years experience in the global mnc sector. Excellent references and I'm still nowhere further than where I was when I first arrived in HK 8 months ago.

Better qualified people than myself have given up already and went back home.

Unless you have an excellent network out here and an almost unlimited supply of money and the patience of a saint then I would not suggest that anybody comes out to HK without a job to go to.

firstly you have these things working against you.

Fresh/recent graduates will work for peanuts just to get there foot in the door. They're still living at home so are able to live on a salary of $12000 a month.

They don't need sponsorship for a work permit and can start immediately.

They're fluent in cantonese/mandarin and have a good level of english.

Locals in HR don't understand the western C.V and will in fact pass you over when in fact you're better qualified etc than the locals.

They think that applying for a work permit on your behalf is too much hassle.

Does that answer your question?

Yes I've learnt this from experience.

my 2 cents

It is not what you know, it is WHO you know.........with xx yrs under the belt you guys should know that sending CV's to prospects here is futile.

You need a network, assuming your were employed do you have the necessary contacts in your industry both here and overseas to sell the product/market the goods/know the local regulations?

Not sure if you applies to the OP, but here is a simple example, US engineers would be luckly to find an employer here because they dont know the local regualtions (can only learn with time served) whereas UK engineers know the UK regulations - and the HK regulations are based on those. Of course the US engineer could burn employers time trying to learn the regulations, but they will make mistakes and that requires extra supervision.

Anyway it is my view that personal contact is the primary means to secure a position here. One idea, if you need help to make a name for yourself get writing reports/articles for the newspapers, website, etc. all need content, position yourself as a expert in a particular field/sector, will not happen overnight but once your name is known finding a position will be much easy.

[jimbo]

Oh of course its got a lot to do with networks too.

I'm in the process of getting together a good network and will be attending some networking meetings over the next few weeks. But of course all this takes time.

sending out your c.v can work but of course you can't rely/depend on it.
once in a blue moon you may strike it lucky though.

[shiphq]

Originally Posted by doraemon

Hi everyone. i'd just like to know, how long it takes for a foreigner, who is unable to speak any cantonese or Mandarin, without a working visa, to get a job here in Hong Kong.
Usually, how to find a job here other than jobsdb and scmp? well, just got no answer from them, i am wondering if it really works.. maybe not in my case.
hope to know your experiences, thank you everyone!!

No offense, but how can you go into a country, not know the language, not have the legal right to work there, and expect to get hired over locally qualified employees?

If you really want to work in HK, you should work for a multi-national corporation in your home country and find a way to transfer in. And even so, you must learn Chinese.

Or a short-cut to working in HK: teach English.

In America, lots of Americans get angry that immigrants come into their country without speaking English. Yet, a lot of Americans go to Hong Kong and then complain that they need to learn Chinese. So hypocritical!

[doraemon]

i know it is difficult..
but i didn't expect that is so.. frustrating...

[RedKiera]

The interviews that I have been to so far have been arranged because I knew a person who knew the recruiter/a person in a dept looking for someone.

It pays to really network in this town and get it out there that you're looking for work.