Econ Yi Ling Yi

Lily is looking for a job. Unfortunately, this is not the best time to find work in Hong Kong. Most companies want Chinese people. Lily is most definitely not Chinese. There is no such thing as racial discrimination in China. You put your picture on your resume and if they don't like the way you look, they will not call you. That is perfectly legal here.

Chinese companies definitely do not look up to foreigners the way they used to. Once upon a time, hiring foreigners was a status symbol for a smaller company. Now that the locals are better trained and educated, hiring foreigners is considered a hassle. Foreigners almost always leave the country sooner or later. Even if they stick around for a while, they need more paperwork and almost always expect to be paid more. It is easier in every possible way for any company to hire locally.

The banking industry is hiring right now. Lily is not a banker. They also expect people to speak Chinese a lot more than they used to. Lily's Chinese is ok, but not good enough for high finance.

Lily's old job is no longer an option. She pretty much abandoned it without notice. That's not the kind of thing most employers go for. It is one thing if you work for someone who is understanding and can empathize with your situation. But Lily worked for a multibillion dollar international conglomerate. They tend to have rules that don't like to be broken.

I can't do anything to get her a job. I work for the corporation that she abandoned. I can't really do anything to get anyone a job anyway. Not only am I not high enough up the ladder, but you need a specific set of skills to work there. If you have those skills, you don't need my help.