{"id":489291,"date":"2025-11-19T07:24:20","date_gmt":"2025-11-19T07:24:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/studyinternational.com\/?p=489291"},"modified":"2025-11-19T07:24:20","modified_gmt":"2025-11-19T07:24:20","slug":"paused-consultancy-career-masters-degree","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/studyinternational.com\/news\/paused-consultancy-career-masters-degree\/","title":{"rendered":"She paused her consultancy career to do a Master\u2019s in sustainable resources in London\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"

Armed with a Bachelor of Business Administration from Universiti Malaya, one of Malaysia’s top institutions, Luannie Ng secured what many would consider a dream consultancy career at Accenture\u2014a global consulting powerhouse, where competitive packages can reach well into five figures for top performers. Four years into climbing the corporate ladder at one of the most coveted firms in the industry, she made a decision that put all that on pause.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Ng is now pursuing her\u00a0Master\u2019s\u00a0of Science in Sustainable Resources: Economics,\u00a0Policy\u00a0and Transitions\u00a0at\u00a0University College London.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

How she managed to do it as a mid-career professional in consultancy? At a stage in life when most of us are too drained after work to do much more than doomscroll online and binge Netflix shows, Ng accomplished what seems nearly impossible: gaining acceptance to one of the world’s elite universities and landing the holy grail for international students\u2014a full scholarship. <\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

How do you afford a master\u2019s degree in the UK?<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n

The tuition fees for Ng’s\u00a0<\/span>programme<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>is<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a319,300 <\/span>for UK stud<\/span>ents and \u00a3<\/span>34,400<\/span> for overseas students<\/span><\/a>.\u00a0<\/span>That\u2019s<\/span>\u00a0approximately\u00a0<\/span>US$25,330 and US$45,147 respectively at the time of writing.<\/span>\u00a0Pretty high for someone coming from a country where the median\u00a0<\/span>monthly\u00a0<\/span>household\u00a0<\/span><\/i>income is between RM<\/span>13,296 and RM13,985 <\/span><\/a>(approximately\u00a0<\/span>US$<\/span>3,214 to US<\/span>$<\/span>3,380 at the time of\u00a0<\/span>writing. The average Malaysian would need<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>to save 13 months\u2019 salary to afford the MSc\u2019s tuition alone, not counting the\u00a0<\/span>US$1,395 needed for monthly living costs<\/span>, excluding rent<\/span><\/a>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Although a well-paid consultant, these figures would have been big barriers\u00a0<\/span>preventing her from going to UCL.\u00a0<\/span>Enabling Ng to\u00a0<\/span>surmount these\u00a0<\/span>study\u00a0<\/span>abroad\u00a0<\/span>is a scholarship\u00a0by the Public Service Department of\u00a0Malaysia. It can be considered as a partial scholarship, as there is still some payback\u00a0required, depending on how well the student performs\u00a0by\u00a0the end of their studies.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Ng described the process of applying for the\u00a0programme\u00a0as \u201crelatively straightforward.\u201d Most importantly, the applicant needs to have a\u00a0bachelor\u2019s\u00a0degree. Other criteria include\u00a0choosing\u00a0a subject that aligns with the government\u2019s current priorities.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI’d\u00a0advise\u00a0someone who wants to apply to really read through the kind of requirements and qualifications,\u201d she says. \u201cFor example, this sponsorship, somehow there is an age requirement.\u00a0It\u2019s\u00a0only for people below 30 years old.\u201d\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

After a round of filtering, Ng was called for an interview, and the rest was history.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"

Before starting her consultancy career, Ng had obtained a Bachelor of Business Administration (B.B.A.), Finance. Source: Luannie Ng<\/p><\/div>\n

The point of a master\u2019s de<\/span><\/b>gree<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n

In any case, making the decision to go back to school\u00a0isn\u2019t\u00a0an easy one.\u00a0<\/span>There are many reasons why many\u00a0<\/span>reasons\u00a0<\/span>in their 30s\u00a0<\/span>don\u2019t<\/span><\/i>\u00a0<\/span><\/i>want to do so<\/span>\u00a0even if they had a scholarship to pay fo<\/span>r everything<\/span>.\u00a0<\/span>Some have families to\u00a0<\/span>raise,<\/span>\u00a0others believe\u00a0<\/span>it\u2019s<\/span>\u00a0just not\u00a0<\/span>worth the effort.\u00a0<\/span>S<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

S<\/span>o, why did Luannie want to pursue her\u00a0master\u2019s?<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

For her, it\u00a0wasn\u2019t\u00a0so much about\u00a0getting a promotion, but to really deepen her understanding of the\u00a0sustainable resources\u00a0field.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Plus, it was about broadening her\u00a0<\/span>world\u00a0<\/span><\/i>view \u2014 which is why she specifically chose to study\u00a0in\u00a0<\/span>another\u00a0<\/span><\/i>country.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cGetting a degree or\u00a0master’s\u00a0probably doesn’t help much in the field of study, but for me, I think I’ve always wanted to go study somewhere else that’s very different from where I come from,\u201d she says. \u201cI’ve been a product of Malaysia’s education system since primary school, to secondary and higher education as well.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

With that, she always dreamt of pursuing something\u00a0different. In that sense, she always knew she would\u00a0earn a\u00a0master\u2019s. The question was just when \u2014 as well as what.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI wasn’t very sure what I wanted to do until things became a bit\u00a0clearer\u00a0to me throughout my third year of working,\u201d she says.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

But beyond her consultancy career, it was also Ng\u2019s startup that further illustrated to her what to pursue for her master\u2019s. <\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"

KainKoncept was active until November 2023. Source: Luannie Ng<\/p><\/div>\n

Honing her mastery\u00a0<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n

While working in consultancy at Accenture, Ng decided to launch KainKoncept, a small-scale social enterprise where they upcycle fabrics while working with financially underprivileged women with skills and interests in sewing. <\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI think for a good five years I\u00a0was doing both things. Working during the day, running my business at night,\u201d she says.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The business was\u00a0born\u00a0out of a\u00a0programme\u00a0called the Youth Leadership Academy, backed by McKinsey & Company, a consultancy firm. While\u00a0KainKoncept\u00a0was developed and\u00a0established\u00a0through that, it was further expounded upon after some years, when Ng\u2019s co-founder reached out and asked if she wanted to pick things up again.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

But running a\u00a0<\/span>start up<\/span>\u00a0is hard. The failure rate\u00a0<\/span>ranges between 50% and 95% in developing countries<\/span><\/a>\u00a0such as Malaysia, according to a\u00a0<\/span>research paper by\u00a0<\/span>Universiti<\/span>\u00a0Sains Malaysia<\/span>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

While they were able to sustain the business, it\u00a0wasn\u2019t\u00a0the most sustainable for them as full-time employees in a firm.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

At the same time, Ng\u2019s business partner decided to go back to his home country to help with his\u00a0family\u00a0business. With\u00a0both\u00a0being quite burnt out as entrepreneurs, they decided to pause the startup.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

With\u00a0KainKoncept\u00a0put on hold, Ng felt it was the right time to pursue her\u00a0master\u2019s. She believes that there is still so much more she can learn about closing the loop, going beyond just environmental impact but also social and economic sustainability.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThat clarity gave me the courage to finally pursue something that\u2019s long been close to my heart: a master\u2019s degree in the circular economy field,\u201d she says.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"consultancy

Ng will complete her Master’s in September 2026. Source: Luannie Ng<\/p><\/div>\n

Why not an MBA?<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n

With her entrepreneurial chops, one might wonder why Ng\u00a0didn\u2019t\u00a0pursue\u00a0a\u00a0<\/span>Master of Business Administration (MBA)\u00a0<\/span><\/a>instead.\u00a0Such\u00a0a degree would have armed her with more strategic\u00a0expertise\u00a0and financial acumen to\u00a0improve\u00a0the missteps of her\u00a0initial\u00a0startup venture.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Beyond her own interest in sustainability, this\u00a0master\u2019s\u00a0degree also supports her work as a consultant.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI’m\u00a0[heading]\u00a0towards the point where instead of being a\u00a0generalist\u00a0where I work, I probably want to focus on something that I can carve up a niche for myself,\u201d she says.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

This is a pragmatic approach, especially since the future of\u00a0KainKoncept\u00a0is still unclear.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cUntil we figure out\u00a0a good way\u00a0to run it or\u00a0a good way\u00a0to pivot the business model, I think\u00a0probably we\u00a0won’t\u00a0continue it, because the nature of the business itself is very\u00a0labour-intensive.\u00a0It’s\u00a0not appealing to a lot of investors as well because the scalability is limited,\u201d Ng explains.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIf\u00a0you ask me if I want to continue with\u00a0KainKoncept, I think there are certain hopes that maybe one day we could, but probably it needs to have a revamp in terms of how we run these things.\u201d\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Here’s how she did it as a mid-career professional. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1993,"featured_media":489294,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[6,16],"tags":[15],"countries":[12],"partner":[],"ppma_author":[2366],"class_list":["post-489291","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","category-study","tag-feel-good","countries-united-kingdom"],"acf":{"modules":null},"meta-shares":{"ppma_authors_name":["Claudia Khaw"],"_edit_lock":["1763601338:292"],"_edit_last":["292"],"_thumbnail_id":["489294"],"modules":[""],"_modules":["field_5edcc237eda41"],"writer":["Claudia"],"_writer":["field_638d6787aca49"],"facebook_caption":[""],"_facebook_caption":["field_6620ce4d59c6b"],"twitter_caption":[""],"_twitter_caption":["field_6620ce6359c6c"],"popular_stories":[""],"_popular_stories":["field_67fe450248f2e"],"featured_video":[""],"_featured_video":["field_5f4e02d630b26"],"promoted_content":["0"],"_promoted_content":["field_658173cb8b766"],"university":[""],"_university":["field_5f6b24f9e9241"],"intro_content":[""],"_intro_content":["field_5f74836d08a2d"],"intro_image":[""],"_intro_image":["field_5f749843ec734"],"you_might_like_posts":["a:3:{i:0;s:6:\"488281\";i:1;s:6:\"489140\";i:2;s:6:\"488882\";}"],"_you_might_like_posts":["field_5f885f2d79a1f"],"read_more_sponsored_articles":[""],"_read_more_sponsored_articles":["field_5f8da648b7745"],"shares":[""],"_shares":["field_601159b126c23"],"adverts":[""],"_adverts":["field_5f5f8f450e6d2"],"colours":["white"],"_colours":["field_5f3b9c6e0c3a6"],"emojis":["accommodation"],"_emojis":["field_5f3b9c7a0c3a7"],"content_block":[""],"_content_block":["field_5f7c584712307"],"event_detail_title":[""],"_event_detail_title":["field_5f68b37d41715"],"event_details_0_event_university":[""],"_event_details_0_event_university":["field_5f68b3c541716"],"event_details_0_event_date":[""],"_event_details_0_event_date":["field_5f68b40b31f82"],"event_details_0_event_country":[""],"_event_details_0_event_country":["field_5f68b5416f3dd"],"event_details_0_event_cta_label":["Book now"],"_event_details_0_event_cta_label":["field_5f68b58be5f8b"],"event_details_0_event_cta_url":[""],"_event_details_0_event_cta_url":["field_5f68b60176d82"],"event_details":["1"],"_event_details":["field_5f68b476bd21a"],"sidebar_modules":[""],"_sidebar_modules":["field_5edcc237eda41"],"sidebar":[""],"_sidebar":["field_5f772bea374f2"],"ppma_disable_author_box":["0"],"rank_math_internal_links_processed":["1"],"rank_math_primary_category":["0"],"_post_views_count":["12"],"rank_math_seo_score":["78"],"rank_math_focus_keyword":["consultancy"],"rank_math_title":["She paused her consultancy career to pursue this degree"],"rank_math_description":["This mid-career professional took a break from her consultancy career to pursue this master's degree in London. 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