Getting internships as a European / German in Hong Kong / Singapore

Dear Monkeys,

I am doing a semester abroad in Hong Kong until Dec 2023 and I am currently trying to get an internship in Hong Kong starting from Jan 2024. As I do not speak a local language and will be in need of a work visa I do not think my chances are very high.

Is there anyone here who can share their experience? Should I stop wasting my time trying to get an internship in Asia and start focussing on Frankfurt / London?

Any help is appreciated!!

3 Comments
 
Most Helpful

Most IBs are English speaking and Cantonese as a colloquial so that shouldn’t be a problem exactly. But, problem is for HK is that it is competitive, they hire from not only HK, but UK, Mainland China and US students so you’ll be in a massive pool of competition. It may also not be worth it if you didn’t study in target schools in your home uni (especially if you didn’t study in UK) and also if you aren’t in HKU/HK poly as an exchange, your chances are very slim with all honesty.

Some IBs allow for multiple applications in OC and SA concurrently in multiple locations so it would not be a bad idea to apply to both Europe and HK.

This may be controversial but if I may suggest if you are to apply that you put Cantonese/Mandarin as a ‘beginner’ language to demonstrate you are at least interested in staying in HK as a prospective intern/future analyst working there.

 

If you are a student, you can do an internship without needing a visa. Even if you are no longer a student you can apply for a holiday visa.  As someone who lives in Hong Kong but does not speak the local language, I can assure you there are plenty of opportunities for people like yourself. You can pretty comfortably navigate daily life with just English. There are many opportunities for Germans/German speakers such as GSIS, Ravenscroft & Schmierer, the German Chamber of Commerce, Commerzbank etc. 

 

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