Freshly minted banking analyst moving to HKG :) - random questions that need to be answered

[dirtyape]

Its Cantonese for I need some assistance can you help me. Its more like Dee Laay Noo More if you want the linguistics version but Delay No More will work as well since you are not a local you are not expected to have the pronunciations down pat.

ah that makes sense - sorry @justjoe86 if that seemed like an insult. im still learning Cantonese.

[HongKongFoot]

Dee - I
Lay - Need
No More - some assistance

its not an insult - all im saying is that i dont understand what that means. effectively, im asking you to rephrase the point of that comment.

[justjoe86]

its not an insult - all im saying is that i dont understand what that means. effectively, im asking you to rephrase the point of that comment.

Maaaan I just explained.

You know yesterday you attempted to use a Chinese insult on me.. you said "tiu lay lo mo" (it should be diu) well anyway the 'point' he's making is that it sounds like "delay no more" if you say it fast.

Edit: and I know I've ruined the joke now but it clearly wasn't going to work!

[MovingIn07]

Thank you so much for the direct answer.
I was hoping to rent a 3/4 bed room to reduce to rent - i'd be happy to share a 3-4 bedroom apartment to only pay 10-15k as i make 43k a month roughly i hope to spend that savings on travelling but i think once a month sounds more realistic.

if i have to come in the office around 6:30 - does it make sense to live further out as cabs are cheap and I can arrive pretty quickly at a decent rent?

really appreciate the answers mate thanks!

You are WAY off in the pricing. In mid-levels, you are looking at 15k for something very tiny with one bedroom/studio IF you are lucky. 3/4 bedrooms - sky is the limit - no idea to be honest but i'd guess over 50k. Try Kennedy Town or Pokfulam for slightly cheaper but still close to work.

[Ramdom]

Also the sublet issue aside, your income wouldn't be enough to secure a 3/4 bedroom rental.

[jimbo]

30% of your salary on rent????
You're a freaking idiot to even contemplate it.

[cookie09]

30% of your salary on rent????
You're a freaking idiot to even contemplate it.

why? that's pretty much the average in hong kong

[cookie09]

1) Which areas should I live in (close to work - central, easy access to convenience stores/super markets/fresh produce store, access to bars/restaurants/night life, lots of young people - I prefer living on the beachside if its possible

i suggest sai ying pun or kennedy town (easy access by taxi), or tin hau/fortress hill below king's road (again easy access by taxi). mid levels on the escalator could be ok as you could potentially walk to work. i would not recommend happy valley as it's a pain to get home by taxi by the time you finish work

2) How easy is it to get a room mate in a similar profession that is also a recent graduate - and how much can I expect to pay rent? - Is subleasing allowed, or is it better for me to find a room mate before and sign the lease together?

room mates are not the done thing but i know of a few people who do it. ideally they are colleagues and in the same predicament. my recommendation is to target 20k for rent for a 500 sqf place

3) what items should i bring with me before moving to hong kong?

basically nothing. sort yourself out when you are here.

4) do people wear suits (in my profession) even if its ridiculously hot?

banking = suits in hong kong though people walk into office in shirts with the jacket on their hands. suits and shirts are best and cheapest made by tailor here in hong kong (a decent one starts at 2500 HKD up)

5) How easy is it to pick up cantonease?

forget it. you have neither time nor it's useful. you don't need it at work or outside work. if you feel like it, learn mandarin; that's at least useful if you ever master it

6) Is the culture in banking very different than North America

much more hard working. the juniors on the desk could be in the office much longer than 7pm to sort out the tickets. i would not be surprised about some 9 or 10pm evenings depending on your bank. just be prepared for it.
the other thing: no navy blue suits. that's only acceptable in the US (and don't ask me why even there...).
also, people here are a bit more respectful to each other as their backgrounds can be very diverse. you need to adapt to your desk head's culture which could be chinese, indian, american, british, eastern european, etc.

7) Can I afford to travel every other weekend - note Im not an investment banker, im on the markets side ie Sales & Trading so I have life - or do I?

yes should be possible; weekends are not common on the trading floors here except if you cover something odd

[dirtyape]

Original Post Deleted

thanks mate - i look forward to hearing more on the sub leasing issue

[dirtyape]

i suggest sai ying pun or kennedy town (easy access by taxi), or tin hau/fortress hill below king's road (again easy access by taxi). mid levels on the escalator could be ok as you could potentially walk to work. i would not recommend happy valley as it's a pain to get home by taxi by the time you finish work

room mates are not the done thing but i know of a few people who do it. ideally they are colleagues and in the same predicament. my recommendation is to target 20k for rent for a 500 sqf place
basically nothing. sort yourself out when you are here.
banking = suits in hong kong though people walk into office in shirts with the jacket on their hands. suits and shirts are best and cheapest made by tailor here in hong kong (a decent one starts at 2500 HKD up)
forget it. you have neither time nor it's useful. you don't need it at work or outside work. if you feel like it, learn mandarin; that's at least useful if you ever master it
much more hard working. the juniors on the desk could be in the office much longer than 7pm to sort out the tickets. i would not be surprised about some 9 or 10pm evenings depending on your bank. just be prepared for it.
the other thing: no navy blue suits. that's only acceptable in the US (and don't ask me why even there...).
also, people here are a bit more respectful to each other as their backgrounds can be very diverse. you need to adapt to your desk head's culture which could be chinese, indian, american, british, eastern european, etc.

yes should be possible; weekends are not common on the trading floors here except if you cover something odd

Thanks mate!

do you work in the industry?