Please, help review my application/evidence for Exceptional Promise (Cybersecurity)

Stage 1
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Hi All,

I am done putting together the docs and evidence needed for my Global Talent Stage 1 application (Exceptional Promise). Kindly help review it and would be happy to receive feedbacks on the evidence and if my application needs strengthening or refining. I’d also be happy to know if the evidence align well with their various categories. Thank you.

I’m a Security Operations Centre (SOC) Team Lead at a top Managed Security Service Provider. I have been in Cybersecurity for almost four years (one year doing Masters and three years working at my present workplace). I have an IT Support background spanning 5+ years before pivoting into Cyber. I’m applying for Exceptional Promise category.

LOR1 – SVP at my current workplace (been there for 3 years)

LOR 2 – My former manager at my current workplace but now Head of Security Services at a major UK Govt agency. We worked together for about two years.

LOR 3 – Co-founder and Managing Partner at a non-profit digital tech organization (a Tech Hub) that I led their growth. He is also a top Tech expert and has known me for 10 years.

All letters hand signed, and public LinkedIn profile link added.

MANDATORY CATEGORY

1 – Evidence of my work, contributions and impact at the non-profit digital tech organization showing how I led the organization’s growth. They are mostly media news clippings, showing my name and the projects, over a period of two years. Also screenshots from the organization website showing my name, role alongside the two other high-ups at the organization (They wrote LOR3 and MC2)

2 – Reference Letter by Co-founder and President of the non-profit digital tech organization attesting to my contributions in MC1 and other significant impact towards the growth of the organization.

3 – Evidence of an article (that I authored) published in a major cybersecurity eMagazine with huge popularity. It was published Jan 2nd 2025, is that not too close?

4 - Document showing my certifications and achievements. I have over 10 leading certifications across various top cybersecurity technologies (Microsoft Azure, AWS, Cloudflare, IBM, Splunk, CompTIA), all earned over the past 3 years. Screenshots of these certifications and achievements were compiled into a 3-page file with little descriptions.

OPTIONAL CATEGORY 2

1 – Evidence of mentorship which I have been volunteering for the past one year. It is a structured, reputable and physical mentorship programme mostly based on basic coding and cyber stuff for young teenagers. I will also add a Letter of Reference from the programme coordinator to it.

2 – Evidence of a thought leadership article that was published in a mainstream newspaper (both print and online platform). Added the image of the print edition and link to the online publication. It’s an insightful cyber related article outside of my immediate job.

3 – Evidence of being a member and participating in cybersecurity societies for the furthering of the field. Screenshots showing that I’m an active member of a national cyber community and my consistent attendance in the monthly meet-ups over the past two years. I also added a description of how this has been able to foster collaboration and drive the advancement of the field.

OPTIONAL CATEGORY 3

1 – Evidence showing my significant contribution to security services provided for many client organisations by my company, achievements which helped the company attained some heights and also impactful thought leadership articles which I authored and published on company’s public platforms. Screenshots and extract of all these in a file with short descriptions.

  1. – A strong Letter of Support from my present manager attesting to the above and many other contributions, regular promotions etc.

  2. Since November 2024, I have been contributing to an open-source project – a top platform for detection queries and codes used by the cybersecurity community. I have contributed many detection codes which are significant contributions to the field. Attaching links and screenshots from the platform of some of my contributions, which is also showing my name and metrics for visitors to the platform.

Does it look good and well structured? Any modifications or re-alignment needed?

Thank you.

@pahuja @Francisca_Chiedu @Akash_Joshi

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Your application shows good structure but needs refinement in evidence alignment. The mandatory criteria evidence should focus more on leadership demonstrations - the non-profit leadership and certifications are relevant but certifications alone don’t demonstrate leadership. Consider emphasizing specific technical innovations from your SOC role that advanced security practices.

The January 2025 publication date appears too recent - Tech Nation prefers evidence showing sustained contributions over time. The open-source contributions need clearer impact metrics like adoption rates or community feedback rather than just contribution counts.

Strengthen Optional Category 3 by quantifying business impacts from your security services through client testimonials or performance metrics. The mentorship evidence would benefit from participant success stories rather than just program descriptions. Ensure all letters explicitly connect your achievements to UK tech sector benefits.

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Great feedback. Thank you so much @Akash_Joshi

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Hi @abbey1

MC:

  • Are the letters you mention in #1 and #2 same? If not, these will be too many letters for one example.
  • Yes Jan 2025 is very close and can be flagged. I would recommend clubbing #2 in OC2 if that is an earlier article so you can atleast show some track record and not just one-off close to application article.
  • Certifications and personal achievement dont count towards the criteria. Can you instead show a leading initiative from workplace with a letter?

OC2:

  • #1 Mentorship evidence needs to show how it is a structured program, program agenda, how there is selection of mentees along with some mentee testimonials and impact of your mentorship. Your letter should validate this too.
  • #3 ensure you add how this has specifically advanced the sector perhaps through some community member testimonials who have benefitted.

OC3

  • #1 and #2 need to show impact in terms of quantified company metrics
  • #3 OC3 is about showing impact in metrics, this seems more of your contributions
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Hi @pahuja Thanks, I really appreciate your feedback.

The letter in MC #2 is meant to attest to my evidence in MC #1. A different person also wrote a letter for me from the same organisation which I used for LoR3. Is that okay?

Yes, #2 in OC2 is from an earlier date (last year). I will club it with MC #3 to show some track record like you said.

The mentorship is a structured program with selection criteria and I have added all that to the evidence including testimonies and a letter attesting to all these written by the programme coordinator.

I think I have more work to do on OC3 to show impact in terms of metrics.

Thank you so much.

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Yes that’s ok for MC letter and LOR3

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