From retail to tech: London Met graduate lands dream role after career change News

Irene Venturini is the first person to graduate from university in her family, working and studying full-time for three years before achieving her first-class honours degree

Date: 6 August 2026

Originally from Brescia in northern Italy, Irene Venturini grew up with her grandparents. After leaving school without the financial support to continue her education, she moved to London at 21 to find work and learn English.

"Coming from a different country, I had to start from scratch. I had to learn the basics, learn a new language and work minimum wage jobs,” she said.

More than a decade later, Irene stepped onto the stage at London Metropolitan University's graduation ceremony to collect a first-class degree in Business Management and Marketing, becoming the first person in her family to graduate from university.

Now 33, Irene says her decision to return to education later in life was one of the best she has ever made. Back in 2023, after spending more than a decade working in retail, including roles at Harrods and Selfridges, she realised she wanted a new challenge.

"I had an early midlife crisis when I turned 30! I'd worked in retail for many years but it wasn't fulfilling me anymore. I wanted a career change. I decided to enrol at London Met because one of my friends had studied there and she recommended the course. It was just around the corner from my flat as well, so it was perfect," she said.

While studying, Irene continued to work full-time."It was tough. I was working 10-hour-shifts, four days a week. Every time the new timetable would arrive after a six month period, I'd have to juggle my shifts to align with my studies. I didn't have a single weekend off for three years. I've worked every single Friday, Saturday and Sunday during this time," she said. 

"But I came prepared when I signed up, I thought 'it will be hard for three years but then my life will improve so it will be worth it.'"

Despite the challenge, Irene thrived academically, graduating with a First, receiving a Student Excellence Award and supporting fellow students throughout her studies.

"To me, it was very interesting because you had a real mix of ages when it came to my fellow students. When you first enrol and arrive on the first day, you don't know what to expect.

"I still remember my first ever lecture. There was a mix of people: people with kids, women in their 50s trying to change careers and learn new skills, then there was a guy who was 60 year's old looking to do a master's. There was such a mix of cultures and ages. I felt like, 'I belong here' and I can also help people around me because I have the knowledge and the work experience so I'm taking it very seriously. If I could I'd do it again, I've even thought about doing a master's."

Four months before graduating, Irene began applying for jobs and secured a position in business development with a global e-commerce platform. Now covering the UK and Nordics, she regularly travels across Europe, working with clients in Denmark, Finland and Sweden while attending international events.

She believes her degree played a crucial role in helping her secure the opportunity.

“Having a degree on my CV has helped me to get this job and the skills I learned during my course prepared me for the different interview stages leading up to getting the role. I wouldn't have been comfortable presenting in front of 10 people in the interview round and I wouldn't have been able to research topics in the same way to prepare for interviews if I hadn’t spent years developing these skills on my course.”

For Irene, university was about much more than earning a qualification. "University is great. At the end of the day it gives you a piece of paper that essentially opens up doors for you. But it also gives you so many skills that you didn't have before, it's so much more than just getting your degree at the end. It’s about what you learn over those three years.

"For me, as a mature student, I've made the right choice by being here. Having a background in retail helped and I also just took everything so much more seriously than I maybe would have when I was younger."

On her family’s reaction to her latest achievement, Irene said: "My family are so proud because I don't come from money. So for my mum, seeing her daughter achieve such a big goal in life on her own - she's so proud.

"It feels great because I've done it by myself. I had to go to work to cover my rent and bills. There was a lot of pressure on that side as well. I always say to myself, one day when I have kids I can tell them they can achieve whatever they set their mind to it because their mama achieved a degree with zero support and worked at the same time."