Global Talent endorsement… 2 years later
On the 4th of January 2021, I got endorsed as an exceptional talent for the UK Global Talent Visa. It’s been two years since I got endorsed and it’s been a life-changing experience. Two months later, I moved to the UK with my husband and we met incredible people from the Global Talent community. We are super grateful for the experience and opportunities the GTV offers. Since I got endorsed for global talent in 2021, I have had the opportunity to pay it forward by helping hundreds of people receive endorsements through the Tech Nation Discourse forum. I have also reviewed several applications for Founders and leaders in Nigeria’s tech ecosystem, and expanded my network in the process.
I am super grateful to God for all he has done, all he is doing, and what he will do.
I may bore you with the excitement and joy of my experiences but it is not something I can curtail. God has been so good, may the name of the Lord be praised! As I express my joy and relive the memories of January 4th, 2021, it may be worth sharing some of the lessons most global talent recipients took from the process. It took me 2 months of building a case for my global talent application which required gathering evidence to meet the criteria and getting recommendation letters. One big lesson from the process is documenting your professional experience.
In our working career, we live each day as it comes without recognising our achievements. I think there is an element of our culture that often tries to make us shrink who we are, we also try not to put ourselves out because we don’t want people to perceive us as showing off or having an agenda. So what if you have an agenda? You should actually have an agenda and be more intentional about your growth. Stop trying to shrink because you don’t want others around you to feel intimidated, envious or uncomfortable. I would rather we focus on those we inspire by our actions and achievements. Global Talent application requires you to demonstrate you have been recognised as a leader, showing your impact outside your day job. It requires you to show your impact on the growth of your organisation.
Some of us are naturally forward-looking, we immerse ourselves in engaging beyond our paid job. Since my childhood, I have been that child who would want to get myself involved in many activities from getting involved in volunteering debates, and quiz competitions and getting invited for Great Brains on NTA in the ’90s. I got used to some kids not liking my “Oversabi” and talkative nature but I loved every bit of the things I got involved in
As they say in pidgin “some things na follow come”. I carried on my Oversabi to host JETS club events and source funding for my pet projects. Unknowingly, I started writing proposals in secondary school, just to raise funds to organise the things I cared about.
I think I have been consistent with engaging in community work and networking but we didn’t really have the internet to help us document some of our experiences, social media only became a thing in the mid-2000s. Thankfully with the advent of social networks like Facebook, we started documenting some of our activities. I love Facebook memories as it helps me remember some of my activities in the past
Now we have many other ways of documenting and intentionally building a public profile for ourselves. You just never know when it will come in handy, beyond the benefit it offers, there is also a place for you to reflect on how you are making a difference in the world. Be impactful!
I will discuss some key things you should consider in building your profile as a leader. You can become a thought-leader in your field of expertise, and you can consistently drive conversation and share insights on your experience. You can do this by having a personal blog, posting on LinkedIn, Twitter threads, Facebook, and other platforms, you can also contribute to guest papers on tabloids. I enjoy attending in-person networking events, I think this has helped me in a lot of ways. Also, accept the opportunity to speak, I would also suggest you get a formal invitation for most of your public engagements. Some of my global talent evidence where invitation and thank you letters for speaking at an event.
Some people are naturally camera-shy, they speak at conferences and high-profile events but don’t even take pictures. One lesson many of us took is to document our experiences. I have always documented my experiences by taking pictures and leaving notes about my activities but the Global talent application made has made it part a significant part of my career trail. If you have opportunities to get featured in the media, don’t turn it down, keep a record of your media appearance. I remember contributing to a TV conversation on BBC Africa, I never asked for the clip or link, I used my GTV application to retrieve most of my TV appearances. They were useful evidence of my impact outside work.
As you put yourself out there, make efforts to network. It is not enough to take pictures at conferences and meetups, collect business cards, and also reach out to your network. I often send follow-up emails to new contacts after an event and schedule meetings. There are some people in my professional network I met in church and we connected beyond our faith. Interestingly, one of my global talent recommenders was someone I met in Church, our conversation became focused on work and business partnerships. Some people who tried to apply for Global Talent struggled with getting a recommendation. How are you a leader or potential leader if leaders in your field don’t know you? Who you know is important!
As we anticipate a prosperous year, I believe there are a lot of things we can do to drive growth. I recognise that it can be challenging to define what success looks like and achieve some of our goals but taking some deliberate steps to plan how we use our time makes a difference. Think about people and places that may help you in your growth. If you have been a “local champion”, try to connect and learn from other leaders. Often those we look up to have other leaders they look up to, so you are not doing yourself a favour if you think you are the best you can be.
I am thankful for the many people who have shaped my life and I hope we can continue to inspire each other. Have a great year!
