I've always been attracted by practical applications of knowledge with all its attendant complications. I obtained the job at MBA through networking. They contacted me after another actuary told one of the partners here that I was looking for a job. Talk to people in the field and keep in contact with them. Don't answer questions with monosyllables.
Someone has to do the entry-level work.
Concerning her mathematics background, she finds probability and statistics most valuable. Other areas she mentions are compound interest, finance, and accounting. They're valuable skills in business. If you enter the actuarial field and plan to have children, finish all the exams you can first. Don't look around the corner for discrimination every 5 minutes.