Los Angeles to Hong Kong

[dfalkenstein]

Hello all, I have recently become very interested in moving to HK. I am currently 19 and have pretty solid tech skills. I have pretty solid skills in Linux, and have work experience in the network security field. I am currently studying network security (online allowing me to freely move) and hope to one day get my CISSP once i get a bachelors but for now I have a pretty solid penetration testing foundation, and am fully capable of any Tech support type position. I speak English and Spanish, and obviously am looking to pick up some Cantonese. I was just interested if anyone had any connections or any tips. Cost wise how much should i save up before i go? Is learning Cantonese necessary? etc etc? hope to hear from all of you. thank you.

[jimbo]

Without HK I.D your age and lack of experience is your problem in getting a company to sponsor you for a work Visa.

[dfalkenstein]

well I do have about 8 years of hands on Linux Experience(compiling and hacking kernels etc), and then about 2 years experience working in network Security(Vulnerability assesment, penetration testing, network design etc). Again i am beyond capable of any kind of tech support job which is the kind of job i hope to land. Any tips on a good site for finding IT jobs in HK? Perhaps through one of those companies i could find a Visa Sponsor. I would be able to pay for my own visa and fares etc i have a substantial income stateside.

[bdw]

Im sure you have great skills, but don't you think there must be some 19 year olds in HK who also have similar skills? Basically why would a company go through the great expense of employing someone from overseas if there is a local they can employ much easier?

[carang]

not to mention that a local can speak the local language...

1) get your degree
2) get more work experience
3) save some good $
4) THEN apply for jobs

hk is not a place that a 19 year old can roll up and expect a job in the IT sector without any kind of qualification or good solid work experience...

ps> you said you had 8 years experience in something... that means you started when you were 11 years old, and while it may be true, i think a lot of people would red-flag that as a possible falsehood and exaggeration.

[carang]

"paying for your visa" has nothing to do with it. the visa cost is negligible. the thing is that ANY company wanting to hire someone from overseas MUST PROVE to the hk gov't that there is NO ONE already here that is capable of doing the job.

as you are 19 without a degree, the chances of that happening are at best slim-to-none.

[JaredHK]

The posters above are totally correct ....and learn Cantonese before you even consider heading to HK.

[dfalkenstein]

I do have 8 years Experience, at the Age of 10 I started my own Open Source network security consultation business(online of course), I have also been coding since a very young age. I also have plenty of references to back this up. Even if i have substansive skill in an area and can show it, is that not enough to put me on par with someone with a degree? I can write Perl, Python, and Ruby, as well as BASH,BATCH, AND objective C. If I were to go to HK with the intent of starting my own company there or even as a Foreign Investor for a company within HK would this change my Visa situation? Again, i am not just your average 19 year old. Yes I am young, no i don't have a degree, but please do not talk down to me I did not come here to be ridiculed. Just for some advice and input of others. Thank you for your time.

[carang]

no one is "talking down" to you. we are telling you what life outside is like....your uber-sensitivity tells me that you may not be able to hack life outside of your bubble. (now, i'm talking down to you...before i was telling you like it is and if you can't handle it, then life on the other side of the world is not for you).

what i'm telling you is this: HK IMMIGRATION will not accept a 19 year old without a degree. YOU have nothing to offer to HK that isn't already IN hk. in order to get a VISA to work here, you MUST have something that is not readily available in hk. and i can tell you, hk already has enough 19 year olds with attitude they won't take any more.

HK IMMIGRATION likes people to have degrees if they are going to approve the visa. it has NOTHING to do with getting a job, that may be possible. it's getting the visa that you are going to have difficulty with.

if you don't like honest advice, then don't ask for it. just do what you want and learn for yourself.

[carang]

you come on here looking for advice and you insult the people that offer you that? seriously?

i'm done. and i can tell you, i'm not the pathetic one. i've been offering you honest, truthful, good advice. and all you can do is insult me?

go away and come back when you grow up.