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Making the move to HK -- your experiences now and then

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  1. #21

    Join Date
    Feb 2006
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    829

    [QUOTE=CapitalCBC;2150466]Hi carang and anyone else,

    [LIST][*]the fields that I am most suitable for in HK would include public relations, communications, and regulatory affairs concerning pharmaceuticals and medical devices;
    [*]I am able to speak Cantonese quite well as a second language, and I can read and write non-technical documents in Chinese;

    How strong is your non-technical written Chinese? Can you write a press release in Chinese? And in terms of spoken Cantonese, can you conduct business meetings entirely in Cantonese? Give a public presentation in Cantonese? In Mandarin?

    That would give a better idea of the scope of posts you could reasonably apply for.


  2. #22

    Are you my twin?

    Hi There,

    I can't help but to comment on your post. I am also in my late twenties and have the same desire to move to Asia ever since college. After visiting a few countries in Asia I have settled on HK, mainly because I think it is a good hub for the rest of Asia. The salaries are generally higher and the opportunities are usually more abundant.

    I plan on making my move in January, I am going to rent out my apt in NY and take a leap of faith and go to HK. However, as a back up plan, my current job offers a leave of absence program. I am not sure if your company does the same thing. Essentially, this gives me some security that if I am unable to find something in HK, I can always come back to my current position in the US.

    I am in the IT industry and after doing a quick search, it seems that the opportunities are scarce. But like you said, it is either now or never. I am also quite unsure what the salary range is, but judging at the cost of living in HK (especially rent) it should be somewhat significant.

    Good luck to the both of us in making this transition! When do you plan on taking the leap?


  3. #23
    Quote Originally Posted by z754103:
    How strong is your non-technical written Chinese? Can you write a press release in Chinese? And in terms of spoken Cantonese, can you conduct business meetings entirely in Cantonese? Give a public presentation in Cantonese? In Mandarin?

    That would give a better idea of the scope of posts you could reasonably apply for.
    It would be difficult for me to answer a general question about press releases given that the requisite writing skill would change depending on the subject matter and targeted audience. My comfort in writing a press release would also vary depending on the subject matter. To give you a sense of how I would rank myself in written proficiency, I am doubtful that my writing skill could compete with people whose first language is Cantonese. I believe that my writing ability in Chinese would be treated as an asset rather than a sufficient reason to offer me employment.

    In terms of oral proficiency, I would be comfortable conducting business meetings entirely in Cantonese. I would be comfortable giving a presentation in Cantonese, especially knowing that a fair amount of preparation comes before a presentation date.

    Any thoughts based on my responses to your questions?

    Quote Originally Posted by jenyiwang:
    Good luck to the both of us in making this transition! When do you plan on taking the leap?
    Good luck to you too! I have not settled things with my employer yet, and I am still in remote job searching mode so I do not have a planned date yet. I am, however, in discussion with a contact of mine to share my knowledge at a business conference as a guest speaker before the end of the calendar year. Hopefully that will help me get my feet wet and give me an opportunity to arrange face to face meetings or interviews with prospective employers.