The Muse Review: The Good & the Bad
The Muse is a popular career platform known for job listings, company profiles, career advice, and access to career coaches through Muse Coach Connect. Unlike traditional resume writing companies, The Muse is not purely a resume-writing service. It works more like a coaching marketplace where job seekers can book vetted coaches for resume reviews, LinkedIn reviews, cover letters, interview prep, and career strategy.
Our Rating
Our certified resume writers evaluated The Muse across four key areas: customer reviews, cost-to-value ratio, sample quality, and writer credentials. The Muse has strong brand recognition, vetted coaches, and a helpful coaching model, but it is not a dedicated resume writing company, and its resume service is mainly a review and enhancement of an existing resume rather than a full resume built from scratch.
Overall Score: 74 / 100
| Category | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Customer Reviews | 17 / 25 | The Muse reports strong internal coaching ratings, but independent public review volume is very limited. |
| Cost to Value | 17 / 25 | Resume Review starts at $139, but higher coach tiers cost $259–$549 and Resume + LinkedIn Review can reach $859. |
| Sample Quality | 18 / 25 | Personalized coaching is useful, but the service improves an existing resume instead of creating a new one from scratch. |
| Writer Credentials | 22 / 25 | The Muse says coaches are vetted and divided into Mentor, Coach, and Master Coach levels, but quality depends on the individual coach selected. |
About The Muse
The Muse is an online career platform focused on job search, career advice, employer branding, company profiles, and career coaching. Its website says it helps job seekers access professional advice, search for jobs based on personal priorities, and explore company profiles that go behind the scenes at organizations.
The Muse is also connected with Fairygodboss. In 2022, The Muse acquired Fairygodboss, which was described as the largest online career community for women. The announcement described The Muse as a values-based job search and career development platform used by 75 million people annually.
For resume support, The Muse operates through **Muse Coach Connect**, a coaching marketplace where job seekers can book career coaches for services such as resume review, LinkedIn review, cover letter writing, interview coaching, and career strategy. The Muse says its coaches are vetted and backed by the platform.
What services does it offer?
The Muse offers several job-search and career-development services, including:
- Resume Review – The Muse helps job seekers improve an existing resume. The service includes a pre-coaching needs assessment, a video or phone call, a revised resume draft, feedback, and final edits. However, The Muse clearly states that this is a review and enhancement of an existing resume, not a resume created from scratch.
- Resume and LinkedIn Review-This package combines resume revision with LinkedIn profile optimization. Pricing ranges from Mentor to Master Coach levels, with higher tiers offering longer calls and more revision support.
- Cover Letter Writing– The Muse offers cover letter writing through its coaches. The service includes a needs assessment, a phone or video call, a draft, feedback, and final delivery. ([The Muse][6])
- Career Coaching– Job seekers can book coaches for career questions, job-search strategy, career transitions, leadership coaching, and general professional guidance.
- Interview Coaching– The Muse also offers interview preparation through its coaching marketplace.
- Free Career Resources– The Muse offers free career articles, job listings, and company profiles. Its knowledge base says users can access articles and job listings for free, while coaching services are paid.
How Much Does The Muse Cost?
The Muse uses three coach tiers: Mentor, Coach, and Master Coach. The Muse says Mentors usually have fewer years of experience and are more affordable, Coaches are aimed at mid-career professionals, and Master Coaches typically work with senior leaders and executives.
The pricing is flexible, but the cost can increase quickly. A Master Coach Resume and LinkedIn Review costs $859, which is higher than many full resume writing packages from dedicated resume writing companies.
| Service / Package | Price | What’s Included |
|---|---|---|
| Resume Review – Mentor | $139 | Existing resume review, 30-minute call, revised draft, feedback, and final resume. |
| Resume Review -Coach | $259 | Existing resume review, 45-minute call, revised draft, feedback, one extra edit round if needed, and final resume. |
| Resume Review -Master Coach | $549 | Existing resume review, 60-minute call, revised draft, feedback, unlimited edits for 2 weeks after first draft, and final resume. |
| Resume and LinkedIn Review – Mentor | $256 | Existing resume review plus LinkedIn profile update. |
| Resume and LinkedIn Review – Coach | $459 | Resume and LinkedIn review with a 45-minute call and extra revision support. |
| Resume and LinkedIn Review – Master Coach | $859 | Resume and LinkedIn review with a 60-minute call and unlimited edits for 2 weeks after first draft. |
| Cover Letter Writing -Mentor | $109 | One cover letter, 30-minute call, draft, feedback, and final version. |
| Cover Letter Writing – Coach | $165 | One cover letter, 45-minute call, draft, feedback, and one extra revision if needed. |
| Cover Letter Writing -Master Coach | $305 | One cover letter, 45-minute call, draft, feedback, and two extra revision rounds if needed. |
What Customers Are Saying
The Muse’s customer review picture is mixed because most strong feedback appears on its own platform, while independent review volume is limited.
| Platform | Rating / Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| The Muse Internal Coaching Reviews | 4.85 / 5 | The Muse says coaching problems happen in less than 5% of sessions and cites an average rating of 4.85/5. |
| Trustpilot | 3.0 / 5 | Only 4 total reviews, so the sample is very small. |
| BBB | Limited / unclear | A clear major BBB profile for The Muse career coaching service is not as visible as with some resume-writing competitors. |
| Reddit / Forums | Mixed | Users often discuss career coaching value generally, with concerns about cost, coach fit, and whether coaching is worth it. |
The Muse’s own coaching FAQ says problems arise in less than 5% of sessions and cites an average rating of 4.85/5. That is a positive signal, but because it is internal platform data, job seekers should still compare it with independent review sources.
On Trustpilot, The Muse currently shows a 3.0/5 Trust Score from only 4 total reviews. That sample is too small to judge the entire company confidently, but it also means The Muse does not have the same independent review volume as resume-focused competitors like Top Resume, Resume Spice, TopStack Resume, or Zip Job.
The Good
The Muse has several clear strengths.
First, The Muse is more than a resume service. It gives job seekers access to job listings, career advice, company profiles, and career coaching in one place. For someone who wants broader job-search guidance, that can be useful.
Second, the coaching model is personal. Instead of submitting your resume and waiting for a draft, you can choose a coach, complete a needs assessment, and speak with them by phone or video. The Resume Review service includes calls of 30, 45, or 60 minutes depending on the coach tier.
Third, The Muse gives job seekers choice. You can browse coaches, compare profiles, and select someone who fits your needs. Its coaching page says users can explore coaches and check reviews from other customers before booking.
Fourth, The Muse offers a more thoughtful career-development experience than many basic resume mills. It can help with resume clarity, job-search direction, LinkedIn presentation, interview prep, and career confidence.
The Bad
The biggest downside is that The Muse’s resume service is not true full-service resume writing from scratch.
The Muse clearly states that Resume Review is a review and enhancement of your existing resume. That means you need to already have a resume available, and the coach is improving it rather than building a completely new strategy from zero.
Another concern is cost. The entry-level Resume Review starts at $139, which is reasonable. But the Coach tier costs $259, the Master Coach tier costs $549, and Resume + LinkedIn Review can cost up to $859. For that price, many job seekers may expect a more complete resume writing package.
The Muse also does not offer complimentary calls before booking. Its knowledge base says customers cannot get free calls with coaches before purchase and should rely on coach overviews and reviews instead.
Refunds are also limited. The Muse says final versions of resumes or cover letters cannot be refunded once delivered unless there are specific grounds, such as final drafts containing spelling errors, inconsistent tense, inconsistent formatting, or missed deliverables. It also says users may receive an 80% refund if dissatisfied with the initial call or a 50% refund if dissatisfied with the first draft, but they must contact support right away.
Finally, The Muse does not appear to offer job application services as part of its standard resume review packages. For job seekers who need help applying to targeted jobs, that is a major gap.
Is it Worth it?
The Muse may be worth considering if you want personalized career coaching, feedback on an existing resume, LinkedIn advice, interview prep, or broader job-search guidance. It is especially useful for professionals who want a conversation with a coach rather than a traditional resume writing transaction.
However, The Muse may not be the best choice if you need a resume written from scratch, want a complete ATS-friendly resume package, need job application help, or want stronger independent review proof before buying.
The Muse is better understood as a career coaching marketplace than a dedicated resume writing company. That is not necessarily bad, but it matters. If your resume needs deep rewriting, stronger achievements, role-specific keywords, ATS formatting, and a sharper career story, a dedicated resume service like Boxresume may be a better fit.
The Muse Alternatives
Here are the top-rated resume writing services we recommend, each offering strong value, quality, and career-focused resume support.
| Service | Starting Price | Reviews | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boxresume – Our Pick | $139 | 10,000+ | 100 / 100 |
| Find My Profession | $395+ | 600+ | 100 / 100 |
| ResumeSpice | $479+ | 1,900+ | 87 / 100 |
| Let’s Eat, Grandma | $439+ | 400+ | 99 / 100 |
| TopStack Resume | $189+ | 3,500+ | 88 / 100 |
| The Muse | $139+ | 4 Trustpilot reviews | 74 / 100 |
Why Boxresume Is a Better Alternative
The Muse can be helpful for coaching, but Boxresume is a stronger choice if your main goal is to get a professionally written resume that is ATS-friendly, recruiter-readable, and built around your target job.
With Boxresume, we do more than review your existing resume. We rewrite and position your experience around impact, achievements, keywords, career progression, leadership, technical strengths, and the roles you want next.
With Boxresume, you can get:
- ATS-Friendly Resume Writing – Clean formatting, strong keywords, and recruiter-friendly structure.
- Cover Letter Writing– Personalized cover letters that connect your experience to the role and company.
- LinkedIn Optimization– A stronger headline, summary, keyword strategy, and professional profile built for recruiter searches.
- Job Application Services-With premium packages, we help you apply to up to 70 targeted jobs, giving you more reach and saving you time.
- Better Value for Job Seekers – The Muse’s Resume Review starts at $139, but that service improves an existing resume rather than creating one from scratch. Boxresume also starts at $139 and focuses on full resume writing, ATS optimization, and stronger career positioning.