As you probably know, Pathrise is a mentorship program known for securing elite job placements for mentees.
Overall, it receives a lot of praise and is well-regarded as a high-quality platform that can increase your chances of landing top-of-the-line tech jobs at companies like Amazon, Google, Meta, and so on.
However, it does come with its flaws. The platform itself is only available for U.S.-eligible workers, which for many is disappointing. Though a great platform, this restriction can be little "off-putting" to say the least.
That's where MentorCruise comes in. We're a leading alternative to Pathrise, removing geographical barriers to career mentorship.
In this blog post, we'll be uncovering the following:
- What Pathrise is
- The key features of Pathrise
- How Pathrise compares to MentorCruise
What is Pathrise?
Pathrise is an elite job search mentoring program founded in 2017 by a pair of San Fran engineers.
They have a simple mission: offer one-on-one specialized mentorship for up to 12 months until you get a job. And honestly, they do a great job. 96% of mentees get job placements during the program and credit Pathrise for their success.
Pathrise mentorship is focused almost exclusively on job searching. However, they also have some interesting networking and community elements. The program’s mentor network involves 200+ companies from 500 Forbes firms, such as Google, Facebook, Dropbox, and Apple.
What are the Latest Pathrise Stats?
The latest Pathrise stats are pretty impressive. The company has 2,600 placed “fellows” in new jobs, and the average junior salary is $83,307, while the average senior salary is $199,896.
On top of that, they suggest that their mentorship program:
- Gets you 2 to 4 times more application responses.
- Helps you get 1.5 to 3 times better interview scores.
- Improves negotiation by at least 10 to 20 percent.
Without question, All of these stats highlight the positive impact the Pathrise program has on its mentees’ careers.
What is the Pathrise Fellowship Application Process Like?
Unlike most mentorship programs, not everyone who applies gets into the Pathrise program.
Pathrise’s application process involves four steps to learn your starting point and what you hope to achieve.
Once the team knows these, it establishes the quickest way for you to achieve these goals.
Here are the four steps in the application process:
- #1 - Intro Survey: A quick 15-minute questionnaire about your career ambitions and background.
- #2 - Skills Assessment: Takes 30-45 minutes to evaluate your skills and experiences for a customized action plan.
- #3 - Enrollment Discussion: A 30-minute call to understand Pathrise's process and clarify any doubts.
- #4 - Trial Period: Experience 1-1 coaching with a mentor for two weeks before fully committing to the program.
The reason Pathrise does this is that they want you to succeed. If you don't have the work experience, education, or skills for a certain job role, they know you'll unlikely get the role, even with their help. So, to save you time, money, and just hassle, they have an application process.
Pathrise Key Features
Feature 1: Mentors for 200+ Top Companies
The Pathrise program has an all-star mentor team from industry-leading companies, such as Google, Facebook, Dropbox, Apple, and others listed above.
Feature 2: Exclusive Community Forums, Events and Job Boards
Once you’re part of the program, Pathrise gives you exclusive access to forums, events, and boards that can help you get peer support and find meet-up opportunities.
Feature 3: Extensive Company Guides for Top Jobs
Pathrise also provides access to in-depth company guides that give the inside scoop into top companies, their unique interview process, typical questions, and other behind-the-scenes info.
Feature 4: Live Video Sessions
Pathrise members can take advantage of live video sessions with their mentors. This provides a more personal experience with a chance to ask questions and learn from the experts face-to-face.
Pathrise Pricing
Pathrise has a unique pricing model that involves an income-sharing agreement (ISA).
Though you pay $0 upfront, you’ll pay back Pathrise once you get a job placement. Typically, you agree to pay 7-14% of your first annual income, though the exact cut will be suggested during the Pathrise application process.
Remember that this income-sharing agreement lasts for 12 months. You’re only released from this commitment after not accepting a job for 12 months.
Pathrise lets you withdraw sooner but not without a hefty fee: $250 for every week you were in the program. This fee also occurs if you withdraw from the program after the two-week trial.
Pros and Cons
Pros
- $0 until you get a job
- Mentors from an internal network of over 200+ companies
- Access to exclusive community forums, events, and job boards
- Extensive company guides for top jobs
- 14-day free trial
Cons
- Must be authorized to work in the U.S. (or Canada)
- No customized help with topics beyond job search
- Income sharing of 7-14% could mean a high price tag
- 12-month commitment before income sharing no longer applies
- No unlimited messaging (just video calls)
- Just individual plans (no team plans)
Pathrise Alternative
Online, there are many Pathrise alternatives. However, only a few really provide mentorship that generally helps you get your dream job. One of these platforms is MentorCruise.
What is MentorCruise?
MentorCruise is a one-on-one mentorship service founded in 2018 and based in Switzerland.
This platform provides a hand-picked database of industry-leading mentors with a variety of specializations. Mentors work for top companies such as Google, Microsoft, Facebook, Amazon, GitHub, Airbnb, Uber, Stripe, Netflix, etc.
While results vary according to the mentees’ personalized needs, overall, they’re six times more likely to reach their goals with MentorCruise.
Mentees say the program was a “game-changer” or “huge step” for their careers. In addition, MentorCruise mentors receive an average rating of 4.7 out of 5.
As a Pathrise alternative, MentorCruise is a high-quality service, offering customized topics to individuals or teams from anywhere in the world.
MentorCruise Key Features
Feature 1: Pick Your Mentor From a Database
MentorCruise gives you transparent access to a mentor database so that you can hand-select your own mentor. Filter by category, skills, services, price, and more so that you get the perfect fit.
Top Mentors, the top 1%, are also available and offer 5-star ratings with 24-hour response time.
Feature 2: Get Customized Topics
A variety of customized sessions are available so you can build your own mentorship program. It’s easy – just look through the available options and discover mentors who offer that type of session.
Feature 3: Unlimited Messaging in Addition to Video Calls.
With MentorCruise, you can communicate with your mentor using your preferred method, whether live video or 24/7 messaging. It’s easy to stay in touch and get quick responses from your mentor.
Feature 4: Lots of Extra Perks
Our partnerships allow us to treat our members. They get access to lots of juicy perks and discounts.
This includes 20% of Savvy Cal, a scheduling software, a free three-month to-do list, and much more. We’ve carefully selected our perks to help you with your professional (and personal) growth.
Here are the areas that our perks can help you with:
- Marketing
- Tech
- Coding
- Productivity
- Business
So, whether you want to boost your business or keep yourself organized, there are lots of great deals for our members to enjoy.
MentorCruise case studies
Mentoring can have incredible advantages for your career. Whether you want to change course completely or break into the market in a new country, mentoring provides accountability and support all the way to success.
Let’s take a look at a few inspiring case studies:
Nelson Remetz - From Architecture to UX Design
Nelson Remetz had a career in architecture before contacting the MentorCruise team.
Keen to pursue his personal interests, Nelson signed up for our UX design boot camp and mentorship program. In addition to learning new skills during the boot camp, Nelson’s mentor coached him thoroughly during the interview process.
Nelson appreciated the opportunity to have someone there to ask questions, bounce ideas off of, and learn from.
Ryan Wilson - From Professional Basketball Player to Cybersecurity
Ryan Wilson’s career did a complete 360 when he joined our mentorship program. Having retired from professional basketball, he considered new career opportunities that could ignite the same passions.
Ryan chose cybersecurity because of his interest in ethical hacking. He made impressive progress. Ryan’s goal was to find a position within the cybersecurity industry within a year. He nailed it in just three months with a job as a penetration tester.
In his interview with us, Ryan talked about how his mentor challenged and supported him. He also noted his positivity and interview advice, which he found really helpful.
Bassma Hefni - Offered Three Jobs in a New Country
Bassma Hefni took advantage of our mentorship program in a different way from our previous two case studies.
Instead of a change of career, Bassma wanted a change of scenery. Although she had a year’s experience as a product designer, Bassma knew that her portfolio - as it was - would not get her where she wanted to be.
With the help of our mentor, Bassma got stuck in her job search and started to test her portfolio. She was able to sharpen her skills and adjust her portfolio to better reflect her abilities.
From this, Bassma received three job offers in Germany, which was more than she originally hoped for.
Pathrise vs. MentorCruise: Feature Comparison
(keep the table)
Key Differences of Pathrise vs. MentorCruise
After reading the above, you may be depending on whether to choose Pathrise or MentorCruise. We get it. It's a hard decision to make, as your career is involved.
However, let's help you further. Below, we'll break down the key differences between Pathrise and MentorCruise, so you can determine which platform suits you best.
1. MentorCruise Is Available to Mentees Worldwide
You don’t have to prove work eligibility in the U.S. Even though mentors may be working at top U.S. firms, mentees worldwide are welcome to participate – regardless of where they work and study.
In contrast, Pathrise mentees must be eligible to work in the U.S. That means if you work elsewhere, you’re locked out of participating in this program and leveraging mentorship advice.
2. MentorCruise Offers Customized Help
Perhaps you want to work on upskilling, developing a study plan, or discussing career strategy with a mentor. You can also choose from more traditional job search topics if you want.
Pathrise is 100% focused on your job hunt and related skills, such as resume, networking, interview prep, negotiation, etc. The program goes in-depth into how to enhance your job search but doesn’t offer other customized topics.
3. MentorCruise Offers Multiple Communication Options With Mentors
You can contact your mentor via live video or the platform’s 24/7 messaging system.
Pathrise mentorship is done exclusively through live video, though you may be able to attend in-person events depending on your location.
4. MentorCruise Offers a Transparent Flat Monthly Fee
Every mentor charges a flat monthly fee, typically between $39-$350 per month. You can pause your mentorship (for example, when you’re on holiday) or cancel your mentorship at any time.
Pathrise requires a longer commitment with a higher price tag. Though you pay $0 upfront, once you get a job, Pathrise will take a cut of your first annual salary.
Depending on your job level, this typically involves 7-14% of your salary. (So, for a $100,000 salary, Pathrise would charge between $7,000-$14,000).
3 Reasons Why Mentees Choose MentorCruise Over Pathrise
✔️ 1. Flexible to your specific needs, with customized topics for individuals or teams from anywhere in the world.
✔️ 2. Choose your own mentor and use transparent ratings and feedback to learn more about each.
✔️ 3. You’re not locked into a 12-month pricing commitment. Instead, you can pause or cancel mentorship whenever you want.
Boost Your Career With MentorCruise Today
Mentorship can make a huge difference in your career, which is why it’s important to find the right mentor fit.
While Pathrise is great for a U.S. job seeker who wants to get an elite position, you might also consider a Pathrise alternative like MentorCruise.
MentorCruise is great for anybody who wants to boost their skills and industry know-how with a top mentor of their choice – and a no-strings flat monthly fee.
To kick off your career, check out the top mentors on MentorCruise and book an introductory call today.