Hong Kong

Title says it all, will it hinder recruitment? Also do they hire english speakers (ex. white guys) from US/UK semi-targets? Or is it only top targets in US/UK & local unis? Any info on hours?

28 Jun 2021

Just thought I'd make this thread so we could have a place to talk about how applications are going for summer internships in HK.

21 May 2021

I am about to choose HKUST for a bachelor's in Quant finance, but before that, I wish to obtain some information about the financial industry. My thoughts are that studying quant finance + (a double major in comp sci) at a bachelor's would allow me to best develop my quantitative/critical thinking side as a strong foundation. However, I suppose I do not particularly enjoy spending all my time sitting behind a desk trying to build models/validate models/full-on research (this is my general stereotype based on what I have read on quant finance jobs); I do also sometimes enjoy being at the

02 Apr 2021

My situation is pretty complicated. Seems like I'm gonna pursue my undergrad at the CUHK (Quantitative Finance and Risk Management). Although I do consider going into sales and trading or quant, I also want to know if this degree and my language/culture profile would let me be a competitive applicant in London. I am Russian, speak Russian, Kazakh, German, pretty knowledgeable of the Eastern European and Central Asian business environment. Renaissance Capital is what might have popped up in your mind, maybe I have a chance there.

02 Apr 2021

Figured there are a lot of monkeys in Hong Kong so reaching out for ideas: this fall I'm visiting a friend in HK. For those who've been, what are some recommendations for things to do/see/places to eat/etc.? I'm a big fan of obscure food and lots of drinking, but open to walking around and exploring during the day as well. My friend will be staying with his family, so what's a good neighborhood to get an airbnb in? Also, I'd be down if anyone is interested in getting a drink or if there's a WSO group that meets regularly like in some other cities.

25 Jun 2019

Hi! Prospective IB monkey here. I just started my MBA studies at a M7 program, and wanted to ask for advice on how to break into HK IBD post-MBA. I'm a Korean native (don't speak or write any Chinese) and have 2 years of work experience at Big 4 TAS + 3 years in investment management. I got interested in HK IB after finding out that most large cap South Korea deals are handled out of HK offices. Over the last couple weeks, I've managed to speak with a lot of alumni who worked in NYC and SF offices. But I haven't had much luck in finding someone who works in HK. I asked for referrals, but so

07 Sep 2020

Hi. Hope everyone is doing well during these turbulent quarantine times. Just a little bit about me: I was born in the States but moved to China at three. Grew up there and came back to the States around the start of middle school. I speak fluent Mandarin with no accent and my Mandarin writing/reading ability is about the same as a Chinese middle/high schooler (can read WSJ Chinese with little to no difficulty). I also know how to speak (to a certain extent) the Henan regional dialect/accent, though I don't know how much of a role that'll play into all of this. I'm currently at a top target

28 Apr 2020

Recently I got accepted to CUHK's QFRM, my first choice in HK. A set of factors didn't let me apply for a business degree, and my passion for juggling numbers is not something I want to waste, so my choice fell on this program. What are my prospects in HK's IB? WSO zoo's views on this university are controversial af, and I see that CUHK consistently ranks lower than HKU and UST, but there still are people saying that CU is on par and sometimes better. Also, please note that I'm a Russian from Middle Asia, proficient in three languages, none of which is SE Asian. Although I can't say for sure

13 Mar 2021

I've been following league tables in Asia for a while, and it seems that they have become increasingly dominated by Chinese banks (not just CICC and Citic, but also places like GF Securities, Haitong securities). This has been true for ECM and DCM for a while, but it seems that in recent years this effect has been seeping into advisory/M&A as well. What does this mean for all the BBs in Asia? (we already know Barclays is out, DB probably likely to follow). The banking scene in Asia in general? What's the landscape going to be like 5-10 years down the road? Which banks/BBs are best positioned

19 Apr 2016

Hi there, Just got into MBA program and start to think about BB Summer Associate next year in Hong Kong (I'm a Mandarin native speaker). I talked with a couple of friends and alums and there are my two key findings so far. 1) BB Summer Associate recruiting in Hong Kong emphasizes pre-MBA background. Only candidates who have a "finance background" (Big 4, Investment Banking, Private Equity, etc.) can pass. 2) Target schools for BB Summer Associate are: M7+Tuck+Stern+LBS. Only kids from those schools could have a shot. Can any insider shed some more light on that? Thanks!

22 Feb 2018

I'm from the US but now in HK. Investment bank reputations on this side of the world are kind of throwing me off - would be nice to have a ballpark overview of banks here. For example, it was a shock that Barclays doesn't even feature in the league tables anymore (no doubt due to all the cuts and what-not), whereas it's still a really good BB in the US. For those of you over here or in the know, how do you guys see the rest of the bulge brackets? What are the strongest banks? Talking about mostly M&A, but IBD in general too. What about Boutiques? Would appreciate some input, thanks!

04 May 2015

I've had this debate with a couple of people who believe that working abroad is becoming a new way to get ahead in finance. Rapid globalization and the rise of emerging markets has made an international perspective more important now than ever. I'm seeing more and more people who have a few years work experience in the US choose to work internationally in order to diversify their skill set. Many times these people can receive promotions and more responsibility upon returning to the US, setting a foundation for a rapid rise to the top. Also, from an investing point of view, the slowdown in

12 May 2012

I usually am on the Consulting forum given what I do, but have visited the bullpen a lot more off late (let's face it, lot more entertaining and I'm sick of responding to threads asking about how to best do case prep). One common theme emerging among people's comments is that Asian cities like HK and Singapore are decidedly lower tier places to start your career in the big leagues as an i-banker or a S&T person, etc. Now I know NY is the financial capital of the world, very busy, everyone's there, etc etc, but I find it amusing that Asia is (subtly, I might add) looked down upon when: 1) You make WAY more money thanks to the 10-12% tax rate and decent bonuses (neither of which exist in NY off late)

25 Apr 2012

I currently have multiple offers from BBs in Hong Kong (to preserve anonymity, I won't say which ones, but a few are considered here "top BBs"). I know the US reputations of the BBs, but are things the same/different in Asia (for example, is GS TMT still considered the best, followed by MS M&A)? None of the offers is group-specific, and my only considerations are reputation and exit opps to PE megafunds in Asia (KKR, Carlyle, Bain Cap, etc.). With that in mind, how would you rank the BBs in Asia?

30 Jan 2016

Hi all, I am facing a problem and would really appreciate if anyone can help me out. I am a Chinese citizen studying at a non-target or semi-target (think non-ivy top 20) in the US. I just went through SA recruiting for APAC IBD internships. I got 4 super days but the results are pretty disappointing. I only secured an offer from Barclays and got waitlisted for the others. I am well aware that Barclays IBD is extremely weak in HK and really don't want to go there. However, it seems like it is the only option I have. I was wondering what do you guys think are the best strategies for me to focus

09 Dec 2016

Hi guys this is my first question at WSO so excuse me for inappropriate details. Do tier 1 quants exist in HK, like Jane Street, Point72, Two Sigma etc.. I'm an HK undergrad and right now I'm very confused about whether there are actual quants at all here because everyone is only talking about either IB or AM. I know that there are some positions offered by Jane Street, but I'm not sure if they're doing the same as their US counterparts. Also, is it conventional to work in say Jane Street's HK branch and get transferred to US HQ? Additionally, if anyone has the experience, what does it take to

19 Apr 2021

It sucks to realize that most IBDs in HK highly prefer US college graduates (targets) over top HK college graduates. I'm talking analyst/associate levels. Some analysts that I came to know of while networking told me some disturbing stories. JP Morgan has 0 analyst who graduated from colleges outside of US or UK at the moment. Goldman Sachs, nil. Morgan Stanley has only 1 who has graduated from HKU. Even at smaller banks like Société Générale, it's hard to find a single analyst in IBD who's not from a US target school. I wonder if things are similar in other Asian countries like Singapore, Korea? And yes, I'm Cantonese.

01 Nov 2010

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11 Apr 2017

Just a quick question. I'll be a SA at a Hong Kong BB bank this summer, but I go to school and family are all in the States. I'm definitely okay with going to HK to pursue a full-time career. Culture is awesome, cost of living (minus rent) is relatively low (unless you choose to go high end). People speak English, China is up and coming. On the other hand, I get that there's a sense that if you want to do IBD, NYC is the place to be in order to really advance your career. All the major BB headquarters (even the Swiss ones) are in NY. Any thoughts on HK vs NYC IBD in terms of prestige, difficulty of getting in, long term career prospects?

11 May 2009

Below is a cut/paste from their role description: While in Analytics, you will specialize in one of the following market sectors: Fixed Income, Equities, or Foreign Exchange (FX) and/or Commodities and set the foundation for further career opportunities. Your career path may include, but is not limited to advanced specialties, leadership roles or positions within our Sales department. You will gain the opportunity to build relationships, support and sell the suite of market leading solutions we provide to our high-level clients. Enjoy the challenges and rewards of a career at Bloomberg. I've been failing to get a job in Hong Kong so far. If I apply for this Sales role is it possible to lateral to S&T at a BB later? I swear this isn't a troll post. Thanks

12 Apr 2011

While there are bits and pieces of information on lifestyle and banking in Hong Kong, few threads have the full overview. Can someone please give the general overview of the career path in Hong Kong? I read somewhere that in HK, most IB analysts stay on as associates as compared to NY, where analysts move to PE or HF. Also, while most threads just say tax rate is "lower" because its 15%, few clarified that you have to pay US taxes too, except that you're exempt for the first 90k provided that you meet a few prerequisites. So can someone working in HK give the full picture of a career in Hong Kong? Topics that will be helpful: 1. Is compensation in PE really lower than that of IB in HK?

28 Aug 2011

Hey Guys, A bit about my background: I'm going to be a Junior next year at HYP, majoring in History with a 3.9 GPA. I've got a strong Math background as well with some Econ courses. I also did a short internship this summer with a real estate PE firm. I have pretty good Chinese, written and spoken, and would like to try and eventually work in Asia. My question is: I'm looking to find a summer 2011 internship in HK, and I am wondering what the best strategy is, i.e. timing of alumni networking, which firms to apply to, what the competition is like, etc etc. I'm a US citizen, so I'm also curious about Visa issues for working in HK. Any and all comments would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

12 Jul 2010

Hi all I just wanted to get some advice from people who work in IBD and in Asia in particular. (Sorry for the walls of text). After a few months of browsing these forums, reading books and talking to people in finance I have decided to take the plunge into finance and aim for an IBD internship at a BB firm in Singapore/HK/Shanghai for the end of next year. I am from Sydney, Australia and am a non-finance graduate. After I finished University I came to Beijing to study Chinese where I been for the past year. I feel I will be fluent in Chinese after one more year. Next year I will be studying a Masters of Commerce majoring in Finance and Accounting at the University of New South Wales in Sydney.

28 Nov 2010

hi, i worked in IBD, equity research and private equity in the last 4 years in london. im looking to go try my luck in hong kong/asia and need some advice regarding answering a question that is likely to come up in interviews over there either with recruiters or headhunters. a question likely to come up is something along the lines of.... "what is your competitive advantage, or what differentiates you or what makes you different compared to other candidates located here?"

14 Jul 2010

How's Barclays HK reputation? I have a few offers in leveraged finance on the table with banks in NY (Wells Fargo or Barclays level in terms of LevFin league tables in the US, but with much less of a global brand name than Barclays). The HK position would be a generalist position doing what I am assuming is M&A and IPOs mostly. How are the work hours at Barclays HK? How is the compensation, and how is Barclays generally viewed in HK? I can speak multiple Asian languages (and am Asian), so the location isn't too much of an issue for me. I've lived in the US for most of my life though, so I am a little interested in a job overseas. Just wanted to see where I would get the best comp/lifestyle. Thanks everyone.

16 Oct 2010

Hi, WSO members! The site has been of great help to me for the last 2 years and this is THE TIME when I especially need career advice. So, long story short: education is not my strong point (lack of focus, immaturity, party abuse), however I managed to get a great job every summer (chronological order, everything in a booming emerging market country): - IBD in GS / MS, 3 months (last) - PE with AUM of USD1.3 bn, 7 months - Real Estate Investment Trust of a top-30 Asset Management company, 3 months - IBD in CS / DB, 9 months - Financial department of a top-30 commercial bank, 3 months - Marketing department of #1 English newspaper, 2 months (first)*

07 Feb 2011

Hi guys, I received offers or waiting to hear back about superday results from the above places for the positions. A bit background about myself, I am a senior year student (but if I choose to do SA this summer, I have the option to do 1 more year of school and get master degree in computer science), I am into trading and quant strategies and want to go into HFs eventually. I see the master program as a buffer and I want to make the decision based on long term career development (as in I am ready to start FT this summer). I would greatly appreciate help on the following questions: 1. How to compare BAML S&T, Citi 2 year quant trading program (I also received offer from Citi last year but turned it down), Nomura S&T.

08 Mar 2015

mod (Andy) note: "Blast from the past - Best of Eddie" If there's an old post from Eddie you'd like to see up again shoot me a message. Is the bloom off the Private Equity rose for today's MBA students? An interesting phenomenon is emerging among recent B-school grads that suggests Asia, and not Wall Street, is the premier destination for newly minted MBAs. Business Week explored the trend a couple months ago in this article. As the recent high-profile Asian IPOs would indicate, there is definitely opportunity to be found there. And the place did have a sort of Wild West energy to it the last

03 May 2014

Hey guys, am I missing any other IB firms in Hong Kong? If so, can you please reply? Barclays BoA Merill Lynch Citi Credit Suisse Deutsche Bank JP Morgan Morgan Stanley Nomura Societe Generale UBS

02 Nov 2010

Recently one Bettina Wassener (IHT) wrote on in her article (Link 1) that Hong Kong is losing its edge as an International Finance Hub, and is potentially in danger in the long term unless the supply of office space increases. There are several flaws in this article and its citations, in that 1. Hong Kong is not in danger of in terms of its long-term prosperity because of a "lack of office space" and 2. that there is a lack of office space.If there were to be any imposing threats on Hong Kong's status, it would be the rapid emergence of the Chinese Markets and the rising influence of the RMB. The reasons are as follows:

13 Dec 2012

I am an Australian citizen who wants to start (and keep) his trading career in HK. How do I achieve this? How hard is it to get directly hired into HK? Is doing a year in Sydney then pushing for an internal transfer a realistic strategy? If so, is it really nessary to do a year? Can I start pushing after 3 or 6 months? On the flipside, will it take years for me to become valuable enough to get myself a transfer? What banks have a large HK-presence? (e.g. Barclays in HK is small) Any particularly noted bank desks, markets or products that are considered strong/weak in HK? (its my understanding that Asian financial markets are still underdeveloped) I don't want to say that I think NYC or London are a bit past their peaks, but to me, it seems like it's Asia's turn to grow, and HK is the perfect place to be for an ambitious young man. Am I wrong? Is there anything I should know about trading in HK, or being a expatriate in general?

11 Mar 2010

Does anyone have experience in changing region? I have always worked in London and the idea of working in Hong Kong appeals in particular. The benefits are obvious... more global relevance, experience looking at a new market, etc... and would be an awesome experience on a personal level. But I am less sure on aspects such as for example having to start covering a new client base... am not sure what I think about that having established myself with a solid set of clients over here. I know its something that is clearly possible and done fairly often, but I feel there is likely a trade off in

03 May 2014

Hi everyone I know that I can get some good and specific advice from this forum, cause I have a dream to enter the finance industry for a long time, and now I am a grad student in Dartmouth, my undergrad college is the best (no "one of") in China, majored in EE, but I barely have any persuasive related internship experience in the last 4 years(I have regret about that now), the only opportunity for me is to have a internship in a large investment bank, Hong Kong may be an easier choice but it is also fiercely competitive.

04 Dec 2009

A Hong Kong tycoon refuses to believe that his daughter married her lesbian partner of 7 years in France, and in his denial is offering US$65 million to any man who can swoop her off her feet and out of her lesbianism. http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/featurenew… I have two questions for you WSO: 1: Would you change your sexual preference for $65 million? 2: If not, would you marry a woman (or man), assuming no divorces or cheating, for that amount of money?

26 Sep 2012

I have been through the SA recruiting process for BB's HK offices and had no luck landing an offer after few Superdays. As a result, I spent a lot of time reaching out to boutiques in HK and banks in China, and now I have landed an offer from a leading Chinese securities firm's IBD (not CICC) and an offer from a HK boutique.

06 Jun 2014

I am planning to start an MSF in 2013, and am trying to decide whether to pursue this either at CUHK in Hong Kong or at a target in US/UK (think Oxford/Cambridge/LSE/ MIT/Princeton etc). The goal is to land an S&T position in Asia (mainly focusing on HK). Whilst I would also consider working in NY/LN for a year or two before transferring to Asia, I would much prefer to start out in HK. First off a little about my background:- -Caucasian, native English speaker, now semi-fluent in Mandarin Chinese -Undergrad was at Oxford, first class honors (but not quantitative major) -Worked for a BB in BO for a year after graduation -After BO for a year moved to China and studied Mandarin full time for 2 years -Have been teaching English for a couple of years since then, now in late 20s

30 Sep 2012

Hi everybody, Since 2 years ago I have felt very attracted to project finance and IB in general. I took a class in project finance, and read some books, but I don't have an economics/finance background. I am currently a PhD candidate at a top university in China, and recently got a scholarship to go to HK PolyU on exchange for one year. I was planning to use that time to prepare the CFA and network and research about my opportunities to break into project finance, without coming from a finance background(I have a bachelors in architecture, master in construction engineering, and my current PhD is in management science at the school of civil engineering. Have lived in Spain, US, Japan and China).

12 Apr 2014

I'm a current freshman at Northwestern and am contemplating transferring to Cornell CAS. I know that Cornell places much better on Wall Street but I'm a dual HK-UK citizen (and knowing that OPT/H1B is much harder than before along with the mainland competition) so I'm more interested to know about how differently these two schools place into HK/Beijing/Shanghai or London. From my limited perspective I believe the alumni network in HK is much stronger for Cornell but I don't know how this works either. I don't find Northwestern too challenging (expecting to keep a 3.8ish GPA, or maybe .1 or .2

16 May 2015

Has anyone heard back from MS HK about IBD superday? I had two first-round phone interviews with them in early December for summer analyst position, but hasn't heard anything since. None of my friends who interviewed heard either. I was told the superday would be in January. Thanks!

06 Jan 2011

I am curious about roles of graduates from HKU , ie (PE, Front Desk, M&A etc) and whether it is easy for them to break into BB or boutiques compared to their western counterparts( Ivies, oxbridge, lse). My long term goal is to be a quant/algo-trader. I am fluent in cantonese, mandarin and english and I am an international student from SE Asia. Also, I have an offer to study at HKU with a full bursary. I am also offered placements at UCL, Edinburgh but I doubt i'll attend due to their high fees and the low ROR. So, please share some insights about the scene as I am just looking for an accurate

23 Mar 2018

Hi, I'm curious to hear from anyone who's currently working in Asia or have had some experience in Asia as to some of the top 2nd-tier names in both Hong Kong and Singapore. We all know the US bulge brackets so I'm thinking more along the lines of HSBC, Standard Chartered, RBS, Macqarie etc. Does anyone have any info on any of these names? Also, what are some of the exit opportunities after banking in Asia? People don't jerk off to the buyside that much back there do they?

07 Apr 2011

What is the general ranking of BBs in HK, in terms of deal flow/prestige? I can read the league tables, and I know UBS performs really well in Asia, but which banks get the sexiest deals?

29 Oct 2015

I couldn't find anything in a search, so I was hoping some of you (especially those who have worked in both cities) can talk about what the differences are in terms of the work, the culture, the lifestyle, exit ops, etc. I have a final round with a BB for a fixed income SA position. I know that China's fixed income markets are quite underdeveloped...how would this affect me? Finally, I know most superdays are held in New York, but they invited me to visit their HK office. How common is this/what does this mean? Thanks!

22 Jan 2010

So I accepted an offer for a BB in HK a few months ago, and now I'm freaking out because I realize my Chinese is nowhere near good enough. I've never worked in HK (did my SA in NY), but decided to take the job in HK for family reasons. However, I am fine speaking Mandarin on a conversational basis (but I'm better at Cantonese), but my reading/writing is at like middle school level. Can barely read a newspaper, bunch of unknown characters still. I got away with it during the interviews because there was no written test, just verbal fit-type questions in Mandarin, which I could answer. However the interviewer did mention there will be writing involved.

22 Dec 2009

Background: I am a senior about to graduate in 2012 from a non target. I have a 3.4 GPA and two internships in China, one with a boutique and the other with a small consulting firm. I could not work there after graduation, as they are very client focused and I would have to be extremely fluent in Mandarin. Currently I am proficient, and would like to become fluent one day. However, if you have ever taken/spoken Chinese, you understand the huge gap between being able to hold a conversation and being able to conduct business. I have applied online to positions in Hong Kong with zero luck. Didn't expect much as I don't go to a target and don't have a perfect GPA. Although my experience looks pretty good.

08 Nov 2011

How important is it to know Mandarin in order to work in Hong Kong? I ask this as some one who speaks only english and french. Is still it worth me applying?

08 Nov 2010

Before I begin, a tip of the cap to HappyPantsMcGee for providing the food for today's thought. As we, the United Socialists of America, stand here: two nations, under Government, with liberalism and justice for some...those crazy crazy capitalists in Hong Kong are finally taking steps toward our way of life. The Nanny State Goes Global !!! Read All About It As Hong Kong prepares to adopt the minimum wage law (without any economic rhyme or reason), I will quote some of the most telling excerpts from an article which demands close scrutiny from anyone with even a passing interest in global finance and economics.

13 Jan 2011

Background: International student with a degree in Econ/Math from a non target university in the US. Open to working anywhere (I realize placement for international kids are extremely tough). So the deadline for deposits for WUSTL/Singapore Management University's Global MSF and CUHK's MSc Finance are both coming up. I'm only going to pay the deposit for one of the two programs as I wait for more schools to get back to me. I'm just curious as to what everyone thinks! Which one would you pick if you were me?

31 Jan 2015

Offers for S&T summer internship in GS London and Barcap Hong Kong. Originally from Hong Kong and prefer lifestyle/food etc in Hong Kong. Feel GS has a bigger name but think Barcap is growing too. Really want to go for Barcap Hong Kong but feel it'd be wasting a valuable GS opportunity. Do people see bigger long term prospect if I choose to start in GS? Opinions much appreciated! Many thanks!

08 Mar 2010

Hi I'm a South Korean and I speak non of the chinese languages. I go to a top 5 university in Korea. But I just want to have a job or an internship in Hong Kong(at least I want to try) Here's my resume. http://www.razume.com/documents/25631 Do you think I can get a chance to have an interview with any of the famous american or european bank or securitiies company? I prefer a FO position. Also, i know you're all generous so could you please correct my resume? Thanks in advance!

12 May 2012