Some Essential Tips for Foreigners to Apply Job Vacancies in Hong Kong

Hong Kong has always been a favorite destination for foreigners or expats to live and work. Initially, the banking and financial sector was the most popular sector in which foreigners filled in most of the job vacancies. This is still a favorable sector and is a flourishing one, Honk Kong being home to a good number of banking institutions, higher than many other places in the world. But now, many foreigners look for job vacancies in other industries too.

The essential right to work and live in Hong Kong

The foremost thing that needs to be considered is that as an expat, you have all the necessary and the correct paperwork. This means, you as a foreigner need to comply with the rules and follow the correct process needed to stay and work in Hong Kong. You should have a valid visa to apply in various job vacancies. If you are really lucky and get selected for a position, your employer will do the needful for your relocation.

Is there any competition from local talent

Yes, of course. There is competition from both local talent and the Chinese for jobs. Job vacancies are easily filled in by the locals first. Only those jobs are left behind where the employers do not find a suitable local candidate that fits into the role. Not only this, in case if an employer hires a foreigner for a particular position, he has to have enough evidences to prove that no local employee was available or suitable for that position. This has actually made finding jobs in Hong Kong very competitive for the foreigners but it is not impossible. As a foreigner, you need to be really highly qualified and skilled to apply to different job vacancies.

Prominent sectors in Hong Kong

Apart from the Financial Sector, there are various other fields of work where job vacancies are available. For expats or foreigners, there are jobs in different roles and positions in different industry domains. From IT to HR, from sales and marketing to telecommunications, from teaching to engineering, medical, tourism and many more, expats can find jobs not only at the senior and more qualified/experienced levels but also in junior/executive positions. There are numerous job vacancies providing opportunities for expats in digital advertising, IT, HR and the legal sphere. Accounting & finance, sales & marketing, financial services are always in demand.

How important is the local language in Hong Kong

In the Corporate world, all business interactions and communications are carried out in English. English is one of the two official languages in Hong Kong, the other being Cantonese Chinese. For high profile job vacancies in larger organizations, expats with expertise in English language do not face much problems. But for small time jobs, knowing the local language, either Cantonese or Mandarin, will definitely give an added advantage for the foreigners.

Where to search for job vacancies in Hong Kong

For any job hunt in any part of the world, the process is more or less same. Check out job websites that are particularly of Hong Kong origin like as Jobs DB, Recruit Hong Kong, Monster Hong Kong etc. Upload your CV in these job sites so that the recruiters can connect with you for any job vacancies specific to their companies. The process of job hunting should start in your home country itself. This makes your work easier. Once you visit Hong Kong, make use of your time in the most effective manner so that you get your job before your visa expires. Get in touch with recruitment agencies in Hong Kong in person. Attend job fairs. Expand your networking.

Getting jobs in Hong Kong might be slightly hard for foreigners but not impossible. MNCs with a pan-Asian presence recruit foreign candidates for job vacancies in Hong Kong.