Need advice on finding a job in Asia.
June 16, 2011 8:08 AM Subscribe
Need advice on finding a job in Asia.
Background:
I immigrated to the United States from Asia at a young age. Ever since coming to the States, I have never really felt that I quite fit in the American society. With the growth and development going on in Asia in recent years, I am seriously thinking about looking for a job in Asia, and potentially moving back permanently. However, I am not sure where to begin or how to look.
My education/work experience:
I have a B.S. in engineering physics, and a M.S. in industrial engineering. However, the only work experience I have in engineering was working as a co-op engineer at a wafer deposition/fabrication company for a semester. After getting 2 degrees in engineering, I realized that engineering is probably not where my interest lies. I began to take accounting classes and switched to accounting. I worked for an accounting firm as an auditor for about a year and 4 months, and got my CPA license in the process. However I left my accounting job when the economy turned bad a couple years ago (It was either that or face the chopping block). Ever since, I have been working for my family's bookkeeping practice. It's a very small operation, and I can probably take over the business in the future, but accounting is not where my interest lies either. To be honest, I don't know what my interest is. I do want to see if there are better options for me in Asia land (where I think I might fit in a bit more).
More about me:
I am in my early 30s. I am an American citizen and I have the right of abode in Hong Kong. I can speak English, Cantonese, and a little bit of Mandarin.
What I want to know:
What are my options if I just want to be working in Asia? What are my options if I want a job in Asia that would fit my background? What are my options if I still want to explore my career choices a bit? Am I even being realistic in trying to start from scratch in Asia?
More info:
I am also thinking about going on a trip to Hong Kong and Singapore. If I do make the trip, where should I start looking? Any tips on how I should maximize my time while I am there would be appreciated.
Throwaway email: tonemliam@hotmail.com
Background:
I immigrated to the United States from Asia at a young age. Ever since coming to the States, I have never really felt that I quite fit in the American society. With the growth and development going on in Asia in recent years, I am seriously thinking about looking for a job in Asia, and potentially moving back permanently. However, I am not sure where to begin or how to look.
My education/work experience:
I have a B.S. in engineering physics, and a M.S. in industrial engineering. However, the only work experience I have in engineering was working as a co-op engineer at a wafer deposition/fabrication company for a semester. After getting 2 degrees in engineering, I realized that engineering is probably not where my interest lies. I began to take accounting classes and switched to accounting. I worked for an accounting firm as an auditor for about a year and 4 months, and got my CPA license in the process. However I left my accounting job when the economy turned bad a couple years ago (It was either that or face the chopping block). Ever since, I have been working for my family's bookkeeping practice. It's a very small operation, and I can probably take over the business in the future, but accounting is not where my interest lies either. To be honest, I don't know what my interest is. I do want to see if there are better options for me in Asia land (where I think I might fit in a bit more).
More about me:
I am in my early 30s. I am an American citizen and I have the right of abode in Hong Kong. I can speak English, Cantonese, and a little bit of Mandarin.
What I want to know:
What are my options if I just want to be working in Asia? What are my options if I want a job in Asia that would fit my background? What are my options if I still want to explore my career choices a bit? Am I even being realistic in trying to start from scratch in Asia?
More info:
I am also thinking about going on a trip to Hong Kong and Singapore. If I do make the trip, where should I start looking? Any tips on how I should maximize my time while I am there would be appreciated.
Throwaway email: tonemliam@hotmail.com
I'm late to this question but I just want to mention that HK is a large financial city and a good portion of the middle class work in that sector. If you have experience, knowledge or certification in that area, it'll be that much easier for you to get a decent paying job.
CPA + right of adobe will help you get into the big four firms but the hours are brutal and the pay is miserly until you move up. I wouldn't recommend any one I know to transfer to a HK practice unless they were a manager or above. Do you have relatives you can board with? That would make expand your options that much more as rents aren't cheap.
Singapore is kind of similar, kind of not. It's also a large financial city with expensive rents that attracts lots of foreign talent but with generally lower pay and much better air. I can't comment beyond that.
Check the expat forums that cater to the various large, international cities. You're not in a multinational that you can request a transfer with, nor do you have strong financial or managerial experience, so you will have to be persistent and on the lookout for networking opportunities and postings. 30s is definitely not late to move to Asia but you will need to frame your working experience to sound better than the fresh grad returning home from university abroad with a term or two of coop experience.
posted by tksh at 3:37 PM on July 7, 2011
CPA + right of adobe will help you get into the big four firms but the hours are brutal and the pay is miserly until you move up. I wouldn't recommend any one I know to transfer to a HK practice unless they were a manager or above. Do you have relatives you can board with? That would make expand your options that much more as rents aren't cheap.
Singapore is kind of similar, kind of not. It's also a large financial city with expensive rents that attracts lots of foreign talent but with generally lower pay and much better air. I can't comment beyond that.
Check the expat forums that cater to the various large, international cities. You're not in a multinational that you can request a transfer with, nor do you have strong financial or managerial experience, so you will have to be persistent and on the lookout for networking opportunities and postings. 30s is definitely not late to move to Asia but you will need to frame your working experience to sound better than the fresh grad returning home from university abroad with a term or two of coop experience.
posted by tksh at 3:37 PM on July 7, 2011
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But If you just get up and go, it won't be too bad either. My last trip to Thailand a couple years ago, I got a job offer on the spot, but I wasn't ready to move yet, I was just scoping things out while I was there. It seems to me that every company wants a competitive edge and if they hire someone who's familiar with American ways, I'm sure they assume that will give them competitive edge in the american market and create opportunities to make more money.
posted by udon at 7:49 PM on June 16, 2011