[MaggieGoh]

Hi to all. I'm a Singaporean working in the marketing comm field and have recently graduated with a graduate diploma in marketing comm. I would like to move to HK and to look for a job in the marketing communications/PR/account servicing areas. HK is simply cosmopolitan and exciting and I believe I wld enjoy the working here.

However, I have tried sending my resumes in response to job postings in various websites in the past few months and have not had much results, except for an interview (conference call) with one company who is looking for a marketing executive

Wld anyone be able to advise me how to source for a job in the above-mentioned area? Is it tough looking for a job in this area? I can speak fluent English and Chinese, and is brushing up my Cantonese so as to fulfill my dream of working in HK.

Hope to Hear from u guys soon

[julianleong]

Hi Maggie,

I am from Singapore too. I am graduating from my part time masters in Marketing in May. I intend to look for a job in HK too. How's it going for you?

Julian

[oneiros910]

Hi Guys

Been looking at the other messages placed in this forum and it seems to suggest that it is quite difficult to source a job here particularly if you are a recent graduate.

There appear to be certain criteria that will help such as earning a package above HK$20K per month, having specific skills they can't source locally (this is a big one), working in a particular industry that cannot easily pull from local talent (IT is not one of these as there are a plethora of IT consultants)

The more generic the role the easier it is to fill in HK which means that immigration will ask why a local can't perform that function.

From experience the best way to approach this is one of two ways:-

1. Work for a Multinational that after 1-2 years can transfer you to Hong Kong branch(this means you would have specific knowledge of the internal workings of the company that the company requires)
2. Work your network of contacts and get them to refer you to a role.

My girlfriend took the first route and she is currently working in HK. I have taken the second route and am now applying for a permit.

It also seems that the more senior the person the easier it is to get a permit, and it also depends upon the ratio of ex pats in a company in relation to locals and soforth.

Not wanting to discourage you but this is what I have gleaned from my experiences.

[julianleong]

Hi,

I got the same conclusion too, after some research and asking around. Well, seems like I should go to China instead. I am not going to try option 1, because I definitely want to get out of Singapore. So, maybe after working in China (most probably Shenzhen), I might get an opportunity to work in HK. Too bad, man.

[HJC]

Hi All.

I'm a Malaysian working in Sydney but will be taking up a new posting in HK shortly as a senior marketing manager / regional marketing director.

I don't want to discourage you but the path of least resistance would be to work with an MNC in Singapore, secure some reasonable experience which sets you apart from the average Joe in HK and then do a transfer there.

HK's just emerging from a pretty difficult economic climate and the govt there has taken steps to ensure that foreigners do not "take away" jobs which could be taken up by a local.

One clear advantage you have as a S'porean is that you're bilingual which allows you a better grip of the 'Western' way of doing business vs the 'Asian' way. Unlike myself, I do not speak good Mandarin nor Cantonese.

Hope this helps. Good luck.

HJC

[julianleong]

Thanks HJC,

I know how tight the situation in HK is, and good for you that you secured a position there. I won't be staying in Singapore because I really want to get out of here after being here for so long. I intend to venture into China if I can't go to Hong Kong in the short term.

Well, life is short, I want to pursue my dream while I am young. Good luck to you too, my neighbour( in terms of our nations proximity and our future working locations).

Julian

[potatoes_chips]

hi there,

I am singaporean too, hunting for a job in HK now. I have arrived here for about 1.5weeks & have been granted 2 interviews till date.
Given my past trials, i would say being here physically really increase your chances of getting a job, becoz i did the most secure thing of sending my resume online & turns out that i didnt get a single reply.

good luck to all of you,

cheerios,
Lai Peng

[bingo]

Hey guys, just a question.... I identify with quite a few people in the thread, dying to get out of Singapore, wanting to get more exposure... But why Hong Kong? Why not Europe, US?

I did what Potato Chips (Lai Peng) did. I came here for personal reasons, my boyfriend works here. Sent resumes for a few months, no reply... then actually shifted all my stuff here and moved over to look for a job. Took quite a few months (3 months), in the midst of which, only less than 5 responses to my resumes. It was admittedly a depressing period. But in the end, I landed on a good job, good pay, so no regrets. I had a lot of luck and also tried to build up my resume while I was in Singapore... certifications, awards. But cheer up everyone! U can do it!

[julianleong]

Seems like coming here physically would be the best option. However, I have one problem. I do not have much commercial experiences, and I do not know what kind of job I could get and the salary is another problem. HKD10,000 to HKD15,000 per month would barely allow me to survive if I have to pay for everything, including housing. Also, I do not konw if I could get this salary in the first place. Any opinions?

[KnowItAll]

Why not work in Singapore for a couple of years?