Applying to HK or London: which is less competitive?

Hi all, I'm trying to maximize my chances of getting into a BB... and here is some background about myself:

-non-target "international student" in the context of these countries
-I don't need a visa for Hong Kong, I have residency/citizenship
-Prior relevant internship experience from HSBC
-decent grades
-know Cantonese/English, not mandarin
-definitely more social/outgoing personality compared to quant background lol

I was wondering which country should I focus on? A lot of BBs only accept one application now from candidates, so I'm trying to apply to whichever location would help me most. From what I found from coldcalling/networking with alumni, it seems like Hong Kong doesn't really require networking for internships? Hr seems to have a lot of power there for internships.

For more information, this is mainly for Markets/S&T, not IB. Any help is appreciated, thanks!

 
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typed up a longer response yesterday but somehow it's gone... dunno about barclays. you should call them up and ask. i've been networking with alums in london/continental europe and was told there are two ways to approach london recruiting 1) study abroad for a year to show commitment to the region and pick up a european language and become fluent 2) start in NY and then lateral. most of them said they wouldn't sponsor a tier 5 (intern) visa for an internship that's only 2-3 months, but since you're applying to off-cycle that might be different. fwiw, HR in london seems to have bigger sway than in the states. what year are you in school? i go to school in the states and got interviews for positions in london

HK wouldn't be any less competitive than london or nyc. smaller summer intern class, overseas/local quota, school prestige (top targets in US/UK) seems to matter a lot. language requirement is a mixed bag. i spoke to firms that don't care about mandarin skills and firms that require you to be able to write memos/reports/presentations in chinese and speak fluent mandarin. did you get to speak to any dong gei ren? i've only spoken with american expats so maybe the perspective is different. pm if you wanna trade notes.

 

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