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Ask HN: Working as a web developer in SE Asia

5 points by protek ↗ HN
I'm looking to relocate from the UK to SE Asia (Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia etc). I keep updated on the 'Who's hiring' threads but just wanted to tap HN's collective knowledge as well.

I'm 23 and have been working as a PHP Developer in London for a large fashion brand for the last 2 years but also have a lot of experience with front end technologies.

Just wondering what the best areas to look for work were, what are my realistic chances, any good resources to look at? In advance, thanks!

14 comments

[ 4.3 ms ] story [ 55.5 ms ] thread
coralreef
Should probably specify what countries you're targeting, as there's a pretty big difference between say, Cambodia and Japan.
protek
Sorry, mainly Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia etc. Have now edited the original post.
joewandy
Is your university anywhere in the list on this page: http://www.mom.gov.sg/foreign-manpower/passes-visas/work-hol...? If yes, you might qualify for a working holiday visa in Singapore. That would make getting a foot into the country much easier.
protek
I don't have a degree, I have 3-4 years experience but part of me thinks on paper (particularly to Asian employers) this wont look as good as a degree.
nnash
Hong Kong, hands down. It's way more fun than Singapore (personal opinion) and there are virtually zero local developers (A friend of mine works at an incubator there and several of the startups have had open positions for months on end).
woutr_be
I'm currently working in Hong Kong, and to be honest, tech companies here aren't really that good, the startup scene is close to nothing at the moment and finding a decent company that really cares about what they do is very difficult.
protek
That being understood, where would I begin looking for work in Hong Kong - presumably there is a web industry there even though the startup scene may not be as healthy as other cities?
woutr_be
There's quite a few tech companies though, some are pretty decent, but I'm afraid you won't get a high salary job as a developer soon.

Just look through all the different job boards, jobsdb, indeed.hk, wall.barcamp.hk. Maybe a good idea to contact some recruiters, they have a ton of open positions since local talents isn't that great.

benzesandbetter
geoarbitrage, my friend.

Work for clients in high cost-of-living countries. Spend your time in lower cost-of-living countries.

Instant lifestyle upgrade.

Aren't you a little old to still be using PHP? ;)

protek
I have heard other people suggest similar, it does sound very attractive - something to work towards maybe.

Re: PHP - I have front-end experience including some of the emergent technologies such as Node.js etc.

Out of interest, what skills / technologies would make me more marketable to employers (overseas or otherwise)?

benzesandbetter
In terms of technology skills, PHP is definitely at the low-end in terms of what you can get on an hourly basis... http://tinyurl.com/lxsxp3n

To make you more marketable to potential clients, I'd recommend focusing on some skills that are complimentary to programming. That may include domain-specific knowledge of a particular type of client you want to work with (e.g. bioscience, healthcare, local government) or it may include things like usability, SEO, or lead-generation. Find the profit centers in your clients business and find a way to get as close to those as possible. Learn the language they use to describe their work and make sure you use the same vocabulary when speaking with them.

ianpri
I'd look to freelance yourself out to London agencies on the proviso that the majority of work is to be done remotely and that you'll be around for kick off meetings etc. Once they trust you you'll be able to switch this to pretty much 100% remote (possibly look to reduce your rate as a sweetener) and then just go to cheap SE asian country of your choice, doing visa runs every X months.

There is a large culture difference between different countries and you may as well spend some time in each to see how they fit before looking for a full time position

robotys
Hi, Malaysian dev here (PHP too)

Stick to Kuala Lumpur area, particularly Bangsar for devs jobs. Most sexy startup here is Mind Valley and they are super cool for us local devs.

Me myself based on Cyberjaya, working on ebook backend stuffs. I do not know any openings but i'll ask around. So far i have many luck freelancing with local jobs from Skillpages.com . You can try your luck there.

Glad to help fellow HN!