Clasp founder and CEO Tess Michaels joins Wealth! to discuss her mission of connecting students with employers who will invest in their education and careers.

"I actually founded Clasp from a student-first perspective. I was a graduate student at Harvard and the sticker price was hefty... But the problem isn't student debt, right? The problem is that people take that leap of faith with the anticipation of great outcomes. And when I say outcomes, I mean job outcomes, I mean long-lasting careers," Michaels tells Yahoo Finance.

"But the reality is that most products, if they're bad, you can return them. Student loans don't work that way. And our mission is to help tackle critical workforce shortages in industries like healthcare by bringing employers into the equation, to sponsor that education and to set up multiple years of retention on the back end while really helping students where they need it most."

She calls this a "win-win" situation for both employers and students as students get investments into their careers and education while employers invest in their workforce and talent retention.

After leaving her career as an investment banker to found Clasp, Michaels encourages anyone considering a career pivot to understand their interests and strengths and see if it aligns with industries where there are opportunities for growth. She explains, "A career is a long journey, and you want to make sure that you're in the right home." She also stresses the importance of being compensated fairly, so it is key to find an employer that will offer both an appropriate package and upward mobility for career growth.

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This post was written by Melanie Riehl