5 Best Cities across the Globe for Ambitious Young People

[Jennifer Hahn Masterson]

Young and talented go-getters don’t see success only within the borders of their own country and the courage to leave their native place often results in outstanding professional success. If you recognized yourself in the previous description, here are the top five cities in the world to chase your dreams, score an attractive job position or even start your own business.

Seoul, South Korea

Situated on the Han River, the capital of South Korea is a magical blend of globalization and tradition combining a lively atmosphere filled with modern buildings, malls, and restaurants on one side and notable historical places such as palaces, and royal shrines on the other side.

Seoul offers endless business opportunities, especially in areas such as electronics, information technology, and finance, and a high quality of life thanks to the city’s investments in sustainable initiatives such as green technology and building massive pedestrian-friendly areas. The city has neighborhoods for every personality, and it’s quite easy to find a fully furnished apartment. The metro system is one of the most popular options to get around owing to its convenience and late-night hour operation, but taxis are also very affordable.

London, England

Those who can deal with the rain and the gloomy weather will find the British capital as an attractive place to make things happen especially in the areas of computer programming, healthcare, consultancy, and the financial sector. Over 300 languages are spoken in London which means there are wise minds from all over the world that make this city as magical as it is. Since English is the main language for work and communication, newcomers won’t have issues to adjust in this bustling city.

On top of that London is the European leader in environmental sustainability and green architecture, known as the "global center of excellence on urban innovation." On the other hand, since life in London is quite expensive, many people even total strangers have to share apartments to cut the high rental costs.

Milan, Italy

Milan is a perfect blend of old and new displayed through astonishing architectural structures and lush parks on one side, and an impressive business landscape on the other side with multiple startups as well as job and education opportunities. Besides building a stellar career in this city, young ambitions minds can also broaden their theoretical and practical knowledge in the many prestigious universities.

One of them is the RM Istituto Moda e Design, a modern and progressive school widely popular among international talents. Within their new visual design master, for instance, the faculty brings ten top-level agencies and design studios such as Leftloft, Lava, and Hort in the lecture theatre for students to learn directly from these professionals and apply the acquired knowledge on projects for real-life clients which turns them into competent and highly skilled professionals ready to take over ambitious employment positions after finishing the visual design master. 

Chicago, U.S.

Chicago has a lot of charms from mainstream tourist attractions such as The Cloud, Willis Tower and impressive historic architecture to endless green areas in the middle of the urban jungle. The job market in Chicago offers a wide variety of possibilities especially in the finance, business, engineering, healthcare, and pharmaceutical sector. Surprisingly enough, although this US city is home to major companies and corporations, the unemployment rate is relatively high.

The cost of living varies from neighboorhood to neighboorhood, with higher prices in Near North Side, Lake View, and Lincoln Park, and lower prices in South Side. One of the advantages of living in Chicago is the excellent public transportation that allows riders to get everywhere they need to go without their own set of wheels.

Toronto, Canada

Toronto is the go-to city for many ambitious young people who are looking for attractive employment options and great financial success. With over 600 startups especially in the tech sector, the capital of the province of Ontario is one of the best places in the world to start a business in this industry.

The cost of living in Toronto is quite high with more expensive rents compared to the other parts of Canada and standard monthly expenses such as groceries and phone plans that aren’t cheap either. Fortunately, public transport is very convenient and accessible and can take you almost everywhere around the city.

Why limit yourself to one place in time when the world economy is thriving, and there are so many appealing professional opportunities all over the globe? These five cities offer everything young ambitious individuals could ever ask for from promising professional placement to a diverse landscape and memorable experiences.