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Are you applying for jobs at financial services firms overseas, or is your career stuck in Singapore?
If you are planning to leave, what are the main reasons? Are they entirely career related?
Do you hunger for the traditional markets of New York and London, or in the wake of the GFC, is moving within Asia now your preferred option?
Would you consider a posting to mainland China, or is Hong Kong the only substitute for Singapore?
Are you applying externally for jobs in other countries, or are you going for the easier option – an internal transfer with your current employer?
And realistically, what are you chances of actually finding work abroad? In the current employment market, which job functions are truly mobile and which aren’t?
Let us know your thoughts in the comments box below.
In investment banking, you move to where the deals are, and that means Asia. SG, HK, China, doesn’t matter so much as long as the position is right for you
Stay in Asia, but treat HK, China and Shanghai as one job market. Don’t be afraid to change cities if the job is right for you.
Sorry, but why would I want to leave Hong Kong and move to Singapore? More front-office jobs? – no. Bigger clients? – no. Better nightlife? – no. Closer to China? – no. Please explain. Stuff moving
International mobility boils down to experience and credentials.
Whether your experience is relevant for the job function, and to a certain degree, whether your credentials are adequately recognized for employers to believe that you are adequately trained or educated.
Traditionally, the genesis of modern banking began in the US and Europe, so experience in these markets tend to provide a leg up in terms of international mobility. But this was in the past.
The question is whether Asian or other regions’ experience will be considered relevant for other markets, in the future.
One thing that overrides this is the scale and complexity of experience. For deal-makers, if you’ve worked on massive or complex Asian deals, this might be helpful to move to other markets.
Just my opinion.
Banks are moving people internally from the west to Asia – that’s the main source of “mobility” at the moment, isn’t it??
If you ask a recruiter, he say that Asia is your oyster, but when it comes down to it, getting a job in HK means flying there on your own money and desperately trying to line up interviews with short space of time…leading to failure. Then you go home — so much for yr move!!!
Would be happy to move to Asia from NYC, but seems that research/investment management jobs are quite limited. But if there was an opportunity, I’d move in a week’s notice.
It’ll be a valuable experience to work in a different environment and culture. Unfortunately, people in my field i.e. compliance find it tough to move across jurisdictions as the work we do (and hence our knowledge) is very much jurisdiction-based and vary from country to country. Unless we know the regulations of that country well, it would be tough to get a job whether in HK or London or NY.
Yes my career is stuck in Singapore..bt still dont want to leave SG…desire to look for a bank job in Singapore bt seems like it’s too hard =( … any advise or recommend for a bank job rite nw….i would greatly appreciate it….. email me plsssss at (nguyenmailien86@gmail.com)
kindly help this jobless girl to have a final chance to stay in SG !!!
..I would say the most realistic way to move to another location for work is definitely through internal transfer instead of getting another job overseas.
Depending on your role, you can find relevance in another country, even in another region. It’s definitely helpful to have worked in another country, as it helps to give you a different perspective of best practices.
I see myself as mobile and a global workplace in the banking industry as banks expand globally. There’s absolutely no reason why Singaporeans will not succeed in overseas assignments.
Whether it is internal transfer or getting another job overseas will only add value if the entrance you make will offer a better exit in the future. Singapore is one of best place in Asia to work, considering the low income tax and comparatively clean air and safety but having exposed to different culture and environment will add value definitely.