Career Guidance for Applied Math Ph.D.

AI Thread Summary
The discussion centers around a second-year graduate student in a top-10 applied math Ph.D. program who is reconsidering an academic career in favor of industry options. The student enjoys their current research in partial and ordinary differential equations but is concerned about the long-term commitment to academia, particularly the uncertainty of securing tenure after years of postdoctoral positions. They seek advice on potential career paths, strategies to enhance their employability during graduate school, and insights into internships and job prospects in New York, where they plan to relocate. Key points include the importance of coding skills, particularly in C++ for finance roles, and the need to understand the job market dynamics and potential downsides of transitioning from academia to industry. The student aims for a career that is engaging, stable, and lucrative.
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Hi all,
I am hoping to get some advice re: my career path. I have lurked these threads for a bit and I can see there's quite a bit of wisdom here, but I am hoping to get some particularly tailored to my situation. I am a 2nd year grad student at a top-10 applied math Ph.D. program, but I am beginning to rethink an academic career path. I like the university setting but I don't know if I want to spend the rest of my life here, and I am not interested in years chasing postdocs only to be denied tenure in 10 years. I would like to explore alternative (i.e. industry) career options for when I finish my Ph.D-- I like my current program and I enjoy my research but I think I might be done when I graduate. My research is in PDEs and ODEs.
Can anyone give me a rundown on potential career paths and what I can do in grad school to improve my chances? I already spend quite a bit of time coding. I am interested in moving to NY eventually because my girlfriend wants to settle down there. Ideally, I would like a career that is engaging, relatively stable, and somewhat lucrative. What is the time frame for internships, etc? How hard will it be for me to find some kind of interesting position? What are the downsides?

Thank you all for your time.
 
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