From Marketing to Business Development: How Julie Learned to Sell Herself — and Everything Else — in Hong Kong (8 min read)

When Julie landed in Hong Kong in February 2021, fresh from a master's degree in strategic marketing and business development, she had a clear plan: break into advertising.

Four years later, she's a Business Development Manager — not in advertising, but in a field she came to love — and she has a story worth telling.

It's not a straight line. It never is, in Hong Kong. But what makes Julie’s journey remarkable is not the destination; it's the quality of her thinking along the way. She adapted, reflected, pivoted — and came out on the other side not just employed, but genuinely better for the detours.

Here is her story, in her own words.

Note: The name "Julie" has been used in place of the actual person's name for anonymity purposes.

🎯 Arriving with a Plan. Letting Go of It.

Julie arrived in Hong Kong with a dependent visa — a detail that would later prove logistically useful — and a clear professional target: the advertising industry. She had spent years preparing for it, completing two six-month internships during her studies and then an apprenticeship at a media agency in France.

But Hong Kong had other ideas.

"I quickly realized that most job offers in the advertising industry focused on the local market and required Cantonese or Mandarin. That's why I decided to apply for regional positions, where speaking English was an asset — and I also started applying for non-advertising roles."

This pivot wasn't defeat. It was intelligence. Rather than insisting on a path the market wasn't offering her, Julie chose to listen to what the market was actually saying. She targeted regional roles and stayed open to adjacent industries — a decision that would define the next chapter of her career.

And on the language question, her advice is refreshingly pragmatic:

"I see many people who have jobs and don't speak Cantonese or Mandarin. Even if job offers required one or both, I applied. That didn't stop me from getting the jobs."

🔍 The Job Search: What Worked, What Didn't

Julie tried everything: LinkedIn, JobsDB, Indeed, direct Google searches, recruitment agencies, the French Chamber. And, of course, she kept reading articles on FastTrack Jobs.

But one insight changed everything.

"I spent a lot of time writing cover letters for my favorite jobs — and discovered that statistically, when I wrote a cover letter, my CV wasn't downloaded more. Recruiters often don't have time to read them, and most are now written by AI anyway."

So she stopped. She pivoted to volume — applying broadly to get interview practice — while reserving her real energy for the jobs that mattered most: sending a direct LinkedIn message to the hiring manager.

"The most useful tool was contacting the manager of the team directly. A few managers replied. That made all the difference."

Julie also experienced Hong Kong's most common job search frustration: ghosting.

"Sometimes, even after multiple interviews, you get no answer — even if you follow up. I was also surprised by the number of applications that were never seen by recruiters."

Her response? She kept going. She applied in mass, treated every interview as practice, and refused to let silence define her momentum.

🔄 Be Flexible and Open to Experiences

Here is where Julie’s story becomes genuinely instructive. She held two roles that weren't what she had dreamed of: a marketing position at an insurance company, then a marketing role at a media company. Neither was advertising. Neither was what she'd planned.

But both were gold.

"The jobs I did by 'default' — the ones not related to what I was initially looking for, like insurance and tobacco products — were the most valuable. They were 'transitional' jobs where I learned the most, and they became good stories to tell in interviews."

After leaving the media company, Julie took a deliberate pause. She reflected on what she actually wanted — and realized it was sales. She wanted to be face-to-face with clients, to negotiate, to storytell, to sell. But there was a problem: she didn't have the network.

So she built it. She reached out on LinkedIn to BDMs and sales professionals across Hong Kong. The response rate was unlike anything she'd experienced before.

"I never got as many answers as I did with that kind of message. After meeting them, they all told me: 'I don't have an open position now, but send me your CV and I will think of you.'"

In the meantime, she took a part-time role selling tobacco-related products for a small company — developing two brands from scratch in Hong Kong. It wasn't glamorous. But it was exactly what she needed.

"I could have been a waitress in a bar or a restaurant and had the same arguments. Any experience that puts you in direct contact with clients gives you the tools to sell yourself in a BD interview. All experience is good experience — even if it was a default choice at the start."

After only six months in that role, companies started reaching out to her on LinkedIn — without her even applying. The pivot argument is not about abandoning your background — it's about extending it. You're not running from marketing. You're adding a client-facing layer to a set of skills you already have. That framing is what lands interviews.

🗣️ Julie’s Advice, Straight to You

ON CONNECTING WITH PEOPLE"The importance of connecting with people is the thing most job seekers underestimate. People are always willing to help you if you show good will and a desire to succeed."

ON OPENNESS"Applying in Hong Kong is not like in France. Even if you have all the skills, there is a lot of competition. Be open to other sectors. Consider a position you don't like the most as a transitional job. You will learn things, meet people, and better understand what you want to do."

ON COVER LETTERS"Don't waste too much time on cover letters. Send a direct, personalized LinkedIn message to the team manager instead. It's worth ten cover letters."

ON LANGUAGE BARRIERS"Don't be stopped by language requirements. Apply anyway — especially for regional roles. English remains a real asset in the right context.

✅ What We Take Away

Julie’s story is a reminder that the most direct path to your dream job in Hong Kong is rarely a straight line. It goes through industries you didn't study, companies you didn't plan for, and conversations you almost didn't have.

The expats who make it in this city aren't the ones who refuse to deviate from their original plan. They're the ones who stay curious, stay connected — and know how to turn every experience, however unexpected, into something worth telling.

💡 Don't skip the "transitional" job. It might be the one that opens every door after.

🤝 Reach out on LinkedIn to people in the role you want — not to ask for a job, but to learn. That's how networks get built.

✉️ Skip the cover letter. Write a short, genuine message to the hiring manager instead.

🌏 If local roles require Chinese languages, go regional. Your English is an asset — use it strategically.

✨ Take Action Today

Immediate Next Steps:

1. Follow Fast Track Jobs HK on LinkedIn for insider insights into Hong Kong's job market and exclusive networking opportunities
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3. Attend your next networking event to start building those crucial face-to-face connections
4. Share this article with other professionals targeting Hong Kong opportunities!

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