To succeed, you need a combination of your existing math skills and the ability to develop business acumen. Programming - Your Key to the Emerald City Programming is your easiest source of leverage. Finance firms typically have bad technology. Most software is cobbled together by idiosyncratic programmers to meet specific deadlines and is poorly integrated. Because financial incentives are based on individual short-term performance and goals there is little incentive to think and act in concert with others.
Graduate students excel in learning and picking up new skills.
You want the former not the latter. The pay is better and opportunities broader. Most poor programmers are either lazy or haven't seen what good code looks like. Improving the Design of Existing Code Erich Gamma, et. Headhunters cost firms a lot of money, and companies are more likely to take a serious look at you if there isn't an additional service charge attached.