Please rate my profile for the Endorsement Stage (Stage 1)

Hi,

I am planning to apply for the GTV under the Exceptional Promise route. I would greatly appreciate if you could comment/ provide tips regarding my profile.

Personal Docs:

  1. Personal Statement (Will be discussing my background as a UX Researcher with experience leading development of digital products in emerging tech (VR and conversational AI) and Fintech space.
  2. CV (MS in Integrated Innovation for Products and Services from prestigious university in the US + 3 years of professional experience)

Recommendation letters:

  1. Head of UX Research (my manager) at a tech giant. PhD with strong publication history
  2. VR expert who was a key tech advisor to the tech giant. PhD with strong publication history, author of several books and chapters, multiple awards in the fields and a pioneer in the field of VR
  3. Distinguished Service Professor of Innovation & Entrepreneurship at my university. PhD with strong publication history, also my mentor

Mandatory criteria:

  1. Recommendation letter from the Director of UX Research at a major Fintech company in the US. Also my manager, will be highlighting my leadership skills and metrics of my work’s impact to business.
  2. High Salary (~$150K/year).
    Q1: The Fintech company could only onboard me as an independent contractor through a staffing agency as the full-time hiring route was closed due to COVID related hiring freeze. I performed all duties as a full-time employee, only the pay was directed through staffing agency. Will the letter from the staffing agency (with additional explanation from my actual manger at the Fintech in their LOR) explaining this relationship suffice?
  3. Letter of support from the Associate Director of my degree program highlighting my volunteer alumni mentorship work.
  4. Article published in major online UX publications (UX Collective and UX Booth)

Optional criteria 1 (Innovation):

  1. Lead UX researcher for VR and conversational AI based training tool designed to promote empathy and mitigate hostile situations in our society. Focus on innovation aspects of the tool and my research methods. (Evidenced by 2 letters of recommendations)
    Q2: This was an onsite fully embedded role at the tech giant via a design research and strategy agency (The agency specializes in UX research and strategy for emerging technologies). The agency specifically hired me to work with the tech giant as an embedded team member. Will it discredit this piece of evidence? And is there anything I can provide to make the relationship more clear?
  2. Lead UX researcher at a major Fintech company with awards winning app and website. Focus on innovation aspects of a product feature I helped developed in the capacity of a UXR and an innovative research program I spearheaded. (Evidenced by 1 letters of support)
  3. UX internship at a collaborative effort between my school’s innovation lab and a major Airlines. I lead the UX research efforts of an innovative predictive analytics based smart customer data aggregator tool. (Evidenced by 1 letters of recommendation)

Optional criteria 2 (Impact):

  1. Lead UX researcher for VR and conversational AI based training tool designed to promote empathy and mitigate hostile situations in our society. Focus positive impacts to business and overall product impacts to community. (Evidenced by 2 letters of recommendations above)
    Q3: Should I add another letter of support if I can get it?
  2. Lead UX researcher at a major Fintech company with awards winning app and website. Focus on positive impacts to business with 1 project case study. (Evidenced by 1 letters of support)
    Q4: Should I add another letter of support if I can get it?
  3. UX intern at a major newspaper magazine group’s digital media lab. Focus on positive impacts to business resulting from my UX research initiatives. I helped launch the group’s first daily podcast, redesigned an audio product interface within the group’s app and website and devised an innovative AR based marketing campaign. I also helped design a research backed product strategy that projected a subscriber growth of 200% in 2 years.
    Q5: Should I add a letter of support for this project if I can get it?

Appreciate your help and insights. Thanks!

@sujay_kotwal, this forum is useful for generalised, objective queries. Rating a profile is a subjective one. Technation has a very able pool of experts to do just that. The important thing is: You should be confident about the strength of your profile and thats what matters. Applications are usually decided on overall outlook of the applicant’s career. Make sure that evidence you provide must clearly depict your career and people who vouch for the same do so prominently. Good luck.

Got it, thank you for your input and well wishes.

Update: received endorsement under the Exceptional Promise track.

Timeline:
Applied for endorsement: 18th August
Received Endorsement: 6th Sept
Applied for 2nd stage: 8th Sept
Attended biometric (NYC ASC): 22nd Sept
Sent passport + support docs to VFS: 22nd Sept
Application received by HO: 23rd Sept
Got visa: 24th Sept

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