frustrated with unemployment

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  1. #1

    frustrated with unemployment

    Hi,

    I moved here from the UK in Nov 2007 to follow my husband's career, and after having my 2nd boy in February this year, I am having a nightmare trying to find work.

    I'm so fed up with it, I don't know what to do. I was a forensic scientist in the UK, and I also have an engineering PhD, and no labs or universities here are interested in me, it is driving me crazy.

    I would attempt to work in Starbucks, but they will probably tell me I need cantonese, and/or I'm over qualified.

    If I have to watch one more episode of Tellytubbies or Noddy or Barney that stupid dinosaur, I'm going to go mad. My brain is rotting, I feel myself becoming more stupid by the day.

    What am I doing wrong? If anyone out there has any tips on job hunting and applications, please please help. I have done all the usual things of signing up with online recruiters and checking the classifieds every day and applying to whatever seems appropriate, but I hear nothing, it is so depressing and frustrating.

    If any of you can offer any advice, I would be more than grateful.

    Cheers,
    Sophie


  2. #2

    Join Date
    Jul 2008
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    with ur expertise i guess it s better to find an employment agent than just online recruiters. a frd of mine s running an HR company if u r interested. my email: [email protected]
    you are on a dependent visa, right? but what about the baby if u go to work? btw, there are alot more choices on TV than just tellytubbies LOL dont be sad.


  3. #3

    Hi Sophie, I hear ya. When I came to HK two years ago, despite having two supposedly well-regarded degrees I couldn't seem to find anything that "fits". Eventually I figured out that in a place such as Hong Kong, everything depends on connections (something which I refused to believe when I first got here), and hence the best way to sort out one's career (amongst other things) is to start mingling - which this site is excellent for - either at social functions or through volunteering / fringe work.

    As for online job databases, I'm sorry to say there're mostly rubbish, either because there are no professionals to follow-up with you, or (more importantly) the better pickings are usually registered with headhunters and not posted online. Which means you should really consider getting in touch with a few agencies, at least those which don't serve the financial sector exclusively.


  4. #4

    Join Date
    Oct 2005
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    14,484

    Sophie

    I totally sympathise with you and your frustration as I've been there myself.

    Because your role is pretty specialised then you're going to need to Network and to try and go to some of the social events such as oriented etc and see if theres anybody working for the big labs etc out here.

    Also because you seem to be vegetating and not using your brain as much as you'd like thought about doing some courses in the meantime to at least keep your mind active and maybe make yourself a little more marketable, i.e language lessons?


  5. #5

    Join Date
    Apr 2008
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    have you tried the forensic science division of the HK government?


  6. #6

    Join Date
    Apr 2008
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    HK
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    Quote Originally Posted by backpacker:
    have you tried the forensic science division of the HK government?
    For HK government jobs they need you to be in HK for more than 7 years and have HKID; Unless they hire you to be a consultant, but that is few and far in between.

    Sophienaz: Are you sure you don't want to spend more time with your children? HK work hours are very long, you may not have time to spend with your children once you start working.

  7. #7

    Join Date
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    sophie,
    i may be looking for someone to help with my playgroup. are you interested?

    i would ideally like someone to share the workload, so you'd still have free time with your little ones. (if you have a helper, you could even bring your little ones to work with you...)

    please let me know, i know it's not in your field, but it would get you out of the house. (although, you'd still be around little kids...but not a teletubby in sight ....i can't stand them!)
    cara


  8. #8

    Join Date
    May 2006
    Location
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    31,218

    I'm OK with Barney but it's that little dinosaur friend of his that really pisses me off. Have taken a disturbing dislike to him/her (not sure if it is male or female). I love you, you love me, we're good friends like friends should be.....F@ck off Barney!!!!!! Sympathise with you Sophie but absolutely no useful advice.


  9. #9

    Get the Boomerang channel, they show the old school cartoons that I used to watch when I was a kid. Hours of mindless entertainment there I tell you!


  10. #10

    Join Date
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    Quote Originally Posted by hullexile:
    I'm OK with Barney but it's that little dinosaur friend of his that really pisses me off. Have taken a disturbing dislike to him/her (not sure if it is male or female). I love you, you love me, we're good friends like friends should be.....F@ck off Barney!!!!!! Sympathise with you Sophie but absolutely no useful advice.
    that f-ing dinosaur haunted me through both of my younger sisters growing up...one of my sisters recently became a mother...im glad im 6000miles away so that pre-historic to**er doesn't come back to haunt me a third time... (hmm maybe some anger management issues here!!)

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