Bank and Overseas Tertiary Education

Last night, My wife and I were interviewed by one Hongki calling our house phone from Hong Kong. He worked for Synovate Hong Kong and he got our contact from Serene. He was supposed to interview Paul as well. He talked to us for over an hour from 7.30pm to well over 8.30pm.

The gist of the interview was to have our views on bank preference in handling money destined to support children studying overseas, in our case Australia. In the end, he told us that they were commissioned to do the study for CitiBank of USA.

This Hongki chap who has just worked for Synovate for just over 1 month holds a Degree in Civil Engineering from one Canadian University. On why he gave up civil engineering, he told us that Hong Kong now has very little infrastructure projects and hence not easy to get a decent civil engineering job. On why he didn't try China. He said that China has a lot of smart local engineers who can do even better job than them for half their pay. That's why he decided to switch job before it's too late.

Not a good scenario for civil engineers in Hong Kong.

But then earlier in the flight back from Tawau to KK, I met another civil engineering consulting engineer who also has a consulting firm in Perth. He told me that there is now a great demand for civil engineers in Australia. The job sites are however mostly out of town: in the mines-related infrastructural works. Quite hard life! He faced great difficulty to recruit candidates to fill job vacancies.

In the end, he told me to contact him in the event my son is considering looking for job in Australia after he graduates. That is a piece of good news as far as civil engineers are concerned.