Young, Energetic Australian

[Hammer91]

Hey guys,
I have been reading the posts and my curiosity in Hong Kong has only risen. I am currently a 2nd year uni student working at a large acounting firm in Sydney, Australia. I want to move abroad is it possible for me to study over there or do you think it is best i finished my studies in Australia?
Also how is the jobs in logistics is it plentiful?

Thankyou in advance

[vmlinuz]

Um... finish your course.

How is your Cantonese? And your Mandarin, for that matter... Do you have the right to live and work in HK? Are you willing and able to compete with locals who will work for what you would probably call a very low salary, since they'll be living with their parents or in a shoebox apartment? Or do you bring something which would justify an employer paying you significantly more than a local?

HK is a great place to live and work - but it's not an easy place to find work, particularly if you've got no obvious standout skills or experience, and no network of contacts. Young locals work for very low pay, compared with young professionals elsewhere, and they have family and friends to help them on their way.

[hello_there]

If you are at a good Australian university, stay there. Look into semester or summer exchange programs, where you could study here for a few months to get an idea of what it is like.

Also, apply for summer internships with international accounting firms, i-banks and other businesses with offices out here. Applications are generally due fairly early in the fall, so spend your summer researching which banks/ accounting firms have HK intern programs you are interested in and preparing a good resume and supporting materials. If your university has a career services center, try using that as a starting point for your summer job research. Don't leave things until the last minute. Summer internships often lead to higher paying jobs if you perform well. However, internships and higher paying entry level positions are not abundant here, so try to present yourself well.

If you land an internship, the company should take care of all your visa paperwork for you, so not having the right to work here isn't an issue.

Also, most expat positions at banks/ accounting firms do not require Mandarin fluency, but it wouldn't hurt for you to take a year or two of the language in school. While a couple years of Mandarin won't get you a job here, it shows that you are taking an interest in the region and looks nice on a resume.

[Hammer91]

Thanks for the tips, my mandarin and cantonese are non existant, but i definatley feel as though my people and communication skills will make me stand out. I sort of feel as though it could be easier to get into HK if i am younger but it does not seem that way.

I will continue my studies and hopefully go on vacation there soon.

[PC_Man]

Finish your course first I think, but then can get 1 year visa same as you can for UK.

Applies for Aussies and Kiwis only I think as part of an exchange deal with HK.

Need to apply for the visa before you come (not sure where) but have brought young sports men over on this before (not me personally but club I used to play for) - entitles you to work for 1 year.

Most people do bar work etc, some end up in schools but think there are no limitations on work (have vague memory of having to change job though at leats once whilst here...)