In the decade or so since graduating from university, I first spent two years working as a substitute primary school teacher in Chengdu. Later, after completing a master’s degree in literature in Hong Kong, I stayed there and worked for six years. I then moved to Paris to switch careers into tech, and I now work in database administration in France.
Cultural Fusion Between East and West
While working in Hong Kong, it took me two years to adapt to its blend of Eastern and Western cultures. At first, because I struggled to adjust to the food and culture, I even returned to Chengdu during a holiday and found a permanent public-sector job, although I ultimately did not take it. Given Hong Kong’s history and international character, the students and parents I encountered at work came from a wide range of cultural backgrounds, and English was essential in the workplace even though I was a Chinese teacher. I went from not even knowing the English word for 猪肉 (pork) to eventually scoring 7.5 on the IELTS. The progress driven by the demands of the workplace played a major role.
Clear Boundaries Between Work and Personal Life
In Hong Kong workplaces, people prefer to speak frankly rather than beat around the bush. Work and personal life are kept very separate; people generally do not add one another as friends on social media until one of them leaves the job. Everyone works together while on the clock, but otherwise they never get in touch without a reason, nor do they post in work groups after hours. Unless you meet someone at work with whom you particularly click, you are unlikely to become friends outside the workplace. Relationships between managers and employees are also less hierarchical.
ㅤ
Competence Is King
Hong Kong’s job market is highly market-oriented: you earn according to your abilities. Of course, when it comes to the highest earnings, finance, law, and medicine still come out on top. I chose the teaching path back then, and because I did not have a Hong Kong teaching qualification, I worked at a tutoring center after graduation. My starting salary was not high, but because I was good at my job, it rose by 20% in my second year. Later, for a period of time, my monthly income, including earnings from part-time work, was ten times what I had made in Chengdu. So for academically driven people without much of a privileged background, Hong Kong is a good place to work hard and build a career.
ㅤ
Plenty of Holidays
Because of its blend of Eastern and Western cultures, Hong Kong observes holidays from both traditions, such as the Buddha’s Birthday, the Chung Yeung Festival, Christmas, and Easter. Schools and educational institutions also close during students’ holidays, of course. So before every break, the main topic of conversation was where everyone was flying for their vacation.
Teaching Is a Service Profession
When I taught in Chengdu, the students were always very obedient, and teachers had far more authority than students. Working in Hong Kong was different. The students at the educational institution where I worked all attended international schools and came from wealthy or influential families—some of their parents were even Hong Kong celebrities. Because the parents were the paying clients, I clearly felt at work that teaching was more like a service profession: I had to serve both the students and their parents while still maintaining authority over the students. It took me about a year to adapt to this change in role.