Hongkongers are known for being snobbish. When moving to a new job, the first thing colleagues want to find out about you is where do you live, what kind of car you drive and what watch you wear. Some people have even gone as far as turning down an applicant for a position at an investment bank because he lived in a walk-up building in Sham Shui Po.
This post by Stealjobs shared the most annoying ways people show off their wealth to colleagues. Have you ever seen any of your colleagues do any of these?
Name-dropping
When trying to show off one’s connections, the most common statements being said are: “I am a member at XXX club and I just had lunch with the chief executive last week”; “The chief executive (or any major government official or celebrity) and I are best buddies, we went to school together at XXX (any Ivy league schools); or simply “I know a lot of people, you know”.
It is meaningless to dig into how much truth there is in these claims, but these are the worst kinds of name-dropping.
People who are a little more skilled in showing off will know how to tell a story to reveal they have a history or a connection with someone who is rich and powerful. These stories are still annoying bragging, but at least you get to listen to an interesting story.
Show people the money
To pretend to be Mr Big Shot, the easiest way is to tell others how much cash one is able to blow. “I had lunch at a Michelin three-star restaurant last week, charges only HK$600 per head, what a bargain!”
One can always show off their extravagant spending first, then settle the credit card debt with a minimum payment later on.
Impress with jargon
Making use of jargon can make one look like they are at the top of the industry. “I think this fund has great upside. It is tied in with VR, AI and social media. Li Ka-shing has recently invested in AI, it has huge potential.”
Get a LinkedIn account
Nowadays, everyone is on social media sharing the secrets of their lives. So if one wants to brag about his or her career achievements, LinkedIn is the official platform to do it.
This article was first published in Human Resources and is reproduced with permission. Original article can be found at http://www.humanresourcesonline.net/the-annoying-bragging-habits-of-hongkongers/