A FEW SELECT KOREAN SPEAKING US ASSOCIATE OPENINGS IN SEOUL, ALONG WITH MANY MANDARIN SPEAKING OPENINGS IN HONG KONG / CHINA

Things have changed recently in Korea - a few of our US and UK client firms are looking, very selectively, for a lateral US associate hire. Until just recently, there was not much hiring like this going on in Korea, since US and UK firms started opening offices there. We have already placed two US associates in Korea in the past month at top firms. Most of the hiring partners we work with in Korea do not actively work with other recruiters.

hong-kongEd. note: The Asia Chronicles column is authored by Kinney Recruiting. Kinney has made more placements of U.S. associates, counsels and partners in Asia than any other recruiting firm in each of the past seven years. You can reach them by email: asia@kinneyrecruiting.com.

Things have changed recently in Korea – a few of our US and UK client firms are looking, very selectively, for a lateral US associate hire. Until just recently, there was not much hiring like this going on in Korea, since US and UK firms started opening offices there. We have already placed two US associates in Korea in the past month at top firms. Most of the hiring partners we work with in Korea do not actively work with other recruiters.

If you are a Korean fluent US associate in London, New York or another major US market, 2nd to 6th year, at a top 20 firm, with cap markets or M&A focus (or mix), or project finance background, and you are interested in lateraling to Korea to a top US or UK firm, please feel free to reach out to us at asia@kinneyrecuiting.com. Members of our Asia Recruiting Team were just in Korea recently, and Robert Kinney will be in Korea in a few weeks.  We are in the process of helping several firms open new offices in Korea (a number of which are interviewing our partner level candidates)  and also helping existing offices there fill openings.

Even if you have no interest in moving to Korea any time soon, but just want to discuss the market in general and what we are predicting there for the next few years, feel free to reach out to us.  Those are interesting conversations we always enjoy.

As most of our readers are probably already well aware, just about every major US firm in Hong Kong / China is interviewing and hiring US associates for at least one opening, in M&A or cap markets or a mix.  Many firms have multiple such openings. There are also openings in FCPA / White Collar, project finance, and other areas.

The above is only newsworthy in that it is, as we predicted at Kinney earlier this year, a mini-boom hiring market in HK / China for US associates that started late August and will last at least two months.

It is during such a hiring boom that its going to be very helpful for you to speak with us and evaluate the best possible landing spots to consider in Hong Kong / China, according to your background, career and life goals, rather than simply finding a landing spot.  The relationships that Robert Kinney has with just about any US hiring partner (including some who we have placed) of significance in Hong Kong / China, along with the many current and former US associates there (including many we have placed), give us the ability to help you make the most informed decision at various steps in the process.  These steps include, but are not limited to –  whether to simply transfer within your firm to or within Asia; how and when to request such a transfer; if targeting other firms, when and which to target; which hiring partners may have the better practice fit or be better mentors; and how and whether to negotiate on offers and counter offers.

We recommend you don’t consider a move or transfer to Asia or within Asia unless you know you can be fully informed going in to such a process.

Feel free to contact us at asia@kinneyrecruiting.com and we would be happy to discuss your Asia prospects with you, regardless of whether you want to start a job search any time soon. If you do speak with us and decide to start a job search,  we won’t try to convince you to use our services and representation. That’s entirely up to you to ask for our help and representation.