[jimbo]

I have recently relocated to Hk from u.k and have 5 years I.T helpdesk experience working for firms such as Deloitte, Visa, BBC, Accenture etc.

Prior to I.T i had 10 years customer service experience, What I'm struggling with is the fact that I will need a work visa and at the moment I feel as if I'm pretty much untouchable due to this.

I have a lot of good skills and experience with a variety of global companies and I'm not even gettting any response or feedback when applying for roles direct, Agencies won't even give me the time of day either as soon as they know I'm not fluent in Canto then thats where the conversation ends.

Its the total opposite when I was back in London where I was getting 6 calls/e-mails a week offering me work.

Am I doomed or is it just that the market is quiet at present?

I've thought about retraining and doing a TESOL course in the new year but I feel that 16 years experience of working for a wide variety of blue chip financials is wasted.

[carang]

sorry to tell you this, but you're NOT in london... in london, the language of business is English... in HK the majority of business is still conducted in cantonese, although there are, of course, the large multi-nationals out there that will use more english.

you ARE in a foreign country, and of course they need people to speak to the 98% of the population that converses in Cantones(or anothe dialect of chinese).

that said, there ARE jobs out there for people that don't speak any cantonese, they are just harder to find. keep your chin up and kepp on trying, you're bound to find something that suits you.

it won't be easy. companies must prove to immigration that you have something that the locals don't. because of this, it can be difficult for some smaller companies to go through the cost and hassle of sponsoring a work visa.

but like i said earlier, there are jobs out there, you just need to keep looking.

good luck!

[Grungerock]

I am the same situation as you as i myself as a chinese but cannot communicate well in canto. Bear in mind that in Hong Kong, even though you work in overseas with more than 10 years working experience (global MNCs, etc), they do not consider that as an "real work experience" because after all they consider that your work experience in Hong Kong is "zero".

Unless you can land yourself in an all expat run company - then that may be a different case.

PM me if you wanna chat more!