HK SA -> NY FT Possible?

Hi, I have a question for you.

I am thinking of applying in HK for SA positions next year, but was wondering if the comp is comparable to what SAs get in London/NY (Recent topic stated around 80k per year).

Thanks.

This is very difficult since you are doing your SA in HK. There are few positions available for BB FT and they will probably prefer students with banking internships in US/UK. However, I have seen people made this transition before.. Its very hard but not impossible.

I have seen my friends who did SAs in HK/ Korea, and got FT in NYC. As smano stated, I heard it is very hard though.

Thank you for your comments. It might be very difficult...as I guessed. But I will try my best. Thanks!

I think you'd be better off in HK? NYC will be probably have dismal headcount compared to your BB, depending on conversion rate.

If you would really like to work in NYC, I would try to discreetly ask your HR about NYC recruiting schedules or start speaking with some senior members (After you're established a little bit) within the team about their experience in NYC and whether or not they still know someone there that they can put you in touch with.

Mind you, you should keep this low in case you do want to convert to FT in your HK BB.

Hope it helps.

it is possible, but really depends on the market. hopefully the market will pick up by the time ft recruiting comes around. however, i don't really see any particular reason to pick nyc over hk if you do receive an offer from a bulge bracket in hk, unless you dont want to work the asia hours. in terms of learning experience and pay, hk hands down

it is easier to go NY SA -> HK FT

why would you want to do NY FT, HK FT gets $150,000 first year with the same expenses as NY but lower taxes

People on here have no idea what they are talking about, really -

Speaking from experience:

Yes, it's very possible. Two ways to do it. The first is you're at a target school, in which case most banks will come recruiting for FT anyway. You stand as good a chance as anyone else with a summer analyst internship, NY, Hong Kong, or wherever else. Most important is fit -

Second, and easier route. If you get an offer in the HK office, just ask HR to refer you to NY and transfer your offer. It's routine, and you will have an interview as a formality. But in the 4 people that I personally known to have done this, all of them have transferred.

With that said - given the state of the world markets at this moment, depending on your background and preference, Hong Kong is as good of a place to start a career in Finance, if not better than New York provided that you are genuinely interested in the Asian markets. So think long and hard - there is a long waiting list to transfer to HK from NY offices, and the cultivation of language skills are essentialy for a long-term career in Asia.

Oh yeah - and HK has (much) higher comp, easier access to top US B-schools (international angle, especially for American citizens), higher QoL, almost guaranteed A2A promote, and a ton of exit-opportunities for those who have the language skills. New York finance is undergoing headcount reduction at the moment...

People would kill for HK jobs atm. It is possible to go to NY but i would think long and hard before you do

bump

I personally think it's smart to start in NY at a BB and work 2-4 years before going to Asia. People in China are big on superficial things like having "Wall St experience" or brand name/BB investment banks.