Languages:  

The official languages of Hong Kong are Cantonese and English.   Mandarin is becoming more prevalent as well after Hong Kong was returned to China in 1997.

Cost of Living:  

Hong Kong is one of the most expensive cities in the world to live in.  Housing, health car,  and vehicles are especially expensive/.  For more information please refer to: 
http://www.geoexpat.com/about-hong-kong/information/cost-of-living-hong-kong-style/.

Visa and Work Permits:

If you are a citizen of the U.S. you may enter Hong Kong with a visa for up to 90 days.  But you will need a work visa or a permit to take up employment.  Check out the website to find your eligibility and the paperwork process.  http://www.anyworkanywhere.com/visas_hk.html  &  http://www.immd.gov.hk/ehtml/hkvisas_4_2.htm

Job Searching: 

Many of the same cultural expectations in China translate to Hong Kong. Finding a job in Hong Kong may be easier for those who transfer to this region while working for a multinational company.  For other means, it may be best to network your way into a job. Additional information can be found at: http://www.workinginhongkong.com/index.html To search for jobs in HK, students can visit the South China Morning Post website, which is www.scmp.com. Click on "Classified" and then search for the most recent job post. Hong Kong is a very fast pace city, hence, once student sees a post, they basically have to take action and send off their application letter and resume promptly.  Otherwise, the interview process may already have started before you realize it. Jobs post on this website are very diverse including jobs are business related to education related. However, most educational, counseling or psychology related jobs listed from this website require applicants to have English as their native language or fluent in English. More reputable agencies or universities also post their listing on this website. Another website that students may want to look at is Ming Pao. www.mingpao.com. (Job focus: social service and education)
Other websites that can be used include:
www.jobsdb.com (the most popular use job search engine)
www.careertimes.com (another popular use job search engine)
Within the above job search website, there are some "Job search agent" advertisement, sometimes these agents are very helpful because they will try to match up the applicants' interests and needs with the company's requirements. Having said that, these agents mainly do job referrals for students who major in business.

Cultural Differences in the Workplace:

Also since many multinational companies have relocated to mainland China, it is not unusual for your employer to request that you travel in between Hong Kong and southern parts of China such as Shenzhen or Guangzhou for business once to twice a week.  Also there are some cultural differences in work expectations between China and Hong Kong, particularly at the management and administrative levels. The work culture in Hong Kong emphasizes the competitiveness and spontaneity of employees. Time, accuracy and flexibility are important employee qualities. The “protestant work ethic” is also adhered to here in Hong Kong, like the U.S.A.  The 5 1/2 work days is common in Hong Kong, and some companies may require that you come in on alternative Saturdays.  General working hours per day range from 9—12 hours and allowances for overtime are not always guaranteed in most companies. Lastly, also be aware that the financial situation in Hong Kong has not been very optimistic in recent years and employees are often subject to lay-off or relocation

Money, Banking & Insurance:

Virtually, all the banks in Hong Kong are very reliable. HSBC,
HengSeng Bank, Citibank are relatively more popular. Usually, you will need some identification documentation to start a bank account. The currency of Hong Kong is the Hong Kong Dollar, and there are 3 not-issuing banks: HongKong and Shanghai banking Corporation (HSBC), bank of China (Hong Kong), and the Standard Chartered bank. Also for most saving accounts you will need a minimum balance of HKD$5,000, and if your account falls below this there typically is a monthly fee associated with it.  However, there are some exceptions to this rule. Please refer to the bank of your choice for more details.

There are 3 typical types of insurance in Hong Kong: Life, retirement, and children’s education.  Others such as home, auto, fire, travel & health are also available.