[om23]

Posted this on the Shanghai Expat WEBSITE. Hopefully HK can shed more light on this issue for me.

Background
I have been working in Shanghai for the past 6 months. Have loved every minute and enjoyed all the so called "expat benefits". God knows I wouldn't have got it in any other country (maybe the middle east). I find Shanghai, a very affordable city and the lifestyle relatively laid back.

The Dilemma
The girlfriend has landed herself a job in HK and wants me to move in with her. I wouldn't really mind moving and have sent out resumes already (to no response). I ONLY have a couple of years of experience in my field and hear that there is a lot of competition from returning Chinese and local HK graduates. So there is no real preference for hiring an expat. Is this true?

Need suggestions/ advice from all of you on -
a) The best way to job search in HK for an early career professional like me (as I have no real contacts there) ...

b) Since, the HK standard of living is also much higher than SH. What DO YOU THINK would be the Hong Kong equivalent to 13,500 RMB a month and housing paid in Shanghai? I am willing to take salary cut as living with the GF will make life much simpler, cheaper (she is really good with money and it rubs off on me when I am with her) and also curb my temptation to go out and party.

c) Do better opportunities for career growth exist in HK? Is it really worth trying so hard to move?

I consider this a important decision any advice positive/negative would be appreciated ... Thank you all in advance and look forward to reading your thoughts/views ...

[KnowItAll]

What sector are you interested in working in?

[om23]

Consulting or market research. My experience is mainly in B2B research in the Energy sector.

[PDLM]

There are certainly plenty of non-local, non-Cantonese speakers working in the market research / intelligence / PR / etc agencies. But your difficulty might be getting an Employment Visa given your limited experience (firstly finding an employer who'd have a go at the sponsorship, and secondly getting ImmD to accept it).

Your chances would be significantly higher if you married your g/f because then you would get a Dependant Visa which would allow you to work anywhere without further paperwork.

[om23]

Are visa sponsorships really that hard to get? 'coz for China (mainland) it was a piece of cake ...I'm not getting married now that's for sure ...

[KnowItAll]

Technically your employer has to prove that they cannot hire a resident at current market rates to fill your position, before IMMD will approve an employment visa in HK.

More difficult process than mainland china.

[om23]

Wow ... Thanks knowitall and PDLM for your posts.

Guess I was wrong and rather naive about the working conditions for expats in HK. After going through the posts and the other threads on this website, think I got to do a lot of research before I do decide to move ... Gonna keep trying tho' .. Any job search tips would be really helpful at this stage...

[KnowItAll]

Got TEFL certification? .. seems to work for a lot of folks.

[om23]

actually wanted to do something for my career, Teaching English is not an option. I guess i'll keep trying and if it doesn't work out , Shanghai is the city I will continue to stay in...

[KnowItAll]

Best advice I can offer then is to move to HK for a month and hit the streets. Very few people / HR departments will reply to overseas applicants - you'd be surprised how many emails they get.