Please help review my Evidences for Stage 1 as a Software Engineer

Stage 1
1

Hello everyone :wave:,

I’m a Software Engineer with about 6 years of experience, and I’m preparing my application for the UK Global Talent Visa under the “Promising Talent” route .

I’d really appreciate your feedback on my current evidence list below to know if I’m on the right track, and if any area needs strengthening.

Mandatory Criteria (Recognition as a leading talent in the digital technology sector)

  1. National Tech Award: Winner of the “Most Exceptional Software Engineer of the Year” at the 11th Nigerian Technology Awards.
  • It’s a reputable award in the Nigerian tech ecosystem, with published selection criteria and coverage by notable media outlets.
  • I can provide proof of recognition and links to the press coverage.
  1. Media Features:
  • Interview feature with Business Insider Africa highlighting my work in the FinTech space across Nigeria and Africa.
  • Media mention from a respected Nigerian tech blog.
  • A TV feature on one of the largest Nigerian TV stations discussing scalable software systems for high-traffic applications.

Optional Criteria 1: Recognition for work beyond my immediate employment

  1. Community Involvement (She Codes Africa):
  • Active member since 2021 and volunteer mentor in their structured mentorship program.
  • Have a certificate of appreciation, a LinkedIn shout-out from She Codes Africa recognizing my contribution, and LinkedIn posts from mentees crediting my mentorship impact.
  1. Open Source Contributions:
  • Continuous contributor to over 25 public repositories (GitHub contribution graph + merged PRs).
  • One of my PRs fixed a bug in a large Microsoft open-source project.
  1. Speaking Engagements & Community Leadership:
  • Delivered a talk at a developer event with 150+ attendees.
  • Volunteer Track Lead for a global open-source community conference attended by 100s of people.

Optional Criteria 3: Significant technical contributions to the growth of a product

  1. Reference Letter from my current CTO detailing my technical contributions and their measurable impact on the company’s growth.
  2. Supporting Evidence: Architectural diagrams, merged PRs, and Power BI dashboards demonstrating continuous product growth.
  3. Employment Documentation: Copies of my employment contracts and promotion letters to show progression and trust in my technical leadership.

I’d really appreciate your thoughts on:

  • Whether these evidences are strong enough for the Promising Talent route.
  • If any area looks weak or needs additional proof.
  • Any suggestions on how best to structure or present these evidences in my final application.

Thank you so much :pray:

2

Hi @Nneka you have a strong set of evidences with great potential!

General:

While 5+ years of experience typically falls under the Talent route, if you choose to apply under Promise, include a short paragraph in your Personal Statement explaining why you’re doing so despite having over five years of experience. Ultimately, the assessment under either route will be at Tech Nation’s discretion.

Mandatory Criteria (MC):

  • Could you confirm how many awardees there were in the Nigeria Tech Awards? I’ve reviewed a recent rejection where there were around 20 categories and winners, and the feedback was that the recognition wasn’t seen as exceptional due to the large number of recipients.

Optional Criterion 1 (OC1):

  • Note that recognition beyond your employment belongs under OC2, not OC1. Ensure correct categorization, as misplacement can lead to rejection.
  • LinkedIn posts and testimonials are not considered valid evidence per Tech Nation guidelines. Instead, obtain a letter from the program director describing your specific contribution and its impact on advancement. You can also include mentee testimonials obtained through verified channels.

Optional Criterion 3 (OC3):

  • Employment documentation (like offer letters or contracts) is no longer valid evidence here unless demonstrating a high salary. OC3 focuses on quantifiable impact on a company’s key metrics. Your first two evidences should be sufficient for this criterion.
3

Hi @pahuja, thank you for your response.

There are actually 30 award categories accross businesses and individuals. Do you advise I rake off that evidence for mandatory criteria?

For OC3 and OC2, these are noted. Thank you.

4

Are all of them mentioned in the press?

5

No, they are not all mentioned in the press, but they’re all mentioned on their website @pahuja

6

If the press doesn’t mention all names but your name is on it please include that and skip the website. You want to avoid showing so many winners (anything > 3 winners is a lot and not considered exceptional).

The rejection review I am currently reviewing is also from Nigeria and winner of a certain category in the same Nigeria tech awards. The rejection has flagged saying “these awards are not high profile for us to consider exceptional and there have been many winners at the same time”.

I would recommend keeping this as your last evidence in MC and placing other stronger evidences on top.

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