How is Government strategy different from others? Is it good interms of exposure,pay,future compared to private strategy? Is it same as Public Finance Management, if yes what are skills required and sample interview questions, if not whats the difference?

Hi there,

1. Government vs Private Strategy

• Focus: Government = policy, regulation, social programs. Private = growth, profit, M&A.
• Objectives: Public = citizen impact; Private = shareholder value.
• Pace: Government = slower, multi-stakeholder. Private = faster, commercial.
• Exposure: Government = ministers, multilaterals. Private = CEOs, boards.

2. Pay & Career Outlook

• Pay: Generally lower than private strategy.
• Future: Strong for policy, multilaterals, government roles. Private strategy has broader corporate exits.

3. Government Strategy vs Public Finance Management (PFM)

• Not the same.
  • Government Strategy: broad (digital, health, climate, diversification).
  • PFM: technical (budgeting, fiscal policy, treasury, debt, accountability).
• Overlap: when fiscal constraints shape national strategy.

4. Skills for PFM

• Public budgeting & fiscal frameworks.
• Tools: MTEF, IFMIS, debt management.
• Quantitative: modelling, CBA.
• Advisory: stakeholder engagement, policy communication.

5. Sample Interview Questions

• Government Strategy:
  • How would you design a digital roadmap for a ministry?
  • How to diversify an oil-dependent economy?
  • What’s different about advising governments vs corporates?
• PFM:
  • Walk through a government budget cycle and inefficiencies.
  • Assessing fund use in a ministry.
  • Cash vs accrual accounting in the public sector.
  • How to close a budget deficit?

6. Experience Comparison

• PFM: Technical, finance-heavy, slower pace, high policy impact.
• Private Strategy: Fast-paced, commercial, higher pay, wider exits.
• Government Advisory: Hybrid — strategy frameworks with policy nuance, often high-profile (e.g. Vision 2030).

In short: Government Strategy ≠ PFM. Strategy is broad, PFM is finance-focused. Both build valuable skills but lead to different career paths.

Best,

Evelina

Hey there :)

Government strategy focuses on policy reforms and national programs, while private strategy is more about growth and profit. Exposure is high but pay is usually a bit lower than in private sector consulting.

Public Finance Management is narrower, dealing with budgets, fiscal reforms and treasury systems. Skills needed include financial modeling, budgeting, and controls. Sample questions: “How would you improve a government budget process?” or “How should a country diversify its economy?”

So PFM is part of government advisory, but not the same as broad government strategy.

best,
Alessa :)

You are not addressing this the right way. You are comparing very different careers, and then trying to figure out the right one based on secondary criteria.

For example, what is "exposure", "future"... all of those careers provide you with exposure and "future"... within that field, but not as much outside that field.

So better approach would be to share with us where you would like to be on the long run, and then evaluate whether these fields align with your long terms goals.