Request for Feedback on Evidence for the Exceptional Promise Route – Cybersecurity Path

1

Hello,

I am beginning the process for the Exceptional Promise route under the cybersecurity pathway. I am 23 years old, based in Guatemala, and have 5 years of experience in the field. I currently hold the position of Global Cybersecurity Leader in my company.

I would like to know if the following pieces of evidence will be considered strong and whether I may be eligible for endorsement:

MD Recognition as having potential to be a leading talent in the digital technology field (within the past 5 years):

  • I was a speaker at my government’s Second National Cybersecurity Seminar, where the President of Guatemala and several Spanish government ministers were present. As supporting evidence, I can provide a photo of the award emblem (trophy) I received, a certificate of participation, a recording link of the event, and photos taken during the seminar.
  • I also gave a talk at a cybersecurity event organized by INCIBE (Spain’s National Cybersecurity Institute). I am requesting a participation diploma from INCIBE to support this. I can also include the official website of INCIBE and photos from my talk as additional evidence.

OC1 Proven track record of innovation as a founder or employee in a digital technology company or new digital field:

  • I plan to include a letter of recommendation from a CIO of a cybersecurity company who has known me since 2020, highlighting my impact on cybersecurity initiatives in Guatemala.
  • I will submit employment contracts showing my salary progression from my early roles to now, where I earn over 7 times the national average salary.
  • I will also include success cases where I acted as a lead implementer for advanced technologies such as SASE, SD-WAN, and ZTNA in both public and private sector organizations. Additionally, I will provide client feedback surveys highlighting my performance and impact when delivering training on new technologies. These surveys come from my current role at the company where I work.

OC2 Proof of recognition for work beyond my core occupation contributing to the advancement of the field:

  • Outside of my main job, I teach networking and information security at a cybersecurity academy in Latin America that offers scholarships to low-income students. The academy does have a structured curriculum divided by semesters, and I teach more than 100 students every day.

  • I plan to include a letter from the program director highlighting my impact as an instructor and my performance.

  • I will also include screenshots from the website where I am featured as one of the main instructors.

  • Comments from students evaluating my duties and performance as an instructor.

4. Additional technical achievements:

  • I currently hold certifications including CCNP Security, CEH, ISO 27001:2022 Lead Auditor, and over 20 technical certifications from various vendors.
  • I am currently preparing for the CISSP (scheduled for July) and the Fortinet NSE 8 (by the end of this month). If successful, I may become the youngest person in Guatemala to hold these certifications.

5. My three reference letters are from:

  • A Principal Systems Engineer at Fortinet
  • A Kaspersky engineer
  • A Regional MSS Manager

Thank you in advance for your feedback and consideration.

Best regards.

2

Hi @Saret would be better for others to share feedback if you can reorganize your outline to show which criteria are you planning to apply for and list evidences under each criteria.

1 Like
3

Oh sorry, I already edited it. It would be OC1 and OC2. Thanks.

4

Hi @Saret

OC1 is about showing your contribution to innovation. Employment contracts are not valid as per guidelines. Your listed evidences don’t seem like they talk about your contribution to innovation.

OC2 looks like one evidence broken into 4 points. You need minimum two unique evidences per criteria. Please include impact on field advancement.

Other technical achievements won’t fit requirement of any criteria.

The reco letters need to be from people who are experts in the tech industry themselves.

Would recommend you work on improving the above set

5

I think you have promising evidence for the Exceptional Promise route. Your speaking engagements at government seminars and INCIBE are particularly strong for the Mandatory Criteria. Make sure to clearly demonstrate the prominence of these events and your specific contribution - the trophy, certificate, recording link, and photos will help substantiate this.

OC1 is for founders or employees with patents showcasing innovations, I don’t think it applies to you. For Optional Criteria 2, your teaching role is valuable, but ensure you highlight how this is a structured program with a selection criteria.

Remember your evidence needs to connect to innovation or exceptional contribution. For reference letters, check that your referees meet the seniority requirements (ideally directors or VPs) and that they specifically address how you meet the Exceptional Promise criteria. I’d also recommend crafting a compelling personal statement that ties your journey together and explains why the UK is your destination of choice.