Letter from Hong Kong: David Sullivan

Recently, I heard someone mention ‘The Untouchables’. Then the words, ‘The Unemployables’ entered my head. Well, I seem to have joined their ranks. It’s not that I’m desperate for a job you understand. But sometimes I think it would be good to find an easier way to earn the same money. Or, in the event that global climate change makes Hong Kong colder than Europe, perhaps I should return home.

Anyway, sometimes I apply for jobs advertised in those up-market publications, such as The Economist or Financial Times. It’s funny how I think jobs advertised in these publications must be special, more elite somehow, and just right for me. Usually, it is some finance job, maybe a bank, maybe CFO, or the great sounding ‘finance director’. I think my CV is really good and an exact match for the description in the advert. But then a few weeks later I get one of those standard letters saying: “Your CV is most impressive but out of the two million applications we had for this job we found candidates more closely fitting the requirements of our clients. We will keep your CV on file for further reference blah, blah, blah.”

Can there really be so many people in the world as unique and wonderful as me? The only proposed interview I got was for a job somewhere in Romania. It was also the one I was probably least qualified for.

In fact, I often get headhunters phoning me from all over the place asking for my help to fill a position. It could be ‘global head’ or ‘Asia head’ of something or other. I always say, “I know the best person for that job.” “Who?” they say. “Me,” I reply. “Oh come on David… ha, ha, ha, be serious.” One headhunter said, “You’re better off doing something non executive.” I asked “why?” and he said, “Because executives are getting younger and don’t like to employ guys who are older than themselves.” Another said, “Thanks for all your help. I’ll put your name on our internal system to see if anything ever comes up for you.”

What’s the problem? Is there a secret file on me? Is it the West Bromwich thing? Is it that people believe the rumour that I was just an office boy at Noble? Is it that people heard I was really fired from Fortis for not speaking French? Or could it just be to do with my father’s three-month prison sentence after the miners strike? Sometimes I feel lucky that I can still renew my passport. There must be something… I bet you all know. Should I resign as editorial advisor on GTR perhaps?

I was talking with a headhunter last week. He had sent me a mail with a job description, which read something like: “Asia Head of Commodities, Export Finance, Project Finance, Debt Origination and Capital Markets.” I had to clarify with him that he was looking for one person. Amazing. One person with all those skills. I tried to explain that all those skills were different and that there have been no big guns like that in Asia (except for me of course) since the Asian crisis. I went through what each product line entailed in detail, the different skill sets etc. To think this is one of those people that sends out letters saying, “We know what fits our clients requirements.” Hmmm…

Then you get those professional job hoppers. I remember one headhunter in Hong Kong phoning me about a group-treasurer role. She got upset because I said I should be the CFO or CEO, not in a role reporting to them. She then said, “Do you mean you are the same as ‘blah, blah’ and ‘blah, blah?’” She was name dropping all these people who, despite being totally unqualified and, in fact, just plain useless, always end up getting great jobs because… well, who knows?

I started Trade Finance Corporation Limited because of the lack of support being given to Chinese private companies and start-ups. I started TFC Brokerage Limited because I couldn’t arrange any insurance without spending six months negotiating deals with some brokers. So now I’m going to start TFC Recruitment and get myself (and other old men) a job.

David Sullivan is CEO of Trade Finance Corporation in Hong Kong.