Living In Hong Kong

Currently the State system for education in Hong Kong derives a great deal from the equivalent British education system; which is unsurprising when you consider Hong Kong was colonized by the British until 1997.  Reformists are seeking to amend the secondary and tertiary education systems at the moment and move for an adoption of American based teaching methods but as yet any reform is still at the discussion stage.

The newly arrived children of expatriate parents who have jobs in Hong Kong can be integrated into the State education system in Hong Kong where the primary teaching language is Chinese and the secondary language is English.  Alternatively parents can send their children to a fee paying international school where the primary teaching language is usually English and the secondary language, if taught, depends on the choice of the school and may be French or German for example.

Hong Kong has a relatively rich employment marketplace for international and expatriate job seekers, particularly in the key industries of IT, banking and finance, teaching, import and export and telecommunications.  Furthermore, because Hong Kong has such a vibrant and cosmopolitan atmosphere, the number of expatriates relocating to Hong Kong annually to take up positions of employment is high.

The majority of expatriates who secure jobs in Hong Kong are degree qualified because there is quite a strict policy observed by the government’s immigration department that those applying for work permits have to be graduates or at least have extensive experience and even professional qualifications relevant to the industry in which they are going to be working.  This article covers the essentials of finding and securing jobs in Hong Kong and what it’s like working in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of China.

The majority of expatriates who have spent any time living and working in Hong Kong will speak very favourably of their time in the Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China.  You’re likely to learn that Hong Kong is an extremely exciting place to live and work, that the pace of life can be quite frenetic but that on many important levels Hong Kong manages to offer a true balance between east and west, ancient and modern, a fast pace of life and a relaxed attitude to life.

It’s this unique symbiosis of dramatically variant values and states of being that make Hong Kong a great place to live for an international expatriate seeking a totally new way of life and a refreshing new experience.  Furthermore there’s a wealth of employment options available to expatriates determined to relocate to Hong Kong and a great international community already in situ making the transition that much smoother for expatriates and their families.