Review Request Exceptional Talent (Product Manager)

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Hi All, I just started following this forum and I really appreciate the information I have digested from here. I applied for GTV last year Dec 2024 but got rejected and I want to go again. I had a NO in MC, OC1, and Yes in OC3 and I would really appreciate some support and feedback here on how I want to restrategise to apply again.

My background; I am choosing the exceptional talent route because I have 9 years of experience in product development - 3 years as a business analyst within a product team in Company A (in Nigeria) and 6 years as a product manager for 2 companies (3 years with Company B in Nigeria and 3 years with Company C in Nigeria). My products industry has spanned across Edtech, Oil and Gas Tech, and Fintech.

Here is my strategy
3 letters of recommendation
1.LOR 1 from CEO at company A
2. LOR 2 from CEO at company B
3. ⁠LOR from Engineering manager at Company C

Mandatory Criteria

  1. Letter of reference from Head of Product Marketing at company C to show “You led the marketing or business development at a product-led digital technology company, demonstrably enabling substantial revenue and/or customer growth or major commercial success”
  2. Evidence of leading growth in company C to add a back up to the reference letter
  3. Reference letter from CEO of large product community where I volunteer and mentor aspiring product managers
  4. Reference letter and commendation letter from the founder of a fashion tech product, I did a pro bono work as product advisor to guide the product and business development
  5. Evidence of being a contributor to large tech sector - for the product community
  6. ⁠Evidence to show I command a high salary comparing with global payscale.

Optional Criteria 1

  1. ⁠Evidence of consistent innovation - describing the problem statement, solution, and impact of the products I have worked on in company A, B and C in the different industries
  2. ⁠Evidence of innovation 2 - graphic pictures showing the innovation in the different products
  3. Letter of reference from a national personnel that partnered with company B attesting to the innovation In one of the Ed Tech products that was a national project.

Optional Criteria 3 - They already said Yes to this. I am not adding anything new here, already so will be submitting the same documents I submitted before.

I really look forward to a good constructive response from you all. Thank you.

2

Hi @Ugo the above outline looks fine but you may want to relook more at the content itself - why was it rejected earlier?

3

Thank you very much for the feedback , The reviewer stated the below :
For mandatory they stated there was not enough compelling evidence to award criteria.
They also said I earn an above average salary but not exceptional (My salary is above 75k)
For OC 1 they said it’s meant for novel innovations usually represented by patents granted or valuable IP created by applicant
In summary these where the main things highlighted

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What are the changes you have made in your application outline versus last time?

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LOR
1.for my letter of recommendation in my initial application, i had two letters from CEO and COO of company B. so now i am swapping the letter for COO at Company B with CEO at company A
Mandatory Criteria
2. I did not have a letter of reference from the head of product marketing in my initial application. now i am adding that.
3. I did not include the letter from the founder of a fashion tech product, i did pro bono work. i only had the Reference letter from the CEO of a large product community where I volunteer and mentor aspiring product managers
Optional Criteria 1
4. The evidence of innovation was only graphic pictures in my initial application. Now I am writing a document describing the problem statement, solution, and impact, along side the graphic pictures.

6

Got it!

Ensure your MC evidences incl letters talk about how your contribution leads to impact in the sector and not just the company.

OC1 is to demonstrate why was the work innovative in addition to your contribution to that innovation and impact. Ensure you include this aspect.

1 Like
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Thank you @pahuja for this detailed feedback. i truly appreciate it.

1 Like
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Your Global Talent Visa reapplication strategy shows good improvements, particularly by diversifying recommendation letters and adding the crucial letter from the Head of Product Marketing addressing the mandatory criteria. These changes directly target the gaps in your previous application.

For the mandatory criteria, focus on quantifying your achievements with specific metrics showing substantial revenue growth or commercial success you personally drove. The reviewer noted your salary wasn’t considered exceptional, so provide additional context about regional compensation standards compared to the UK market. This also aligns with the latest 2025 Technation criteria!

Your enhanced approach to Optional Criteria 1 - documenting innovation with problem statements, solutions, and measurable impact - is much stronger than just providing graphics. Since this criteria specifically looks for novel innovations like patents or valuable IP, highlight any proprietary methodologies or frameworks you’ve created, and demonstrate how your innovations were truly unique with concrete examples of their quantifiable impact.

Please go through the new guidance as well, since the process has changed since you last applied - Global Talent Visa | Tech Nation

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Thank you @Akash_Joshi for this detailed feedback. i truly appreciate it.