Asia Market Update

As the weather cools down in Australia and New Zealand, candidates here can almost hear the chink of ice as it hits the gin & tonics in the hot & humid cities of HK and Singapore.  And as summer takes hold in these cities so too does the job market, timed perfectly for a post GFC change of direction, location and vocation.

On our recent trip to HK a few weeks ago, we were surprised by the optimism in the market, particularly amongst the law firms.  Major transactions are back, income is good and marketing directors are finally allowed to hire again.

Many of the opportunities are at junior – mid manager level, all round generalists who can manage bd and marketing tasks with a hands-on approach and a can-do attitude.  HK may well be a city that likes to play hard, but boy you have to work for it.

At an event Seldon Gill held for 30 marketers working across law, engineering and consulting firms, we heard many stories of long hours, weekend work and the occasional all-nighter.  Tenders for the region, often conducted from HK, meant workloads being imported from Beijing, Shanghai, Tokyo etc are common and difficult to predict.  As one marketer said “Asia is going off – it’s great, but it’s very full-on!”

There is no-doubt though that Asia and HK in particular, has a seductive hold over many.  Seldon Gill has been placing candidates in HK for over 6 years, and over 70% of them are still there, loving the lifestyle, the melting-pot culture and the opportunities to develop their career in one of the most vibrant and dynamic markets in the World. 

So if your career is in need of some heat, consider Asia, and who knows, you may never feel cold again.