Im joining the IBD at a global bank in HK as a summer intern. I speak fluent chinese(mandarin), but my writing and reading is limited (but not non existent). Will this be a problem?
Note: they made me do a english to chinese translation test during the AC and I still got an offer.
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Based on the most helpful WSO content, Chinese language skills, particularly Mandarin, are highly valued in Hong Kong's Investment Banking (IB) sector. While your fluent spoken Mandarin is a significant advantage, limited reading and writing skills could pose challenges, especially for tasks like translating English investment highlights into impactful Chinese ones or preparing written materials in Mandarin.
However, since you passed the English-to-Chinese translation test during the assessment center and secured the offer, it suggests that your current skills are deemed sufficient by the bank. To excel during your internship, consider focusing on improving your written Mandarin, as translation and written communication are often critical for junior roles in HK IB. Additionally, delivering high-quality work and showcasing strong interpersonal skills can help offset any language limitations, as noted in previous WSO threads.
Sources: 2021 Summer Analyst Program for Hong Kong/Singapore, 2021 Summer Analyst Program for Hong Kong/Singapore
Depends. One angle to think about: not being able to read/write Chinese effectively kicks you out of CN IPO dealflow, which is THE most undersupplied seat in the city now. There are teams like Sponsor Coverage or LevFin where Chinese matters less, but the addressable pool of your return offer shrinks meaningfully.
Real question then becomes: How are you going to differentiate yourself from your Chinese-speaking batchmates
Sadly, de-globalization is ruling everything right now
It will be a problem if you're not comfortable working on China deals, which most sector coverage teams are quite heavily exposed to.
Typical language work includes offline & live translation, review of lengthy PPT & Word translations, emailing / messaging / notetaking internally & externally in Chinese, broker / industry / company research in Chinese + summarizing in Chinese write-ups for bosses, working with simplified & traditional Chinese financial reporting.
Mind you, even the PKU/THU natives leverage AI for most of this, but you'd still be expected to have some base proficiency yourself.
Are there more pan Asia groups (vs. PRC focused groups) in HK which does not require mandarin?
Idts. Usually its China/HK local/Kor+Jpn north asia/some Indians
It won't be a problem for securing a return full-time offer if that is your main concern, but long-term career prospects are probably not that great. Virtually every person I know from my graduating class that matches your description (educated in the US/UK, "fluent" spoken Mandarin, weak reading/writing) eventually returned to the US/UK. Some got return offers but decided to work full-time in NY/London. Others did two or three years in HK before ultimately returning to the US/UK.
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