Hey there :)
PFM careers are usually with Big 4 or multilaterals, focusing on budgets, fiscal reforms, expenditure reviews, and treasury systems. Daily work is a mix of analysis (budget processes, financial models), system design, and advising ministries. Compared to private strategy, pace can be slower but impact is big since you shape how governments spend money.
Travel is often project-based, especially in developing regions, sometimes long-term onsite with ministries. Exposure is good if you want to build expertise in public sector finance, less so if you want to pivot to corporate strategy.
Interview questions are often technical and case-based: “How would you redesign a country’s budget cycle?” or “What controls reduce misuse of public funds?” They also test stakeholder management, since you work with senior civil servants.
best,
Alessa :)