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The Insider: Here’s my short and not so sweet view of the Hong Kong employment market
Hong Kong-based investment professionals face strong headwinds because of the sharp deterioration in global market equities since May last year. Hong Kong’s own market has been battered by international macro economic uncertainties, which have chipped away at investor and market-participant confidence. I met a headhunter recently, who had this to say about the state of [...]
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Looking back, would I choose to take the CFA again? Probably not. It simply doesn’t justify the effort
Through sheer (read, brutal) discipline and some luck, I was able to pass all three levels of the CFA programme. Honestly, the course isn’t rocket science. The daunting task is really to cover the entire syllabus – six textbooks per level – and then remember the contents at least until you are through with the [...]
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The rise of reinsurers
According to a report by Aon Benfield, aggregate reinsurance premiums in China almost have grown more than 70 per cent compared with five years ago. Moreover, with the China Insurance Regulatory Commission’s most recent five-year plan including a national natural disaster risk transfer programme, as well as the improvement of loss models and underlying data, [...]
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Asia looks likely to avoid ANZ’s axe
Hundreds of mainly back-office staff are set to lose their jobs at ANZ, but most of the roles will go in Australia not Asia. In fact, in some Asian markets, such as India, the firm’s headcount may expand as a direct result of the Australian axings, and hiring will continue across the region, all be [...]
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Hey boss: Your Gen Y staff probably hate you – here are five things you should do now to stop them quitting
I recently met a group of my ex-colleagues for supper and I realised that there were more alumni represented than people who still work at the firm. You can imagine the conversation: we started with reminiscing about the happy and funny moments, but slowly somehow, it always turned to complaints and bitterness about missed opportunities [...]
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Five simple things you can do over Chinese New Year to strengthen your job search
Chinese New Year is approaching, and after that a new recruitment season begins. The period between now and the end of the holiday is an ideal time to prepare yourself for job searching after CNY. Nico Chen, a consultant from Manpower Experis, gives us some tips about using your time off work to improve your chances of [...]
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Want a 30 per cent pay rise each time you change companies? China is the place
As we reported last week, pay increments for those switching jobs won’t be great in Hong Kong and Singapore this year, with 15 per cent considered near the top end. But if you’re moving in mainland China, expect to be a lot better off at your new employer. “I see only a handful of 20 [...]
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Here’s how having a beer or cappuccino could help you nab your next banking job
You no doubt know the drill when it comes to formal interviews, but the line can get a little fuzzy when it comes to meeting prospective employers at a café or bar. With this in mind, we present a guide to coping with cappuccino meetings. Although not exactly new to Asia, these sessions are growing [...]
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Chinese bankers: The UAE wants you
The growing demand for Chinese products and services in the UAE, as well as bilateral trade and tax agreements, have increased the need for bankers servicing UAE-based Chinese nationals. In the past these consumers received limited attention from international, Chinese and local banks, but this is starting to change. The approximately 6,000 Chinese companies that have [...]
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The Runaway MBA: When employers hear “MBA”, they assume you are overpriced and inexperienced. My advice to prospective students…don’t do it!
The admissions department of my MBA school called me recently and asked if I would attend a reception for the new batch of prospective and accepted students. I responded to the request politely: I could not come. After all, if I did show up, I would not be able to provide romanticised answers that were [...]
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