Financial news Hong Kong – job market news for recruiters & job seekers in financial employment

China Pacific Insurance plans to spend 5bn yuan (HK$5.71bn) on shares placed privately by Shanghai Rural Commercial Bank, the Shanghai Securities News reported, quoting market sources. (The Standard) Ping An Insurance, China's second-largest insurer, will merge its bank unit into Shenzhen Development Bank in a deal valued at about 29.1bn yuan (HK$33.21bn ) to consolidate banking operations and comply with a government regulation. (The Standard) Goldman Sachs Group is capturing a record... Read more

A hiring manager asked a candidate this question during an interview for a management accountant position in the finance department of a securities and derivatives exchange in Asia. The question in full If you had to pick a key on the keyboard to describe yourself, which one would it be and why? What the hiring manager thinks are the best and worst answers There are really no right or wrong responses, but... Read more

Qualified accountants are creeping into a more diverse and interesting range of roles within banks in Asia these days, and the functions which require their skills are enjoying a steady flow of vacancies. But banks still have demanding recruitment requirements. Accountants can be found not just in core finance positions, but also in operations and project management jobs. There is a growing trend for them to add MBAs and CFAs to... Read more

M&A professionals are finally becoming more in demand as Asian deal making rises close to levels last seen in the pre-GFC boom. But because banks have recently been so focussed on ECM, they are now facing serious skill shortages in M&A. According to data tracker Dealogic, Asia Pacific companies have made US$132.7bn of offers for companies outside their home country so far this year, compared with US$142.7bn in the same period... Read more

If you’ve never applied for a job at a Chinese bank before, what should you watch out for? And how does the application and interview process differ from that of foreign firms? First of all, the large state-owned Chinese banks – such as ICBC and the Bank of China – do not typically hire externally for senior roles, preferring to recruit graduates and promote them until they reach management. However, commercial... Read more

A hiring manager asked a candidate this question during an interview for a C#/.NET developer role in a large international bank in Asia. The question in full Would you be able to work, code and deliver if I tell you that Google is banned in this organisation? What the hiring manager thinks are the best and worst answers Best: “No” Worst: Saying “yes” and then not being able to answer the most basic object-oriented programming... Read more

Get made redundant in London, send your CV to Singapore, and hear nothing back – a familiar story in 2009. These days, however, Asian-market wannabes are having more luck finding work as recruitment rises in the region. But while talent shortages in certain sector mean banks are taking on more foreigners, the overall trend is localisation, says Nick Poole, executive director, Tiglon Partners Asia. “The education system is producing a... Read more

China's Big Four banks have an average of about 20,000 branches each across the country. Agriculture Bank of China (ABC), for example, has more than 23,000 outlets covering nearly every rural district in the PRC. These networks create a large associated human capital cost because the banks also have to maintain tens of thousands of branch managers. Promotion, hiring and retention are all on a grand scale. But luckily for local banks,... Read more

Priority, privilege, preferred (we’ll use the former): whatever you call them, these bankers are in high demand and short supply as local and international firms target the rising wealth of Asia’s middle classes. Banks are battling with each other for staff and when that doesn’t work, they sometimes even search outside the financial sector. “Recruitment is very busy at the moment for these revenue-generating roles. You can’t bring in foreign talent... Read more

After a GFC-induced slump, many Australian financial services professionals are once again looking for jobs overseas. London remains the destination of choice, but with Asia leading the employment market recovery, Singapore and Hong Kong are catching up quickly. In a new report from Marks Sattin, two thirds of the 2,095 accounting and finance professionals surveyed said they would consider moving internationally for a suitable role. Scott Stacey, managing director, Marks Sattin... Read more

"I'm looking for a job in the areas of fixed income sales or product development. I would like to try to find a positon in Hong Kong to gain some overseas exposure." Does he have a hope? Read the CV and leave your comments below. EDUCATIONUniversity in Singapore (Aug 2004 to Jul 2008) • Bachelor of Business Management • Double major in Finance and Corporate Communications Business School in a European capital city (Jan... Read more

Last week we asked you to submit your resumes to be reviewed by the kind, intelligent readers of eFinancialCareers in Asia. Today we present our first CV for your critique. Just use the comments box below to offer your insights into why this guy can’t get a job. “I recently moved from the UK to Hong Kong. Prior to shifting over here, I was working on a European Government bond... Read more

In the second of her regular “View from the bottom” series, our columnist tells us about her trip to Hong Kong in search of work. The writer is a young Singaporean banker who worked on Wall Street and is now searching for a job in Asia. I had been scheduled to interview for a position in Hong Kong as a replacement hire at an investment bank there. However, due to repeated... Read more

I'm a recent graduate currently trying to apply to an analyst graduate programme of a major bank, or find a permanent job with good responsibilities and prospects. Areas I'm interested in are research, finance, or project management. I've had internship and contract-working experience and I am currently working as an analyst (contract) in a major European bank. AWARDS, CERTIFICATES, and CO-CURRICULUM ACTIVITIES • Awarded Best Trainee during National Service • Member of the... Read more