[Soulglider009]

Thanks again for the advise guys
@Boris: Australia would be great too, but most of my focus is on HK.

@Hello_there: I'll look into that as an alternative option, thanks. Question: So there are no expats in unskilled / low skilled jobs? Is it that there is really a scarcity of work and an abundance of locals to fill the market?

@alby: Very good advise, I will start doing that ASAP. I'll have a list of companies with background profiles and current projects etc that I want to visit before i go..

I'm trying my best to not go cold turkey.. I'll be spending this month calling / sending resumes and try to set up in person interviews for next month.. hopefully I won't have much work to do once I get over there.

[freeier]

i'd say in singapore is alot easier.
visa requirement are not as strict.. pay is slightly lower but u can trod along fine.

singapore - hk is just a 3.5 hours taxi ride.

[Boris]

Originally Posted by freeier

singapore - hk is just a 3.5 hours taxi ride.

As long as the taxi can do about 500 miles per hour !!

[freeier]

the one that most ppl take do travel at that speed. so it works.

[erictby]

Originally Posted by Soulglider009

the plan: my friend in HK says I can crash with him until I find a job (ie I dont have to pay rent), but after buying the plane ticket I will only have about 1300 US left for food / transportation / random expenses.. is that enough to get me through the job hunt process? I don't need to live extravagantly and am used to living on very little.

You are really an Adventurous guy!!!

If you are lucky, get the jobs, everything turned fine after 2 or 3 months.

If you are unlucky, didn't get jobs, go back with empty pocket, how you survive? Stay with family member until
get jobs? You even can't go others city to try your luck.

Why not just started intercity adventure first, built up your experiences, saved your bullet (money) before started your international adventure since you are really very young?

[keto1]

OP,


I am going to take a stab in the dark and assume you are white, and like Asia because you like foreign countries, asian ladies (there's no shame in that), and your gf.

I am being deliberately specific because it means you have two different things to consider.

1- LOGICAL Assessment

Without Cantonese, or a profession, I cant see any reason why a HK company would hire you.

But you do have what Singapore wants though.

Being a mandarin speaking white male makes you creme-del-a-creme in singapore, both in terms of jobs and socially.

Singapore speaks (semi) fluent English and (semi) fluent Mandarin. You speak both, so you have natural skills. SG is also easier to get into visa wise (depends on the job of course, but in general). English tv, radio and magazines are everywhere and there is almost no adapting for you to do, besides the tropical weather, esp compared to a year in China.

Many companies in SG do business in China. Again, you have actual hands on experience.

I dont think you mentioned your actual qualification, but I assume you dont have a profession per se. So use the skills you have.

2- EMOTIONAL assessment.

So your CV really says Singapore, but your heart says HK.

You mention your gf is "canto". Is she actually from HK or the nearby GuangDuong (sp?) province? If from China, then again you have natural skills allowing you to get a job- interpreter, teacher, in China.

If HK, then how close are you to the gf? Does she have a job or profession? Would you stay together in a LTR if you went to SG and she was in HK? As mentioned above, they are only 4 hours apart.


Good luck to you in finding a job in HK.


But I have to say I have yet to hear of a young Caucasian with no skills finding a job and staying in HK. Perhaps others on the forum do know of such ppl.

[freeier]

Originally Posted by keto1

Being a mandarin speaking white male makes you creme-del-a-creme in singapore, both in terms of jobs and socially.

Singapore speaks (semi) fluent English and (semi) fluent Mandarin. You speak both, so you have natural skills. SG is also easier to get into visa wise (depends on the job of course, but in general). English tv, radio and magazines are everywhere and there is almost no adapting for you to do, besides the tropical weather, esp compared to a year in China.

that's an interesting assessment that i am not sure how true it is. the part on ease of visa, i think its quite true. most foreigners can get some form of workign visa in singapore..

but whether socially that white is a cream ? i'd suspect that. if u have been the senior manager of a fortune 500 company, yes. if you are just a new freshie from the uni.. i think the deal in sg wld be much worst than in hk. monetarily and socially.

of cos there are woman out there (coined the sarong party gers) that simply will stick to the whites.. but i do think these also are picky (of the rich ones) and most of the time they are quite shunt by the local guys in the first place. 8-P

[Soulglider009]

Actually what i meant by canto gf was she was my gf a while back, but we broke up a while ago.. we were together while i was living in beijing. (2005-2006)

Update: Actually ive been applying to many jobs posted through online sites, such as south china morning post online and I already have an interview set up for next month with AIG. Thats just 1 out of the 20+ positions I've applied for in the last 4 days though, so I'm hoping to hear more back, but we'll see.

I understand what you're saying that a fresh grad from overseas doesnt have more much to offer, but i do have fluency in mandarin and am a native english speaker.. plus a degree from one of the top universities in the US to boot. I interned this last year for a financial services firm with investments. I know it doesnt amount to much, but I'm not looking for a 6 figure job: im looking for something decent to start my career off to get me to Hong Kong and hopefully move up from there.

I'm mostly worried now about getting a work visa...

[hello_there]

Originally Posted by Soulglider009

I already have an interview set up for next month with AIG.

If your interview is for one of those ever-present financial planning blah blah type of positions, just go into it realizing that you won't be granted a visa for this job. Its not worth the flight out.

If its for something else, good luck.

[KnowItAll]

Watch out for the insurance company interview offers. They're basically going to try and scam you into a 100% commission based position - with no prospects of applying for or getting a visa approved.