Kindly Review of My Application - Exceptional Promise

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Greetings Everyone,

I am preparing to apply for the GTV exceptional promise route. As a data scientist, I work with a software company that helps people leverage technology for improved livelihood by delivering quality services and time-critical solutions to solve urban and rural problems.

Personal Statement: My personal statement tells the story of how I stumbled into tech during my undergraduate years through the Student Industrial Work Experience Scheme. It highlights my journey from being self-taught in data analysis to freelancing, volunteering experiences and working in different fields such as edutech, tech NGO, and a software company. I then discovered an opportunity in fintech, where I integrated advanced technology to improve the UK economy through financial inclusion. I emphasise my versatility in experience, hunger for growth in the tech ecosystem and the contributions I can offer to the UK tech industry.

CV: Selected work experience: 2+ years as a data scientist and volunteering experience.

Recommendations:

  1. LOR 1: Founder/CEO of the First EdTech in Northern Nigeria with a high public profile. I worked at Company B. (Include LinkedIn profile link instead of CV).
  2. LOR 2: Founder/CEO of an Edtech Company in Nigeria and the United Kingdom, nationally and internationally recognised and served as my mentor. (Include LinkedIn profile link, Wikipedia article and other relevant links)
  3. LOR 3: Founder of a Tech NGO in Nigeria with national and international recognition. I worked at Company A (Tech NGO) and also co-founded a fintech company in the United Kingdom. (Include LinkedIn profile link, Wikipedia article and other relevant links)

Mandatory Criteria:

Evidence 1. NSA & PSSN Professional Membership Certificate + Additional Reference from Vice President (Professor) NSA/CESON/PSSN + Certification as a certified professional data scientist + Two Reference Letters from my mentors (CEO/Founder of Software Company & Director of Venture Financing).

Evidence 2: Document demonstrating my current company’s offer of employment + Payment Slip for 6 months, converted using reputable sources such as payscale.com and compared with the salary systems in Nigeria.

Evidence 3. Two media publications about myself and my work which include links to newspaper editorials + Endorsement letter from Head of Government Technology Organisation in Nigeria + Advisory Board Member to a Tech Startup + Social Media Announcement + Reference Letter from CEO/Co-founder

Evidence 4. Email Letter for Mentorship from two structured mentorship programs + Screenshot of LinkedIn post + Pictures during mentorship sessions with mentees + Reference letter from the mentorship program attesting my participation + Reference Letter from mentees + Screenshot of timeline of mentee journey.

Evidence 5. Two Guest Speaker invitation letters + Pictures during the events + Screenshots of audience feedback on social media + Reference letter from the organiser.

Optional Criteria 2: Contributions Outside of Work

Evidence 6. One Guest Speaker and one Panelist invitation letter + Pictures during the events + Screenshots of audience feedback + Reference letter from the organizer + Screenshots of program of events.

Evidence 7: Media Publication from a newspaper exemplifying thought leadership which Include links to newspaper editorials + Media Publication as the convener for a conference I organised for aspiring entrepreneurs, startups and small businesses which Include links to newspaper editorials + Pictures of me speaking on stage + Screenshots of social media posts stating the significance of the program.

Evidence 8: Email Letter for Mentorship from a structured mentorship program + Screenshot of social media post + Pictures during mentorship sessions with mentees + Reference letter from Mentorship Program Lead + Two webinar session invitation letters (virtual) + Unstructured mentorship sessions I usually host on social media + Recommendation letter from Northern Tech Ecosystem in Nigeria as an Ambassador (Only Female) from all the 19 states.

Optional Criteria 3: Contributions and Impact

Evidence 9: Promotion letter from current employer as a Lead Data Scientist + Reference Letter from CEO current Company C.

Evidence 10: Comprehensive overview of my contributions to company growth, including notable achievements such as generating a monthly revenue increase of $X, XXX and fostering enhanced community engagement + detailed descriptions of impactful projects I undertaken at company B (Edtech) + an assessment of the significance of my work at the current employer, company C (Software Company) + accompanied by a reference letter from the COO of previous company B.

I would highly appreciate feedback on my application as I am eager to receive constructive suggestions to further enhance my submission.

@Francisca_Chiedu @immigrant @badesemowo @somdipdey @May @Shreeniwas_Iyer @alexnk @Victor_Shoaga @westside @Victrr

Thank you in advance for your valuable assistance!

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  1. Professional memberships certificates do not evidence recognition as a leader at least the guide doesn’t suggest that. This would have been suitable for evidence of continuous but it is no longer listed as a criteria.

  2. Salary evidence is fine but still not your strongest point.

  3. How long ago was the media publication made. Secondly you need to show screenshots and the link incase the assessor decides to visit the page. However, note that the guide says you can’t use just links as evidence. How is the media article related to reference letter from Head of Government agency? If you have to use it, this evidence should be separate( you can merge this letter with the northern tech ecosystem reference, this shows leader in your field know your work and recognize you as a potential leader) Don’t add unrelated evidence.

  4. Evidence fits more for OC2, what’s the selection process for mentors and mentees? What makes it structured?

  5. If you have two speaker events, I suggest you use them as two separate evidence. What’s the quality of the even? Are the events high profile digital technology sector events or specialist event in your field? Are there more than 100 people in attendance. Also ensure that all your evidence are not close to the time of your application.

  6. Is this evidence different from speaking events in mandatory?.if so you can’t reuse Evidence in multiple criteria. I also suggest you split the evidence into two or select the one that looks high profile. Some talks and speaking events may not meet tech nation’s standards. If you read through some of the rejection feedback shared here you will notice some talks don’t meet the standards.

  7. Media publication exemplifying thought leadership. You should print the publication or use screenshot, links alone means you are not following the guide. Media publication and evidence you convened a conference should be a separate evidence. Demonstrate how this conference has advanced the sector.

  8. If the mentorship evidence is same as MC, I suggest you use it here. Also reference letter from the northern tech ecosystem is unrelated. Avoid merging unrelated evidence. You could use it in MC to demonstrate your leadership in the sector.

  9. Reference letter from your employer should standalone. If you must add the promotion letter with it, it should be after the letter. The CEOs letter should demonstrate your impact using quantified metrics.

  10. I am not sure I get how you want to present this. You said you are a data analyst so you want to show how your talent and skills has made a difference. Do your have architectural diagram your contribution and other tools that shows your impact plus a reference that confirms this is fine.

In all, I think you are eligible for endorsement but your have too many evidence and you seem to want to show everything. You need to take out the weak evidence, remove recent evidence, use evidence that could be easily verified online, avoid self-authored evidence, don’t merge unrelated evidence, stick to the three page limit, don’t use only link as assessors may not open it, ensure your recommenders cover all the points listed in the tech nation guide. All the best!

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Thank you for your detailed feedback on my application @Francisca_Chiedu. I appreciate your suggestions and guidance to improve my submission. Here is my response to the points you raised:

  1. Professional Memberships: I understand that professional membership certificates may not be considered strong evidence of recognition as a leader. I will remove this from my application.

  2. Salary Evidence: I agree that salary evidence may not be my strongest point. I will review my application and consider if there are other stronger pieces of evidence that showcase my skills and impact in a more compelling way.

  3. Media Publications: I will ensure that I provide screenshots or printouts of the media publications, along with the links, to comply with the guidelines. I will also separate the media publication evidence from the reference letter from the Head of the Government agency to avoid any confusion.

  4. Mentorship Programs: I will provide more information on the selection process and structure of the mentorship programs to demonstrate their credibility. I will also ensure that the evidence for mentorship programs is separate from other criteria and is presented in a clear and concise manner.

  5. Speaker Events: I will present each speaker event as separate evidence and provide additional information on the quality and profile of the events, such as the number of attendees and the relevance to the digital technology sector.

  6. Media Publication Exemplifying Thought Leadership: I will include screenshots or printouts of the media publication to comply with the guidelines. I will also ensure that the evidence of convening a conference is separate from the media publication and I will clearly demonstrate how the conference has advanced the sector.

  7. Employer Reference Letter: I will ensure that the reference letter from my employer stands alone and clearly highlights my impact, supported by quantifiable metrics. If relevant, I will include architectural diagrams or other tools that demonstrate the impact of my contributions.

  8. Selecting Strong Evidence: I understand the importance of selecting strong evidence and not including every piece of information. I will carefully review my application and remove any weak or irrelevant evidence to focus on the most compelling aspects of my experience and achievements.

  9. Compliance with Guidelines: I will ensure that my application adheres to the guidelines provided by Tech Nation. I will avoid using only links as evidence and instead, provide screenshots, printouts or other suitable formats. I will also keep the three-page limit in mind while presenting my evidence.

Thank you once again for your valuable feedback and guidance. I will revise my application accordingly, focusing on stronger evidence, compliance with guidelines and clarity in presentation. I appreciate your assistance in helping me enhance my submission.

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Well done. Like I said, I believe you have sufficient evidence to meet the criteria. Just use unique evidence in your selected criteria. Also read the tech nation guide over again, so that you don’t miss strong pointers. All the best!

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Thank you so much i really appreciate.

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Hey there @Nafeesah, let us know if the process of endorsement went okay for you. Thanks!