A Year in Hong Kong

FDM Consultant Daniel Osae completed his training in London before relocating to Hong Kong to work as a System API Developer at HSBC. Now back in the UK, Daniel shares his experience on relocating and working in such a vibrant and exciting city as Hong Kong. 

During my training in the London Academy an opportunity arose to work in Hong Kong. I had to ask myself, “should I stay in London, within the realms of my comfort zone, or should I go to a place that I hadn’t ever dreamed of visiting before.” An experience like this is not only personally life changing but it could also enhance my career professionally and open doors in the future. I knew I would be missing out if I didn’t go.

The process of leaving the UK happened quite quickly. Once my visa had been approved I was on a plane three days later and ready to start my placement at HSBC as a System API Developer. Not knowing anything about the location was challenging at first, but I settled in quickly. Hong Kong has a very Westernised feel to it which allowed for some familiarity during the course of settling in.

As a System API Developer within the Digital Solutions team, I was heavily involved in the data integration process and building application process interfaces that were responsible for processing data from their backend systems and present them to the frontend systems. The experience became even better when my department moved in to a trendy co-working office known as WeWork where I met more expats and had plenty of networking opportunities.

There’s a multitude of things to do in Hong Kong during your free time. You’re never too far away from a beach to relax or the country trails to go hiking. The Hong Kong skyline and scenery is breathtaking. Hong Kong certainly has an energetic vibe and the main strip of bars known as Lan Kwai Fong (LKF) is where the party really kicks off. There’s a large selection of bars and nightclubs to accommodate various music tastes. During my time in Hong Kong I joined a local football team, playing at different levels and in different competitions across the city.

Overall my time in Hong Kong was an amazing experience. I overcame challenges, made friends for life, helped build an application that is currently live and functioning. I really grew as an individual. After 14 months in Hong Kong I am now returning to the UK to work at HSBC within the same department but for a different team.

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