Latest articles
Why it’s so important to talk to recruiters face to face; and how to go about setting up a meeting
You send your CV to a recruiter, you wait, you don’t hear back, or you only get a brief phone call or email. But what you really want is the chance to talk in detail about your career with a real-life person, perhaps over a nice coffee. Here’s our guide to making your candidacy stand [...]
...Read more
Fancy a 30 per cent wage increment even in this market? Here’s where you need to be
China continues to lead Asia in terms of its ability to dole out hefty salary increases. A recent Hays salary report shows that 51 per cent of mainland employers gave increments of six to ten per cent. That generosity is even more pronounced in the banking sector with most employers willing to pay 15 to [...]
...Read more
Redundant traders take note: here’s a potential lifeline
Even as firms lay off staff, there are still signs of life in the financial recruitment landscape. Yuan trading for instance is seeing some growth. Recruiters say bankers with yuan experience are sought after, especially in Hong Kong, Shanghai and London, reports the South China Morning Post. Already RBS, HSBC, ANZ and Standard Chartered have [...]
...Read more
It shouldn’t be a bumper season for candidate movement, despite bonus disappointment
Post Chinese New Year is normally the season for candidates to move companies after obtaining their bonuses, but this year employees at Western banks in China are playing it safe. Even disappointment with their bonuses isn’t enough to convince many to look elsewhere. Cherol Cheuk, general manager of Hudson Shanghai, says: “It is a common [...]
...Read more
You have just been “upgraded”: Someone cheaper, more junior, and yes, more capable has stolen your job
Downturn or not, financial firms regularly cull their bottom performers and replace them with better people. But at the moment these so-called “upgrades” seem to be forming the bulk of recruitment in Hong Kong. Warwick Pearmund, senior consultant, equities, Advantage Professional, explains: “Pretty much every hiring manager I speak to says hiring this year is [...]
...Read more
Even China is feeling the crunch: CICC cuts jobs, while other i-banks slash bonuses
Western investment banks aren’t the only ones to be trimming headcounts in Asia; and Hong Kong isn’t the only place suffering these retrenchments. Case in point: China International Capital Corp (CICC), the mainland’s largest investment bank, is reportedly cutting about 30 jobs as earnings decline, according to the Caixin news portal. Although some of these [...]
...Read more
More mainland M&A deals mean more M&A jobs at Moelis and other boutiques
M&A in China continues to grow, despite challenging global economic conditions. Overall mergers activity in the mainland went up by 5 per cent in 2011 to 5,364 deals, the highest annual total ever, according to a recent report from PricewaterhouseCoopers. Chinese state-owned enterprises and private companies are all joining in this trend. They need experienced [...]
...Read more
Guest Comment: The top-six questions that investment bankers are asking recruiters right now
As a recruiter, calls from candidates are coming at me one after another these days. It suddenly feels like 2009 all over again. Some investment bankers are eager to find out about current market conditions as they are seriously concerned about their job security. Others have just been made redundant and want to discuss their [...]
...Read more
Guest Comment: My guide to dealing with those annoyingly negative interview questions designed to take you down a notch or two
Some of the toughest questions that you face in interviews focus on negative traits or behaviours. But it’s important that you formulate your answers to them in a constructive way, so you end up making a good impression. Here are my suggested responses to four common questions. 1) What are your weaknesses? The interviewer’s objective [...]
...Read more
The state we’re in: An infographic of global financial recruitment trends from eFinancialCareers
Sometimes it’s best to let the pictures (and the numbers) do the talking, so below we present an enlightening infographic of eFinancialCareers’ global data from last year. From an Asia Pacific perspective, you can see that Singapore and Hong Kong are popular choices for international financial professionals. Click on image to view full-size infographic
...Read more