Posted by
lec61
13 yrs ago
Hello,
A week ago I received an email via LinkedIn asking if I was interested in a job in Hong Kong. Prior to this I had never entertained the thought of working abroad, but this has gotten me interested, so I have expressed interest. The company is Marubeni
But what I was hoping to ask of you that have already moved to Honk Kong and are working there, have you had any regrets and do you have any words of wisdom for a potential newbie.
Thank you, much appreciated.
Lloyd
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lec61
13 yrs ago
Thanks cara, understand about the need to change ones style of life. About all I have to judge by so fare is a stint in Malaysia whilst in the RAAF, fitted in very nicely there and enjoyed it very much.
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Absolutely no regrets at all, best thing we ever did, both for my husband's career (and we're not on a huge 'expat package'!) and for our family as a whole. Great lifestyle, lots of experiences which we'll treasure for a lifetime. Don't know if you have a family, but our kids have had a fabulous time growing up here and don't want to leave ... even after university ... can't get rid of them!!;-)
We had a stint in/around Malaysia before coming here ... chalk and cheese ... was a bit of a shock to the system, but this place kind of grows on you. You'll either love it, or you'll hate it ... my advice is to give it a go and come with an open mind, embrace the culture ... you can always go back home if you decide the place isn't for you ... but if you don't give it a try, you may always wonder 'what if ...'
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lec61
13 yrs ago
'what if'......Exactly Sapphire
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Ed
13 yrs ago
HK, adventure, the unknown... or suburbia...
Ask yourself this... do you want to be 60 and look back on life and say to yourself 'what did I do... what did I see'
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lec61
13 yrs ago
During my RAAF years I enjoyed a lot of adventure, and have since been wishing for similar experiences. This might be what I am looking for.
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Just a small word of caution. You will probably be expected to work harder than you ever have before, living conditions can be difficult (depends on your budget to some extent - but expect a smaller, less pleasant living environment than you are used to), it is very easy to spend money (not a bad thing in itself, but self-discipline is required if you are seeking to establish a nest-egg), and people are transient, meaning that there is not the same sense of community that you might be used to.
It is very hot and humid in summer, and just humid for most of the rest of the year. Atmospheric pollution can be pretty bad.
However, moving to HKG was a life-changer for me, and it can be for you, if you have the right attitudes, a good resume, and a genuine opportunity.
Just don't try to replicate your life in other places. Hong Kong is different.
Also, be aware that most new arrivals go through some down periods, in my experience at around the six months mark. Get through that, and you will be okay.
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lec61
13 yrs ago
Thank you for your words woods99
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lec61
13 yrs ago
Thanks bunny boiler, I wanted to hear that......not
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A 'marriage graveyard' for the fickle ... if you have a solid marriage, no tendencies to stray and you're not interested in slappers ... no worries:-)
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Hong Kong can be tough on a spouse who does not work, though. Away from family, friends, and other familiar faces. Stuck at home for long periods, particularly if the bread-winner does a lot of travel.
It is definitely not a place for a shaky relationship, that is for sure. A good employer will ensure that both partners are well-equipped and fully orientated to the new way of life, and will do all they can to help both settle in (plus children, of course).
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lec61
13 yrs ago
Thank you Sapphire & woods99. Speaking of partners, what are work prospects for one that does want to work. She is a qualified Librarian. If not much prospect in that area, what other type of work is there, any expat schools?
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lec61
13 yrs ago
Thanks again bunny boiler for your comments, I take it you have lived this experience. Does your tag have anything to do with the movie (Fatal Attraction) if so, you are the one everyone should be afraid of.
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Not all women sit at home while hubby's at work and it sounds like lec61's wife, being a qualified librarian would soon have her own career in Hong Kong. And not all men discover Hong Kong's nightlife as a single guy ... many of them actual discover it with their wives ... that may be a shock to some! And soon, many couples get bored with it once the novelty wears off, and most of their social lives revolve around drinks/dinners with like-minded good friends. Of course, there are always the few who never seem to grow up and they are the ones who marriages don't last.
Not everyone gets sucked into it ... only those that want to ...
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lec61
13 yrs ago
Thank you Sapphire.
Yes, both of us prefer the night life that involves dinning with friends and look forward to meeting new friends in Hong Kong if this job comes through.
On another subject, do most those working on Hong Kong island, actually live on the island, or is it cheaper, or more value for money to live on the main land and commute?
Is it best to get a car, or is the public transport system and taxis adequate?
Thank you
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lec61
13 yrs ago
Thank you WonTonNom, but may I ask where the N. T area is on the main land?
Unfortunately, the office for the company in question is right in Central.
Speaking of weekends, what has the typical working week, Mon to Fri?
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lec61, I urge you to go for it. HK is one of the most exciting cities in the world. It can be very expensive, but if you don't demand "luxury" everything (unless you've got the dosh to pay for it) you can have a very interesting life here.
I do think a lot of expats get sucked into working far too many hours in the day/week, and I think that's something to watch out for. It's important to make time for family and doing things other than work. But the Chinese work ethic (at least what I've seen) is intense and they seem far more willing to work long hours than westerners, so I guess some expats feel they have to do the same to keep up. I do know a couple of men who feel they have to work 12-hour days plus some weekends just to keep up with their Chinese co-workers. This is one thing that I can see is hard on expat marriages if one partner is working all the hours god sends and the other is waiting at home. If both are working, it could be a better situation.
If you feel like sharing some information on what this company is offering as a relocation package, we might be able to offer more advice. Such as rent subsidy, pay, etc.
But whatever it is, it's an exciting opportunity and I recommend you give HK a chance. And people in this forum will be happy to help you with any questions you might have.
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lec61
13 yrs ago
Thank you cara and KateInHongKong.
As for the package, the only figure I have at this point is the base salary HK$1200000.00 (Plus housing allowance, relocation allowance, health cover, local taxes payed)
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Working hours can be pretty long, as others have said. One very important question is, are you being transferred by your existing employer, or is this a totally new position?
The politics of a new job can be difficult, especially in a place like Hong Kong where everybody is very keen to get ahead.
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lec61
13 yrs ago
This will be a completely new position for me. Whilst I have good work ethics, I am past the point of getting ahead, I like to maintain a good balance between work and being able to do things.
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My suggestion is to put in the long strokes for the first few months, build up some credibility, and some allies, work out the politics of it all, then maybe you can cut back a bit.
But, in my experience, any imported talent will find a few people around who are willing to cut him/her down to size if they can, and you will need to have your wits about you. Your reputation, your previous successes, etc etc get you the job, but they mean zilch after that.
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lec61 ... "On another subject, do most those working on Hong Kong island, actually live on the island, or is it cheaper, or more value for money to live on the main land and commute?"
We lived and worked on Hong Kong Island for many years, but finally took the plunge and moved out to the New Territories about a year ago. We now live in Sai Kung and commute over to HK Island every day. Now we're used to the travelling, we really don't have a problem with it and by UK standards it's no more than your average journey to work for most people each day. The peaceful lifestyle, beautiful surroundings and much better value for money (you can have a house with a garden or terrace for the same as you would pay for a smaller apartment on HK Island!) make it all worth while.
"Is it best to get a car, or is the public transport system and taxis adequate?" ... As others have said, the public transport system in HK is excellent, probably one of the best in the world. It really isn't an absolute necessity to get a car unless, as cara said, you live in a remote area. Those that do have cars, mainly do so purely for convenience ... it can be a pain in the backside during the hot/humid summer months if you have to walk to bus stops/mtr/taxi stands ... just a few minutes and you are drenched in sweat ... or during the rainy months (much of the summer!) when a brolly is of little use! Or for whoever has to do the weekly shopping ... hopping on and off buses/mtr/taxi with several bags of shopping is not an easy task unless you're an octopus! So basically, it depends on whether you've always been used to the convenience of having your own transport as to whether or not you could cope without a car ....
Your salary package seems very favourable and you should be able to enjoy a very nice lifestyle on that. As others have mentioned, working hours for some can be long and stressful, although my husband always worked ridiculously long hours in the UK, so for some it's no different. He does maintain, however, that he doesn't feel under as much pressure here and the evenings (when he's not working too late!) and weekends tend to be far more enjoyable:-)
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'In hindsight, almost all expats are here for the money'
Maybe initially but personally we stayed for the kids. They have received an education and life experience that they would never have got back home.
'If you have a patio/deck it must be swept almost daily due to the particulate matter that gets spewed out '
a huge exaggeration and should be ignored.
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Boddingtons,
Back home, wherever that is, your kids would have been a lot closer to their grandparents, and other relatives, which surely is worth a lot?
If you plan to make Hong Kong your home, and your children feel the same way, fine, good for you. I am an Australian, so probably my views are parochial, but it seems to me that kids are better off when they have a reasonably open natural environment to express themselves in, lots of sporting and other opportunities, and not too much artificiality and commercialism in their lives.
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not really woods99
and in terms of artificiality and commercialism I think you will find that the internet has made that global. Do you have the internet in Australia ?
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lec61
13 yrs ago
Thank you for your comments, they have certainly been mixed. If successful with the job, it will only be myself and my partner moving there. My partner has read on another site that sick leave has to be negotiated and isn't automatic.
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I have never heard of anyone not being given sick leave ... I'm sure it's in the government's employment rules and regulations that employers must give employees sick leave ... I'm sure someone will correct me if I am wrong.
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Boddington's
I will excuse your ignorance about Australia. Perhaps you should go there for a holiday, it would be a great learning opportunity for your children and, more importantly, for you.
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Hugie
13 yrs ago
@ bunny boiler, thank gawd for that! I thought I was the only one.......
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lec61
13 yrs ago
Thank you Sapphire and cara.
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Ken A
13 yrs ago
I initially came out here for 2 weeks to help set up an office out here and I quickly grew to love it. With there being so many expats coming and going, it seems that by and large people are just that much friendlier. They know what it was like for them when they came here knowing nobody, and are far more open.
Hong Kong may not be the best place for easy access for kids entertainment, but there is plenty out there for kids to do, as long as you're keen to travel a bit to get to those places. The biggest issue in Hong Kong tends to be that there is so little awareness of what is out there. The government has made efforts to create an abundance of family opportunities, but then seems to be reluctant to actually let people know about them. Check out the LCSD website, you'll see plenty of opportunities. We live in Sai Ying Pun, there's a nice little park there where plenty of people take their toddlers to run around on, and has an olympic sized swimming pool that you can use for 4 hours for about 19 HKD. Where in the world can you do that?
Sure plenty of us can say when I was a kid I could do this or that. I remember as a kid being able to drink water out of a garden hose, being able to play football in the street and pausing the game when a car came by, I remember being allowed to go walk to the park on my own. That was in the UK, but it certainly isn't something I would let my kids do in London. Each country has their own ups and downs and Hong Kong is no different.
Any place in the world can be a marriage graveyard to be honest.
The one thing I do miss is having my family near by, particularly now that we have a baby. Used to live within easy travel distance of my brother, sister, mum and dad which obviously isn't the case now. On the plus side though, modern day technology makes it quite easy to stay in touch (many options for free video chats, email etc etc).
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Hi,
You mentioned RAAF so I assume you are Australian and in AU at the moment? I am Australian as well and have been here now for 3.5 years. I think what to expect from HK depends on your current situation. Here is my comparison to Sydney, where I am from:
My kids miss Australia. A lot. Though they have made friends here and enjoy themselves, whenever they visit AU they do not want to come back. HK is not very kid friendly from many angles - its very built-up and not as natural as Sydney, the culture tends to scorn children and expects them to be well-behaved 100% of the time. Dogs seem to have more status than children. Space is limited and didnt underestimate the value of green tree laden street and parks which are common in AU but not here at all. You will be lucky to see any wildlife here in an average day. So if you have kids be prepared for that attitude and those changes. Your allies of course will be other parents.
Its polluted compared to Sydney. But I honestly don't notice it day-to-day. Its not like you are choking on it. I think the pollution is overstated by many natives and ex-pats a like.
Groceries in HK are rubbish compared to AU. You can get what you want here but it tends to be expensive, tasteless and verging on the point of rot. This is the nature of the beast as HK imports everything. Dining out is comparable to Sydney at the nicer places. Probably inferior in quality generally and about the same price.
Rent is expensive.
Otherwise HK is cheaper than Sydney in every other way.
When we first moved here we looked at places on HK island but their was nothing kid appropriate that we could find that wasn't astronomical in price (I have 4 kids). We settled in Kowloon for the first 2 years and that place drove me mad. I was ready to leave but decided to move to the greener Lantau Island and have been able to settle in and enjoy HK ever since. We do plan on leaving by the end of 2013/early 2014 because the lifestyle here doesn't suit a growing family in our opinion. But I have no regrets in coming to HK. The work has been great and the city is a place to be experienced. I thought Tokyo was fast paced but HK puts it to shame.
I think its well worth a stay. Especially if you have no kids and you can both work you will be able to maximise the opportunities HK offers in work. Depending on your interests and hobbies will also determine how much you like/dislike HK. Every country has pros and cons so HK is unusual in that.
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lec61
13 yrs ago
Thank you Ken A and solomani.
Yes, we are both currently living in Australia and both are aussie.
If the job comes off, as both myself and my partner are in our early 50s, we are are seeing this as an opportunity to experience something very different before our working lives come to a close. Also as a launch pad for travel.
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