As a high schooler, Shireen Jaffer saw plenty of friends struggle as they worked for 4.0 grade-point averages and sky-high standardized test scores – things Jaffer later realized weren’t terribly helpful when it came to finding a job and starting a career.

“The emphasis on academics today is misleading our students into believing that high GPAs and scores guarantee success,” said Jaffer. “Once in college and applying for internships and jobs, these students realize that the real world requires passion, self-awareness and professional skills, none of which they had time to develop.”

That’s why Jaffer, a 21-year-old USC graduate, invested about $500 of her savings to start Skillify, a business that has developed an extracurricular program focused on career development rather than grades and test scores.

Its programs, which include daylong conferences followed by months of follow-up coaching, aim to teach students skills such as networking and professional communication, and push students to find professional mentors and internships.

For Jaffer, one of the biggest challenges so far has been hiring a team that can teach high schoolers those professional skills. Many of the candidates she met did not possess those skills themselves. Jaffer sees this challenge as an indication of how necessary Skillify and other programs are.

“Our team members are role models and must have the skills we teach, such as networking and interviewing,” she said. “Many of them have never received formal training in professional development. But we’re fixing that.”

– Nicole Piper