2nd Year Megafund Analyst -> 2-Year Sabbatical for 2nd Bachelors in UK (Oxbridge)?
I majored in Finance at a semi-target (think NYU/Georgetown). Long story short, I recruited diligently during my college years and ended up with a buyside job out of school. I'm a second year analyst doing credit at a Megafund (Apollo/KKR/Oaktree) in the US, and I'm considering quitting to go to Oxford or Cambridge for a second bachelors in a non-professional discipline that really interests me (Philosophy).
The degree will basically be free (I'd only have to foot ~10k after scholarships/funding, I have >150k in savings). The degree would take two years to complete and I'd be 27/28 after I graduate again. I'd try to work in London afterwards, probably in Finance (PE / Impact Investing) or something tangentially related (Corporate Strategy in Tech).
Is this crazy and irresponsible? Here are my reasons:
- I'm experiencing a combination of boredom and burnout at my current job. I'm sick of it and really want a break. if I just traveled I think the resume gap would be a little difficult to explain, but going to school would seem much more explainable.
- Life is short. There are too many things I want to learn / experiences I want to have and I'm scared it's now or never. I've never studied anything I've been interested in. At college I basically geared myself to graduate with the best job possible, and so I never learned anything I'm passionate about. I also always wanted to be in the Oxbridge academic environment but never had the chance.
- I want to explore living/working in Europe.
My main concern is this: If I have to return to finance afterwards, do you think I could do experienced hire recruiting to get credit for the two years of experience at my current job? Or would I have to recruit for campus positions again? Does anyone know someone who has taken this sort of extended break and come back into the job market?
Thoughts?
