Advice > Coaching

Pathrise: Our Take (reviews, pricing, alternatives)

By Tom Parry on November 20, 2024 How we wrote this article
pathrise homepage

Pathrise is a popular job search mentoring website for candidates in software engineering, product management, strategy, operations, data, marketing, and sales.

However, there is a fierce debate online as to whether or not Pathrise is worth the (eventual) cost.

In this article, we'll summarize the arguments on both sides and try and give a balanced picture of whether Pathrise provides good value.

We'll also list some good alternatives, most of which cost much less in the long-term.

Here's what we'll cover:

Let's go!

1. Pathrise overview

1.1 How does Pathrise work?

Pathrise is a career accelerator for people looking to work in software engineering, product management, strategy, operations, data, marketing, and sales. Through a mix of 1-1 and group mentorship, learning resources, and coaching, the idea is that it will help you land your dream job.

What makes it an attractive proposition for many people is that you don't pay anything until you get a job (more on that later!).

Here's how the Pathrise process works, step-by-step.

Stage 1: Application (1-2 weeks)

You apply to Pathrise via their website, uploading your resume and linking to your LinkedIn profile. You sign up for a specific industry track, for example, "Software engineering" or "Product, Strategy & Operations".

A Pathrise team member will then assess if they think their program can successfully help you get a job. If not, they'll turn down your application. They should get back to you within two weeks to let you know either way.

Stage 2: Free trial (2 weeks)

You can then try Pathrise for 2 weeks on a free trial. According to one user, the free trial includes "a 45 minute 1-on-1 with an industry mentor, a 30 minute 1-on-1 with a resume specialist, and access to live group sessions on various topics."

Once you've finished the trial, you'll need to think carefully. If you continue after the free trial but later want to cancel, you'll need to pay $250 each week that you've been a part of the program (although this seems to be negotiable depending on your circumstances).

Note: Some candidates are rejected after the free trial period because after working with them, Pathrise decides it can't help them get the type of job they're looking for.

Stage 3: Program (8 weeks)

If you decide to go ahead, you’ll commit to a regular 8-week regimen. During this period, you'll be able to access up to 2 hours per week of mentoring. This could take the form of resume coaching, working out a study plan for your skills improvement, practicing interviews (coding, technical, behavioral, etc), mindset coaching, or even therapy. Depending on which plan you choose, you can also have a Pathrise recruiter applying for jobs on your behalf.

You'll also be expected to work on your own. Pathrise says that users do an average of 10 hours of individual work per week. Pathrise gives you quite a few resources to help you learn skills in your field as well as general job search skills and tools.

Stage 4: Ongoing support

After these weekly sessions, you’ll continue to receive 1-on-1 support and attend workshops and other learning sessions until you land a job (hopefully!) before your Pathrise Fellowship ends after 12 months.

1.2 Is Pathrise legitimate, or a scam?

Pathrise is, in the legal sense, perfectly legitimate. The controversies around the service on forums such as Reddit center around its pricing model.  It uses a "pay-on-results" payment model that usually involves users signing an income-sharing agreement (ISA) which commits them to paying Pathrise a percentage of their future earnings. This can make Pathrise quite expensive in the long-term and has led some unhappy customers to call the service  "a scam".

While it is, undoubtedly, more expensive than paying upfront for similar services, I think it's very unfair to call it a scam. The Pathrise website lays out the payment conditions perfectly clearly so you really have no excuse for not knowing what you're committing to.

The more pertinent question is, does it provide reasonable value for money? We'll get into that below.

Book 1-to-1 coaching and mentoring sessions from experts for $119-149 per hour with IGotAnOffer

2. Pathrise pricing: how much will it cost you?

The Pathrise website isn't super clear about its pricing, and it seems that prices and program benefits are open to negotiation somewhat, so you shouldn't take the numbers below as gospel. However, here's a general overview.

2.1 Three tier pricing structure

When you sign up to the "Pathrise Fellowship", you'll sign an income-sharing agreement (ISA) that means you'll have to pay a percentage of the first 12 months of your salary if you get hired in the 12 months after enrolling in Pathrise.

The percentage you'll pay depends on the program and tier you choose: Basic: 7% ($12k cap), Essentials: 11% ($18k cap), or Pro: 14% ($24k cap).

The higher the price tier, the more benefits included in your plan.

It's worth noting that these percentages are PRE-tax. For example, you'd pay 7% of your pre-tax salary on an Essentials plan.

Let's look at a few examples:

Example 1: 7% ISA with a $12k Cap

If you enroll in a program with a 7% ISA and land a job with a pre-tax salary of $100,000:

  • You'll owe 7% of your $100,000 salary, which is $7,000 over the first 12 months.
  • Since $7,000 is below the cap of $12,000, you'll pay the full amount.

Example 2: 11% ISA with an $18k Cap

If you enroll in a program with an 11% ISA and get a job with a pre-tax salary of $160,000:

  • You'll owe 11% of your $160,000 salary, which is $17,600 over 12 months.
  • Since $17,600 is below the cap of $18,000, you'll pay the full calculated amount.

Example 3: 14% ISA with a $24k Cap

For a program with a 14% ISA and a job offer with a $200,000 salary:

  • You'd owe 14% of $200,000, which is $28,000 over the year.
  • However, since the cap is $24,000, you'd only pay the capped amount of $24,000.

2.2 Minimum qualifying income

In your contract with Pathrise, you'll have a minimum qualifying income for the job offers you receive. If you receive a job offer with a salary that is more than or equal to the minimum, that counts as a job placement, as far as Pathrise is concerned. Of course, you can turn it down - Pathrise can't force you to take a job. But the fact you got a "qualifying offer" means that once your 12 month period is up, you'll be liable for the monthly repayments.

Pathrise are fairly clear about this on their website, but we've seen reports about this on Reddit from unhappy users who felt they were being forced to take jobs they didn't want, so it's something you need to think about carefully. Before you sign the contract, make sure you know what the minimum qualifying income is set at, and that you're comfortable with it.

Note that Pathrise's deferred payment structure is only available to US citizens. If you're not a US citizen, you'd need to pay upfront.

3. Pathrise review: is it worth it?

I haven't tried the Pathrise myself so I can't give a review of my personal experience. What I'm aiming to do here is present a summary of the most trustworthy first-hand accounts that are available, and thereby help you make an informed decision (and save yourself a lot of time trawling through forums!).

There are a lot of strong opinions online about Pathrise. If you go to Reddit, the verdict is overwhelmingly negative. However, on TrustPilot, most of the reviews are 5-stars, from satisfied customers (with the odd angry one-star review thrown in). Below, I've done my best to summarize both sides of the debate.

3.1 Pathrise: the arguments in favor

It's free until you're hired: You don't pay when you join Pathrise. Instead, you pay a proportion of your new salary, assuming you get hired within 12 months of finishing the Pathrise program. If you don't get a job, you don't pay anything.

This is a huge selling point for people who don't have money to invest upfront, and it can seem like a great deal. After all, what's better, no paycheck or getting helped to land a good paycheck but having to give some of it away for a while?

Of course, if and when you get that job, you'll have to pay a significantly higher amount for the services you've received from Pathrise than if you had used a pay-upfront service. But, depending on your situation, that could be a deal worth taking.

Generally positive reviews of the mentors: If you look on TrustPilot, comments about the mentors are overall very positive. For example, Ozan: "I really liked 1-on-1 meetings with industry and career mentors. Industry mentors provided me insights about the Data Science / Machine Learning Engineering industry; and career mentors gave me valuable feedback about how to be more proactive in job search." Meanwhile, another user on Reddit said that almost all of the 15 mentors they'd used had seemed genuinely caring and invested in their success.

Motivation: The relatively long-term nature of your commitment to Pathrise (12 months) can be a useful way to raise your motivation and discipline in your job search, and can keep you on track. If you're feeling lost and overwhelmed, Pathrise could change the direction of your career, like it did for Ralph.

Do-it-for you applications. If you sign up for one of the upper tiers, Pathrise go the extra mile to help you get a job, explains ex-Pathrise coach Alex. "They have coaches that send out applications on your behalf and their pay is incentivized by interviews scheduled with qualified opportunities."

3.3 Pathrise: the arguments against

When you finally pay, you'll pay a lot. In fact, if you instead book mentoring and coaching sessions by the hour from a Pathrise competitor, you'll save $4K. Let's take a look at how:

Imagine you sign up to Pathrise and sometime after your 8-week program, you get a $100K junior software engineer job.

You've received 16 hours of coaching. The industry standard for tech coaching is about $200 per hour, so that would be $3,200 total. However, assuming you used the 7% payment tier, you now owe Pathrise $7k over 12 months.

Is the support you've received from Pathrise worth the extra $4k you'll have to pay?

If you're not very good at motivating yourself, and find it hard to learn by yourself, then perhaps.

But almost all the resources Pathrise gives you to help you with your job search and relevant skills can be found online, for free, on blogs like this one.

Add-ons cost extra: If you take the Basic or Essentials price tier, Pathrise won't search and apply for jobs on your behalf, plus you'd have to pay extra for key features like help with salary negotiation.

Pathrise always takes the credit: If you get hired within the 12 months, you'll owe Pathrise, even if you think they did nothing to help you get the job. This is typical in income-sharing agreements but can be galling.

Lock-in program: Pathrise requires candidates to commit to a 12-month contract. This means if you exit after the 2-week free trial or before the end of the 12-month agreement for whatever reason, you’ll have to pay $250 per week you spend in the program.

You can be rejected after the trial: If Pathrise doesn't believe it can get you a suitable job, it will reject you during the free trial or in some cases, later on. This can be very frustrating and can make you feel like you've wasted a lot of time.

No option to pick and choose services: The Pathrise program is a complete job search mentoring package. If you already have an interview lined up and only need interview practice sessions with a coach, it's probably not the right fit for your needs.

Some terrible reviews: While 4.3 on TrustPilot is a fairly good overall rating, I've seen some very bad reviews on Reddit and TrustPilot regarding Pathrise. A few people mention sub-par mentoring, lazy resume advice, and a lack of referrals and access to professional networks.

No option to choose mentor: Upon application, the coach assigned to you will depend on the track you choose. You can't pick and choose mentors like you can on rival platforms.

US citizens only. If you're not a US citizen, you'll have to pay upfront, which defeats the main purpose of using Pathrise!

4. Pathrise alternatives

It's clear from what we've discussed above that Pathrise isn't the optimal choice for everyone. So we've created a list of some good alternative coaching and mentoring services available right now for candidates who want to improve their chances of getting a top job.

4.1 Top 3 Pathrise alternatives

#IGotAnOffer

IGAO homepage

Services: Hourly coaching sessions: career/interview/resume/LinkedIn/skills/transition
Pricing: $119 - $149 per 1-hour session
Reviews: 5.0 on Google from 30+ reviews, 4.95 rating on own site
Coaching expertise: All coaches/mentors have worked at top companies (Google, McKinsey, Goldman Sachs, etc)
Money-back guarantee: 100% refund if you're not satisfied
Pros vs Pathrise: affordable rate, no lock-in period, easy next-day booking, choice of coaches
Cons vs Pathrise: no pay-on-result option; doesn’t offer a comprehensive job application program

Okay, we may be biased here, but a 4.95 average star rating from over 10k reviews is hard to ignore.

IGotAnOffer is a coaching platform where you can book career coaching/mentoring, leadership coaching, interview coaching, or even resume coaching sessions.

Whichever career moment you're in, be it trying to land a top job, aiming for a promotion, thinking about a transition, or simply wanting to develop key skills, you'll find plenty of coaches ready to help you. 

There are over 300 coaches/mentors on the platform and they’ve all worked at the very top companies in their industry (e.g. Google, Meta, McKinsey, etc.). Most of the coaches specialize in tech, especially product management and engineering, but it also offers a range of finance, sales, and marketing mentors.

Unlike Pathrise, IGotAnOffer doesn’t have a comprehensive job search mentoring program and a pay-on-result policy. But if you feel you only need coaching in one or two aspects of the job search, whether it’s for your resume or your interviewing skills, IGotAnOffer is the ideal option. Plus, you don’t need to be locked into a 12-month agreement.

To find a coach, browse our selection, click on a coach’s profile so you can instantly see their hourly availability, something that you can’t do on Pathrise. Prices are clearly displayed before you book and if you’re not satisfied with your session, you get a full refund.

Click here to browse hundreds of coaches/mentors on IGotAnOffer

#PathUp

PathUp

Services: career coaching, job search coaching, life coaching, online career course
Pricing: from $799 for a job search coaching program
Reviews: 5 stars on Yelp
Coaching expertise: founder and lead coach Teresa Lee and her team have helped clients get jobs at top companies such as Hulu, Meta, J.P. Morgan, and more.
Money-back guarantee: none
Pros vs Pathrise: more affordable, flexible comprehensive programs
Cons vs Pathrise: no pay-on-result option

PathUp offers a 1:1 Job Search coaching program for professionals looking to improve their job search strategy. Its primary goal is to help clients improve their job application skills. 

The program is pretty in-depth, similar to Pathrise. The biggest difference is that PathUp doesn’t have the pay-on-result option. Before coaching, you’ll get an analysis of your job search, which will help your coach identify where you might need to improve, whether it’s with how you craft your resume or cover letter or present your career stories during interviews. You have 3 packages to choose from: a 3-month, 6-month, or 9-month program depending on your needs. The packages look a bit pricey, but the company offers a 2-month payment plan to make it easier on the pocket. Unlike Pathrise, PathUp offers single coaching sessions if you don’t have the budget or time to commit to a long-term program. 

The website only profiles founder and lead coach Teresa Lee, but not the company’s team of coaches. So if you want the flexibility of choosing your own coach, you might not have that option here.

#Formation.dev

Formation.dev

Services: AI-powered tech interview prep program for experienced software engineers
Pricing: $2500 for a monthly membership; $10k for unlimited membership
Reviews: not available
Coaching expertise: experienced engineers with diverse professional backgrounds in top tech companies
Money-back guarantee: full refund if you’re not happy in your first 7 days
Pros vs Pathrise: AI-powered platform; pricing published upfront
Cons vs Pathrise: no pay-on-result option

Formation.dev offers a comprehensive tech interview prep program (SWE Fellowship) for experienced software engineers. It specifically targets those who want to land mid-level or senior frontend, backend, and full-stack roles at top-tier companies. 

It is unique from other tech interview prep platforms because it uses patented AI tech to benchmark your skills, adjusting your learning path as you go through the program.  Being as comprehensive as it is, the fellowship is quite pricey. But unlike Pathrise, Formation.dev has its pricing and payment options published on the website. They offer two types of memberships: monthly and unlimited. Both have the same inclusions: unlimited mock interviews and job search and career coaching, prep for every interview type, and targeted practice.

4.2 Pathrise alternatives if you’re looking for a career accelerator program

We’ve already introduced a career accelerator program similar to what Pathrise offers, but here are two more websites that offer similar comprehensive programs.

#Hi Counselor

Hi Counselor

Services: interview prep programs for software engineering, product management, sales, and data science
Pricing: Fixed cost starts at $10,000; Income-based repayment at $9%-14% of your monthly income until you reach the payment cap
Reviews: 4.5 stars on TrustPilot
Coaching expertise: not available
Money-back guarantee: program fee is waived if you don’t land a job within 12 months
Pros vs Pathrise: choice of two packages
Cons vs Pathrise: information on upskilling courses and mentors not readily available

Hi Counselor offers a pay-on-result career accelerator program similar to Pathrise in the following career tracks: software engineering, product management, sales, and data science. Lilling courses are included in either package.

They offer a choice of two packages, Starter and Advanced, which vary in the number of included mentoring and coaching sessions and hence in the price. The packages include upskilling courses, 1-on-1 mock interview sessions, salary negotiation advice, and other forms of support meant to help you land a job at top companies. However, you won’t find any info on the upskilling courses for your industry track. You’ll have to sign up for an info session to find out more about any program you’re interested in.

#Interview Kickstart

Interview Kickstart

Services: tech interview prep program 
Pricing: depends on the pathway, domain, and payment plan you choose
Reviews: 4.8 on TrustPilot
Coaching expertise: instructors are technical leads and hiring managers at Google, Meta, Amazon, Microsoft, and other leading tech companies.
Money-back guarantee: 50% tuition fee refund if you don’t land a job within the post-program period
Pros vs Pathrise: choice of comprehensive programs with different timelines
Cons vs Pathrise: no pay-on-result option

Interview Kickstart offers comprehensive tech interview prep programs for experienced engineers who want to land jobs at top tech companies. They offer 4 different programs with different timelines, so you can choose which timeline best suits your own schedule and the domain you’d like to work in.

Each program will include self-paced or live level-up courses on your domain, 1-on-1 mentoring and mock interview sessions, unlimited coaching sessions and visa assistance if needed. You’ll also get advice on your resume writing, personal branding, and salary negotiation. The curriculum is quite rigorous but they will tailor the courses to your schedule. That said, you’ll still have to devote a lot of time and energy to take full advantage of the program.

Unlike Pathrise, they don’t have a pay-on-result option. If you do well in the program but still don’t land a job within the post-program support period, you qualify for a 50% tuition fee refund. To learn about the cost and other information on your chosen program, you’ll need to attend their free webinar.

4.3 Pathrise alternatives for job search coaching

#Placement.com

Placement.com

Services: job search coaching, career coaching, life coaching, leadership coaching and more
Pricing: first session starts at $29
Reviews: 4.7 stars on TrustPilot; 4.9 on own website
Coaching expertise: expert coaches have 10++ years of experience at multinational companies
Money-back guarantee: none
Pros vs Pathrise: affordable rate, no lock-in period
Cons vs Pathrise: no pay-on-result option
Placement.com offers fairly affordable coaching services. If you need help improving your job application skills, they offer a job search coaching service which aims to address different job search needs. Whether you need help with your interviewing skills or looking to switch careers or industries with your new degree, this service could be a good option for you.
 

Placement.com works on a credits-based system, meaning you buy credits and use them to book your coaching sessions. Each coach has a different rate, so you’ll have to decide the best credit package to purchase or get advice from the company itself. You can’t choose your coach with Placement.com. They will make the match for you.

#IGotAnOffer

IGAO homepage

Services: Hourly coaching sessions: career/interview/resume/leadership
Pricing: from $119 for a 1-hour session
Reviews: 5.0 on Google, 4.95 rating on own site
Coaching expertise: All coaches/mentors have worked at top companies (Google, McKinsey, Goldman Sachs, etc)
Money-back guarantee: 100% refund if you're not satisfied
Pros vs Pathrise: affordable rate, no lock-in period
Cons vs Pathrise: no pay-on-result option; doesn’t offer a comprehensive job application program
On IGotAnOffer you can book a 1h job search strategy session with expert coaches who have worked as recruiters or interviewers at top companies. Your coach can help you navigate the job market in your industry and come up with an actionable plan to make yourself an excellent candidate. 
 

IGotAnOffer specializes int tech, consulting, or finance, so if you're targeting a role in one of these industries. You can search by company, role, specialty, timezone, etc, and book a timeslot that suits you. There are well over 200 coaches on the platform, you’ll definitely find a coach who can guide you through your chosen field.

4.4 Pathrise alternatives for resume review services

#Prepfully

Prepfully

Services: resume review, mock interviews, advice sessions
Pricing: $79 for a written resume review, from $149 for a 1-on-1 resume review call
Reviews: 4.8 stars on TrustPilot
Coaching expertise: Coaches have worked at top companies (Google, Microsoft, Meta etc.)
Money-back guarantee: 100% refund if you're not satisfied
Pros vs Pathrise: affordable rate, no lock-in period
Cons vs Pathrise: doesn’t offer a comprehensive job application program
Prepfully is an interview prep startup website offering resume reviews, mock interviews, interview question banks, peer practice and more. For their resume review, you have two options: you can either book a 1-hour resume review call or get a written review. 
 

The written review is a much more cost-effective option at $79. But if you’re looking to transition into a completely different role, you might want to consider the resume review call, as your plan of action requires thoroughly restructuring your resume. 

A possible downside to this is that for either service, you can’t choose who reviews your resume–you can only choose between a recruiter and a domain expert. The rate may also vary for the resume review call, depending on the seniority of your resume reviewer and your target company. At IGotAnOffer, a single resume review session is priced at $149 and you get to choose your coach as well.

#HireClub

Hireclub

Services: resume review and rewrite, career coaching, salary negotiation coaching, executive coaching, mock interviews
Pricing: $112 for resume review; $349 for resume rewrite
Reviews: 4.89 stars on own website for resume reviews
Coaching expertise: Expert coaches come from various industries such as tech, finance, nonprofit, entertainment, arts, marketing etc. 
Money-back guarantee: only for subscriptions
Pros vs Pathrise: affordable rate, no lock-in period
Cons vs Pathrise: doesn’t offer a comprehensive job application program
HireClub is a website that offers career coaching and executive coaching on a subscription and single-session basis. Aside from different coaching services, they also offer resume review and rewrite services on a single-session basis.

For the resume review, you get a 30-minute consultation with a coach, during which you’ll go over your current resume together and come up with an actionable plan to improve it. After your review session, you should be able to turn your resume into an ATS-friendly resume tailored to your target position.

If you’re getting the resume rewrite service, you get 3 sessions with your resume coach. The first 30 minutes the two of you should discuss your career goals and targeted role. You will then get 2 more feedback sessions (15 minutes each) with your coach as you refine your resume.

4.5 Pathrise alternatives for interview coaching

#IGotAnOffer

IGotAnOffer interview coaching service

Services: Hourly coaching sessions: career/interview/resume/leadership
Pricing: from $119 for a 1-hour session
Reviews: 5.0 on Google, 4.95 rating on own site
Coaching expertise: All coaches/mentors have worked at top companies (Google, McKinsey, Goldman Sachs, etc)
Money-back guarantee: 100% refund if you're not satisfied
Pros vs Pathrise: affordable rate, no lock-in period
Cons vs Pathrise: no comprehensive job search program

On IGotAnOffer, you’ll find hundreds of coaches from top companies across many roles offering interview coaching, from software engineers, data scientists, product managers, to consultants. If you’ve got a specific company you’re targeting, you can choose a coach who has worked there. They can give you real-world insights on what it will take to ace an interview in your target company.

You can search by company, role, specialty, timezone, etc, and book a timeslot that suits you. There are well over 200 interview coaches on the platform, all highly qualified, so plenty to choose from. Unlike Pathrise, you can book a next-day session with a mentor at IGotAnOffer. No need to wait for your account application to push through before you meet with a mentor. 

#MentorCruise

mentorcruise

Services: long-term mentorship programs
Pricing: 7-day free trial; from $39 for an intro call; $40-$500 per month for mentorship
Reviews: 4.6 stars on TrustPilot
Coaching expertise: vetted and curated selection of mentors for different kinds of needs
Money-back guarantee: open to refund requests for canceled sessions 
Pros vs Pathrise:  Different long-term mentoring packages; easy booking
Cons vs Pathrise: no comprehensive job search program; no pay-on-results option

MentorCruise is much more well-known for its long-term career mentorship programs. If you’re seeking interview coaching sessions, they do have those as well. Simply search for the particular service you want, and you’ll get a list of coaches offering your specific needs. The services range from $40-$189 for single sessions, and up to $500 if you’re opting for the long-term packages.

To assess whether you only need a single coaching session or a more long-term mentorship, you can opt for the 20-minute introductory call for $39. They also have a 7-day free trial to help you assess whether a specific mentor is a good match.

Find out more about MentorCruise and alternatives.

#Interviewing.io

interviewing.io

Services: anonymous mock interview sessions
Pricing: from $225 for coaching with FAANG coach
Reviews: not available
Coaching expertise: senior engineers from FAANG and other top tech companies
Money-back guarantee: 100% refund if you're not satisfied
Pros vs Pathrise: no lock-in period
Cons vs Pathrise: doesn’t offer a comprehensive job search program

Interviewing.io is unique in that it offers total anonymity for its mock interview sessions. Also, some of their interview guides are superbly written and go into excellent detail. If you’ve got the budget to spare and you’re focused on getting hired at Amazon, Google, or Meta, their multi-session dedicated coaching might be a good investment. This package pairs you with a senior interviewer from your target company who can tailor a lesson plan for you.

Learn more about Interviewing.io and other good alternative mock interview websites

4.6 Pathrise alternatives for salary negotiation coaching

#The Salary Negotiator

Salary Negotiator

Services: salary negotiation coaching and courses
Pricing:7% of your incremental compensation
Reviews: 5.0 on Google
Coaching expertise: founder Brandon Bromley has a decade of experience as a negotiator
Money-back guarantee: free if you don’t get a salary increase
Pros vs Pathrise: pay-on-result pricing is clearly explained on the website
Cons vs Pathrise: doesn’t offer a comprehensive job search program

The Salary Negotiator is as its name suggests–it’s a website that offers salary negotiation assistance, whether it’s through coaching or courses. Like Pathrise, you only pay once you get a result, so in The Salary Negotiator’s case, if you get an increase, that’s when you pay. If you don’t get an increase, then the service is free.

Unlike Pathrise, The Salary Negotiator is upfront with how its pay-on-result pricing works. An example they give on the website is if you get a $10,000 increase in your first year’s total compensation (whether that includes an increase in your base salary, bonuses, or equity), The Salary Negotiator will charge you a one-time fee of 7%, which will amount to $700. 

The biggest disadvantage is that you could end up paying hundreds or even a thousand dollars for the coaching service, depending on the increase you get. Unlike on IGotAnOffer, where a 1-hr salary negotiation coaching session is priced at $149.

#The Job Sauce

Jobsauce

Services: salary negotiation coaching, resume writing, resume review, interview and career coaching 
Pricing:  available upon consultation
Reviews: 4.6 stars on TrustPilot
Coaching expertise: no specific information on coach expertise on the website 
Money-back guarantee: none
Pros vs Pathrise: one-time payment online
Cons vs Pathrise: doesn’t offer a comprehensive job search program

The Job Sauce provides career development and recruitment services. For individual candidates, they offer resume writing packages, resume reviews, interview coaching, and salary negotiation coaching. According to their website, they’ve successfully helped candidates negotiate a higher salary over 90% of the time. Apart from your base salary, The Job Sauce will help you negotiate for better benefits.

As for the pricing, The Job Sauce requires a small deposit and then a one-time payment (a percentage of your increase).  The actual percentages for both deposit and one-time payment are not published on the website, so you will have to schedule a consultation to find out more.

4.7 Pathrise alternatives if you’re looking for an engineering job

#TryExponent

TryExponent

Services: Hourly tech coaching sessions: mock interviews, resume review, salary negotiation
Pricing: from $200 for a 1-hour session
Reviews: 4.8 rating on own site
Coaching expertise: Coaches/mentors have worked at FAANG and other top tech companies 
Money-back guarantee: refund information available only for membership
Pros vs Pathrise: option to choose own coach; affordable rates; no lock-in period
Cons vs Pathrise: doesn’t offer a comprehensive job search program

TryExponent is one of the leading platforms for tech candidates looking to land their dream job. The site is packed full of resources and while it’s mainly known for its courses, it also does interview coaching. You’ll find a good range of software engineer or PM coaches with experience at top FAANG companies. 

However, the price is a bit high. In fact, if you go to IGotAnOffer instead you can often book a session with the exact same coach for $60 less!

#Engineer Seeking FIRE

Engineer seeking fire

Services: engineering coaching
Pricing: price disclosed upon consultation
Reviews: not available
Coaching expertise: coach specializes in high-tech and consulting career paths
Money-back guarantee: none
Pros vs Pathrise: coaching targeted toward engineers 
Cons vs Pathrise: no comprehensive job search program

Engineer Seeking FIRE is primarily a blog that aims to help professionals in tech achieve FIRE (Financial Independence and Retire Early). It’s run by an engineer who has worked as an SWE, PM, and TPM at Amazon and Microsoft, and has an MBA from Kellogg School of Management. More importantly, he has grown his career and personal finance to achieve FIRE at the age of 40, so he definitely knows what he’s talking about.

You can learn directly from the man himself by booking him for a personalized coaching session, whether it’s for a mock interview, a resume/LinkedIn review, or career coaching. Otherwise, you can read his blog if you’re looking to learn more about personal finance and other career-related advice. 

His rates are not disclosed on the website, but he’s easy to reach online on his various social media platforms and email.

Click here to check out our list of the best tech career coaching services.

4.8 Pathrise alternatives if you’re looking for a product manager job

#IGotAnOffer Product Management Interview Coaching

IGotAnOffer PM coaching service

Services: Hourly coaching sessions: career/interview/resume/leadership
Pricing: from $119 for a 1-hour session
Reviews: 5.0 on Google, 4.95 rating on own site
Coaching expertise: All PM coaches/mentors have worked at FAANG and other top tech companies 
Money-back guarantee: 100% refund if you're not satisfied
Pros vs Pathrise: option to choose own coach; affordable rates; no lock-in period
Cons vs Pathrise: doesn’t offer a comprehensive job search program

IGotAnOffer has 50+ product management coaches, almost all of whom have worked at one or Meta, Google, Amazon, Microsoft, Netflix, and other top tech companies. If your goal is to improve your chances of getting a PM job at a FAANG or similar tech company, you’ll likely find an expert coach here who can give you insight specific to the company you’re targeting.

Click on a coach’s profile and you can instantly see their hourly availability and book your online session in just a few clicks, unlike on Pathrise. Prices are clearly displayed before you book. No need to sign up for a 12-month program and if you’re not satisfied with your session, you get a full refund.

#Product Refinery

Product refinery coaching

Services: Product manager coaching
Pricing: Free 30-minute consultation; between £150 and £400 per session 
Reviews: not available
Coaching expertise: Minimum 10 years experience in product leadership
Money-back guarantee: none mentioned
Pros vs Pathrise: designed for product managers
Cons vs Pathrise: no comprehensive job search program

What we find interesting about The Product Refinery is that it’s focused on providing coaching services for product people. Its small roster of coaches has worked in startups, scale-ups, and big enterprises in a variety of industries so you can easily find a coach who shares your background or interest. 

The website offers three ways to engage with a coach. You can opt for a one-off session, or if you’re working through a single challenge like improving your job search strategy, they recommend a package with a set number of sessions with a coach. If you want a longer-term coaching relationship (and have the budget for it), you can go for the retainer package. Product Refinery coaching is particularly suited for PMs who are keen to level up on their next job search.

If you want more PM-specific coaching options, check out our list of the best product management coaching services.

4.9 Best Pathrise alternatives if you’re looking for consulting coaches

#IGotAnOffer Case Interview Coaching

IGotAnOffer case interview coaching service

Services: Hourly coaching sessions: career/interview/resume/leadership
Pricing: from $119 for a 1-hour session
Reviews: 5.0 on Google, 4.95 rating on own site
Coaching expertise: All consulting coaches/mentors have worked at top companies (Bain, BCG, McKinsey, etc.)
Money-back guarantee: 100% refund if you're not satisfied
Pros vs Pathrise: option to choose own coach; affordable rates; no lock-in period
Cons vs Pathrise: doesn’t offer a comprehensive job search program

IGotAnOffer has 60+ consulting coaches, almost all of whom have worked at Bain, BCG, McKinsey and other top firms. If your goal is to improve your chances of getting a consulting job at any of these companies, you’ll likely find an expert coach here who can give you insider insight on how to stand out as a candidate.

Click on a coach’s profile and you can instantly see their hourly availability and book your online session in just a few clicks, unlike on Pathrise. Prices are clearly displayed before you book. No need to sign up for a 12-month program and if you’re not satisfied with your session, you get a full refund.

#MyConsultingCoach

MyConsultingCoach

Services: case interview coaching, resume review and editing, cover letter consultation, aptitude test guides
Pricing: from $190 per hourly session
Reviews: 4.9 stars on own website
Coaching expertise: consulting coaches have at least 2 years of experience at McKinsey, BCG, and Bain and have gained a promotion during their tenure
Money-back guarantee: none
Pros vs Pathrise: coaches have demonstrated consulting coaching expertise; flexible programs
Cons vs Pathrise: no comprehensive job search program

MyConsultingCoach is a coaching website dedicated to consulting candidates. It only chooses consulting coaches who have coaching experience and have worked for at least two years and have been promoted during their tenure at McKinsey, BCG, or Bain.

Unlike Pathrise, MyConsultingCoach has different coaching packages. You can choose to get a single session or multiple sessions. You’ll need to apply to get into the program, and there’s no guarantee you’ll get in unless you’re deemed to be a strong candidate. So if you can’t afford to wait for your admission to such a program, you can instead look for McKinsey, Bain or BCG coaches at IGotAnOffer, whom you can book for next-day sessions.

5. Pathrise FAQs

If we did a good job writing this article, you should have found something in the list above that responds to your specific needs better than Pathrise.

If you didn’t, it might be that Pathrise is the best fit for you after all. Particularly if you’re looking for a mock interview website that offers anonymity and you can afford to wait to get an invite to sign up.

To help you make your final decision, let’s cover the Pathrise basics.

5.1 What is Pathrise?

Pathrise is a popular job search mentoring website for candidates in software engineering, product management, strategy, operations, data, marketing, and sales. Their program entails an 8-week learning module, plus continuous 1-on-1 support and workshops throughout the 12-month agreement period. You’ll only need to pay once you get a job within the 12 months you’re in the program. If you don’t get a job within those 12 months, your fee is waived.

5.2 Is Pathrise any good?

Yes, Pathrise is generally considered to be a good service, judging by user reviews on the website. However, some candidates feel it’s a bit too pricey even as a pay-on-result service. Plus, if you opt out after the 2-week trial and before the 12-month agreement, you’ll be charged a fee.

5.3 What's Pathrise's pricing like?

The exact pricing for Pathrise's pay-on-result fee is not disclosed on the website, but they estimate it at 7-14% of your first annual income. They offer two types of income-based repayment agreements to make the program more accessible.

5.4 Who is the founder of Pathrise?

Pathrise was founded by Kevin Wu, who now serves as the company’s CEO as well as one of its career mentors. Before founding Pathrise, Wu worked at top tech companies including Yelp and Salesforce, created a study app, and directed an award-winning nonprofit for SWE student volunteers.

5.5 Who are Pathrise’s competitors?

Other competitors to Pathrise that we haven't included in this article would be:

Personal Career Management is a UK-based career management company that offers a comprehensive job search program that provides hours of 1-on-1 career coaching, job search strategy, interview prep, networking and personal branding techniques, salary negotiation, and more. 

JobSearchCoach offers different job hunter packages at various price points. It has a ‘career copilot’ package which includes multiple coaching sessions, mock interviews, advice on job search strategy, resume, and cover letter among other job search resources.

6. Conclusion

Pathrise is a good job search coaching platform, with a unique pay-on-result program and full of interesting and experienced people offering their expertise.

But is it the best option for you? Only you can decide that, although hopefully in this article we’ve helped you make a more informed decision.

Whichever coaching platform you do choose, we hope you’ll also consider IGotAnOffer.

You’ll find over 300 expert coaches/mentors on our platform, and you can search by industry, role, or company to get the right match for you. You can see the coaches' hourly availability and book your online session in a couple of clicks. No 12-month commitment, 100% money-back guarantee.

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