I’m sure any expat around the world gets the same question when they begin chatting with others: “why did you move here?” While it’s obvious people’s jobs play a large role, there are often a handful of other factors that fall into place. I mean, it’s a pretty big deal to pack up your entire life and move to a completely different country. I’ve been asked “why Hong Kong?” countless times since moving here five years ago. Surprisingly for me, the answer was pretty simple..

Why I first thought about moving abroad

Like most expats, my main motivation for moving to Hong Kong was a job. After finishing two degrees I thought that getting a job in my field would be a piece of cake. Unfortunately, I was hit with the hard truth shortly after: the likelihood of landing a full time job was near impossible.

Moving abroad for work was honestly something that never even flickered across my mind until I realized how dire my job prospects were if I stayed in Ontario. I had a choice: either stay put and apply to every job available in my field (this would be part time work with no benefits) while likely living at home because I wouldn’t be able to afford rent in Toronto without a steady income OR put my expensive degrees to use and search for jobs in other countries. Obviously, I chose the latter.

First hike up to The Peak – October, 2012

How I landed my job in Hong Kong

I went to an international job fair with a close friend who was also in the same situation as me, but I didn’t really think too seriously about it. To me, the job fair was more of a “why not just go to see what’s out there,” since I had nothing to lose. Long story short, I landed an interview and was offered the job the following day.

Although naive of me, I didn’t do any research on Hong Kong before accepting the job (which I would not recommend doing). Without really thinking about, I called my friend (who thankfully also got the job). After speaking with her and solidifying my decision, I called my mom to tell her I was going to accept the offer. It all happened so fast, but knowing I was moving to the other side of the world with one of my closest friends certainly made things easier.

Even though I had no idea what I was getting into, I can confidently (and thankfully) say that I made the right decision to move abroad. Even though it’s been five years since I moved to Hong Kong, I get disheartened to hear that many other people I graduated with are still struggling to secure full time employment in their field. Aside from the hardships I’d face if I stayed in Canada, I truly ended up falling in love with Hong Kong and have had so many incredible opportunities arise from living here (like this blog!). Sometimes taking that leap of faith in life is the best decision you could make.

Are you thinking about moving abroad? If you’ve already moved, what factors persuaded you to do so?