Hong Kong skyline at dusk viewed from Kowloon, China.
Ask any expatriate working in Hong Kong whether he or she has seen any résumés recently from colleagues or friends back home and the answer will be the same.
"When they found out I was coming here, several folks said, 'Oh call me, call me if there are any opportunities,'" says Nancy Grimmer, an executive from Chicago who moved to Hong Kong a few weeks ago to manage strategic marketing in greater China for Jones Lang LaSalle, the property advisory.
Job cuts and hiring freezes are pushing more and more North Americans and Europeans to look east to advance or relaunch their careers. But recruiters say finding jobs in Asia has become increasingly difficult for expatriates who want to move because options at home have dried up.
Headhunters say that the eagerness to move to Asia is a noticeable change from the pre-2008 boom years. Back then executives balked at the idea of uprooting their families and dragging them around the world.
"Now it's, 'God, I might not have a job tomorrow. Don't worry about the family, I just need to get to a growing market,'" says one recruiter.
According to a recent survey by recruitment agency Marks Sattin, nearly 8 per cent of financial services workers in Britain feel "very insecure" in their jobs.
"Obviously [people]don't say they've been laid off; they say that they're looking to come to Asia," says Anil Thadani, chairman of Symphony Capital Partners, a private equity firm in Singapore.
It is not just corporate executives looking east. Trevor Nunn, a British academic director of schools in Shanghai and Beijing, quit his job as a British head teacher and moved to China two years ago, in part because he wanted to give his then 11-year-old son the chance to learn Chinese. He now finds himself hiring new teachers from California and Ireland who have been hit by cutbacks. (He also finds himself frequently shown up by his son's Mandarin skills.)
Yet making the jump is not easy. "People with good experience in more mature markets have a little bit of a misconception that it'll be very easy to get a job," says Nick Lambe, managing director of recruiter Morgan McKinley in Hong Kong. "Whilst this is certainly the case for niche skill sets, it certainly isn't true for all types of professionals."
Cultural and linguistic skills remain crucial – even more so given the growing importance of domestic growth in China and south-Asian countries. Many companies looking to expand on mainland China are now focused on its so-called second- and third-tier cities, which may have more residents than Paris but with which few foreigners are familiar.
Asia's fast growth is also luring back those from the region who had moved to North America or Europe to study and work. Such so-called returnees are the most sought-after employees, as they not only know the nuances of the local market but are perceived as cheaper to hire than someone from abroad and easier to retain.
While job creation in markets such as Hong Kong is faster than in the West, the region is not unscathed.
HSBC, which has said it plans to hire more people in Asia, recently announced plans to cut 3,000 posts, mostly support position jobs in Hong Kong. Other bankers in the city say their offices are under unofficial hiring freezes or slowdowns.
So what can a would-be expat do?
The best way to get to Asia is perhaps the most obvious – just go to Asia, suggests Mr. Thadani. "If you're really committed that you're going to Asia, then make the commitment and go there for six months and see what you find," he says. "Then you can actually survey the scene … and find out who the interesting players are."
Those who are too risk-adverse or unable to afford moving without a firm job offer have been using vacation time as an opportunity to network on the ground.
Taylor Dixon, now a sales trader in Hong Kong, had been working the overnight Asia shift on a Montreal-based trading desk. Over a break from that job, he visited Hong Kong and, in three days, powered through nearly 15 interviews pre-arranged through his contacts. He got one formal offer and moved to Hong Kong five months ago. Now, he says, he's the one getting e-mails from friends, and the friends of his friends, looking to go for networking beers while they are in town.
Zoe Henham, head of human resources for CLSA, an Asia-Pacific focused-brokerage, warns that prospective employees might trip up in interviews if their interest in Asia seems short-term opportunism. "[Employers]are not looking for someone who just wants to come for a year because the job market in Europe is terrible," she says. "The interest in Asia needs to be genuine."
While offers are typically sealed in person, advanced research is crucial. Talking with colleagues who have done stints in Asia or are from the region can help shape expectations. Online job boards can also help job seekers better understand the market from afar. Marks Sattin's survey found that sites such as eFinancialcareers were the most helpful sources for those looking for new financial services positions.
Networking sites such as LinkedIn play less of a role. Personal recommendations carry more weight in ensuring résumés are looked at, while a meeting in person at an industry conference or on a trip to the region are better at convincing hiring managers of a candidate's seriousness.
Job seekers who skip that research and expect Hong Kong, let alone Shanghai, to be just like New York or London will struggle to succeed even if they land new roles, says Ms. Henham. The move away from the decision-making power of head offices, plus cultural differences and the challenge of relocating a family can be jarring for many.
Despite the challenges facing newcomers, Asia is still a growth market facing a severe skills shortage in new fields such as wealth management or electronic trading. While who-you-know jobs such as corporate banking might be closed to newcomers, what-you-know positions requiring technical skills or knowledge of specific financial products remain open.
For those without such niche skills, recruiters advise candidates to keep an open mind. Some have taken jobs in smaller markets such as the Philippines to learn more about the region. Others have taken lower pay or a lower title with an eye toward qualifying for a later promotion.
Ms. Grimmer had limited on-the-ground experience in Asia but had worked for the past decade helping companies manage their global real estate. Once her children had grown up, she pushed to get transferred to her company's Hong Kong office.
But the next generation of expats might look more like Ms. Grimmer's daughter. A recent university graduate, she studied Chinese, did an internship in Singapore, and is hoping to one day work in Asia too.