“Time to pack!” is what you usually see on social media at this time of year in countries celebrating the Lunar New Year. Many will have spent months counting down the days to this special festival. Across Asia and for many celebrating around the world, this holiday is long awaited and is a chance to switch off from work and celebrate with family.
This can mean the job market goes quiet in these regions for the weeks following. In Hong Kong, staff get 3 days of public holidays, but that's nothing compared to many manufacturing companies in China that shut down for up to 2 weeks, yes! 2 whole weeks!
For everyone celebrating, this is a special time of year - it's a chance to travel home, spend time with family and worship ancestors in the hope for a prosperous year. People celebrate with lion dancing, receiving and giving out special red envelopes (filled with money) and eating so much you end up in a food coma. It's also the time of year when many workers receive their annual bonuses.
Sammi Tong, who moved from become Hong Kong to become Manchester still loves to celebrate Chinese New Year in the UK. We hailed in the new year together in Manchester and ate our weight in food as she would at home!
A message from Sammi:
“Although I have missed my usual CNY, I still managed to facetime my family to share New Year greetings. I even got to be part of the family photo using the wonders of technology! Having transferred to the UK 4 months ago, I’m happy to say that there aren't many major differences when it comes to creative recruitment.
What I love most about creative roles are the fact that design is a universal skill but one that requires unique talent. That's why thoroughly understanding each client's needs is so important to me. I've also developed a keen eye which has helped me spot a star candidate portfolio. Being empathetic is also crucial to my role in matchmaking candidates with clients.
If you want to make the most of the Year of the Pig and would like a confidential chat regarding job opportunities or your recruitment needs, feel free to reach me at: sammi@becomeuk.com.
I wish you all a healthy and prosperous Year of the Pig!"
Based in Nottingham, Sammi Tong looks after recruitment across Nottinghamshire and Yorkshire, specialising in recruiting everything 'creative'.