Twenty-something European with B2B sales and media background weighing a move to Shanghai. What’s the real picture?
Hey all. Posting this because I want honest, first-hand answers.
I’m in my twenties, hold a European passport (a British one is achievable too if that changes anything), and my background sits across B2B sales and media. I led the launch of a North American magazine’s inaugural issue, drove strong traffic and real revenue through brand partnerships, and I’ve built a track record landing international partnerships and activations with corporates and media brands.
Before any of that I was running e-commerce from age sixteen, importing from China and selling into the UK, so the entrepreneurial instinct isn’t new to me.
I looked seriously at China before and stepped back, partly other priorities, partly the practical headache of relocating on a European passport. Then I spent a month there this year, a good chunk of it in Shanghai, and something clicked. The creative, media and modelling scene there pulled me in more than I expected.
So I want the real picture from people who’ve actually done this.
What are the genuine prospects for someone with this profile relocating to Shanghai? Is anyone here in a similar position, similar age, similar background? And honestly, what’s the realistic likelihood of making this work with zero Mandarin?
Languages I do have: English, Russian, Lithuanian. Mandarin isn’t one of them yet.
Appreciate any first-hand accounts, good or bad