--- title: An Englishman abroad description: Jakarta is massive and still growing. It’s being predicted the economy will grow by 5.4% in 2018. Indonesia growth is rapid compared to the rest of the world. image: https://blog.bps-world.com/hubfs/19.%20An%20Englishman%20aboard.jpg --- **Recruitment** # An Englishman abroad Recruitment / **An Englishman abroad** ![Dominic Hughes](https://blog.bps-world.com/hubfs/136-BPS-Company-Day-2017-1.jpg) [**Dominic Hughes**](https://blog.bps-world.com/author/dominic-hughes) January 31, 2018 **Jakarta’s hot. VERY hot. Well, it is for a northern bloke from England, anyhow.**I’ll start by saying that getting sent there with work was an incredible experience and one I welcomed with open arms although 30 minutes after landing, I wasn’t exactly feeling positive about the situation. 11pm – Land in Jakarta 11.15pm – Hail a taxi and settle down for a 45-minute cab ride to the hotel 2.30am – Four hotels and three taxis later, I get into my room.  Still hot. But that’s where the hardship ends and I’m acutely aware of the ‘woe is me’ tone to this so far. Woe certainly wasn’t me – c’mon, I’ve just been sent to the other side of the planet!  As much as I would have liked this to be a jolly, I was sent there to work. So, let’s rewind a couple of months to the BPS Boardroom where I was speaking with the Managing Director: **Managing Director:** *“Dominic, I’d like you to go to Jakarta and meet a client we have over there.”* **Dominic:                  ***“Righto.  Quick question – where’s Jakarta?”* **Managing Director: **“It’s in Indonesia, Dom.  You took the intelligence test when you joined like everyone     else right?           I stopped short of asking where Indonesia is. It seemed prudent to do some research into the place, though, and it’s certainly a vibrant culture.  I could talk about the food, culture, people, etc., but I have a gun to my head when writing these blogs, gently persuading me to discuss businesses-type stuff so I’d best focus on the economy. Jakarta is massive and still growing.  It’s being predicted that the economy will grow by 5.4% in 2018 but there are doubts about this due to “weak growth of only 5.03% in the third quarter of 2017.”  [(Jakarta Post)](http://www.thejakartapost.com) Weak? To put things in perspective, the UK is predicted to grow by 1.5% in 2018 yet the Indonesians believe that 5.03% is weak – it’s why companies worldwide are now viewing the country as a stable and profitable investment for the coming years. Indeed, this is not just self-promotion.  Indonesia growth is rapid compared to other countries in the world, as demonstrated in this lovely little graph from [The Economist](https://www.economist.com): ![Economic growth 2017-18](https://blog.bps-world.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Economic%20growth%202017-18.png?width=503&name=Economic%20growth%202017-18.png)  Technology companies are also taking a great deal of interest in the country and this is evidenced below.  We can see from this handy little chart (thanks, [Bloomberg](https://www.bloomberg.com/europe)) the internet usage in the country and with this brings new fields of revenue:  ![Bloomberg Indonesia's digital boom](https://blog.bps-world.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Bloomberg%20Indonesia's%20digital%20boom.png?width=600&name=Bloomberg%20Indonesia's%20digital%20boom.png) FinTech, E-Commerce and integration organisations are taking advantage of the cost-efficient living to provide a cost-effective solution for start-ups but there is a high need for skilled, qualified and experienced professionals that can assist them in their growth but the trouble is, they can’t seem to find them.   Ooooohhhhhhhhhhhhh……. So, that’s what I was doing there! For more information on Dominic’s travels or his expert advice on recruitment in Indonesia please contact him on: [dominic.hughes@bps-world.com](mailto:dominic.hughes@bps-world.com) [Back to Insights](https://blog.bps-world.com/) ## What to read next [**Recruitment**, ](https://blog.bps-world.com/topic/recruitment#index_view) [**Technology**](https://blog.bps-world.com/topic/technology#index_view)     2 mins read [![Emerging Tech Roles Shaping the US Job Market](https://blog.bps-world.com/hubfs/USTechJobs.jpg)](https://blog.bps-world.com/emerging-tech-roles-shaping-the-us-job-market) ###### [Emerging Tech Roles Shaping the US Job Market](https://blog.bps-world.com/emerging-tech-roles-shaping-the-us-job-market) The Bureau of Labor Statistics expects the US to add 11.5m jobs by 2026. And it’s no surprise that emerging technology... 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