From sign-up to a published profile, step by step

Open the site and choose "Create your profile" at the top, or go straight to the sign-up page. Fill in every field, tick both boxes, then press "Create account".

• The courses field is private. The team uses it to confirm that you studied with Cyberpedia.
• The first box confirms you are 18 or older and a Cyberpedia student or graduate. The second accepts the terms and privacy notice.

Tip A long passphrase such as "my lab runs splunk every morning" is easier to remember and stronger than a short complex password.

You will see "Check your email". We send a message titled "Verify your email — Cyberpedia Talent". It is in English and the link inside works for 24 hours.

• Nothing after a few minutes? Look in Spam or Promotions.
• Still nothing: enter your email on the same page and press "Resend verification email".

Open the link in the email, then press "Confirm email". Opening the page alone does not confirm it: you must press the button.

Tip If the link expired, the page offers "Request a new link". Use it and open the newest email.

Enter your email and password and press "Log in". You arrive at your dashboard.

• Forgot your password? Use "Forgot password?" under the form. The reset link works for 30 minutes.
• If you turned on two-factor authentication, you will be asked for the 6-digit code from your authenticator app.

The dashboard shows how complete your profile is, your review status and "Your next steps". Press "Continue profile" to jump to the first unfinished section. The menu on the side lists every section of your profile.

• "Required" sections must be complete before you can submit. "Optional" ones make your profile stronger.

In "Introduction", write your display name, your name in the other alphabet, and choose a profile handle. The handle becomes your public address, for example talent.cyberpedia.site/en/talent/sara-yousef.

• The handle uses 3–40 lowercase English letters, numbers or hyphens. It cannot be changed after your profile is first published.
• Write each name in the correct alphabet: the Arabic name in Arabic letters, the English name in English letters. Submission is blocked otherwise.

Each text field has an English and an Arabic box. Complete at least one language fully; adding the other helps employers who read that language.

Tip A good "About you" answers three questions: what you are learning, what you have actually done, and what opportunity you want.

Press "Add professional link", choose the platform and paste the full https:// address. Choose "Other" for any platform not in the list and give it a name. You can add up to 8 links.

Choose your main specialty. If yours is not listed, choose "Other" and type it. You can add up to 2 more specialties. Then pick 3 to 10 skills in total; to add a skill that is not listed, type it under "Your own skills" and press "Add skill".

Tip Only choose skills you can talk about in an interview. Five honest skills beat ten guesses.

Open "Projects and labs" and press "Add project or lab". You need at least one complete project. Labs, home labs, capstones and supervised assessments all count; simulated work is welcome.

• Choose the project type (Lab, Capstone, Personal, Open source, Authorized client work, or Other with your own name) and the work setting (Independent, Simulated or Supervised).
• Add up to 3 https:// evidence links (GitHub repository, write-up, report) and up to 3 images. Every image needs a short description.

Important Never share client secrets, passwords, real victim data or protected exam answers.

Tick "I have permission to share this work and its evidence." and press "Save project". Projects do not save automatically, so do not leave the page before saving.

Saved projects appear in the list. Use "Edit project" to improve one later. You can add up to 10, but one strong project is enough to submit.

Add real jobs, internships, freelance work or volunteering with "Add record". If you add a record, fill in the organization, role and type. Simulated work belongs in projects instead.

This is the step students most often miss. Open "Learning and affiliation". Under "Cyberpedia affiliation · private", choose your relationship with Cyberpedia, write your course or cohort, then press "Save private affiliation".

• Only you and the review team can see this section. It never appears on your public profile.
• You can add up to 3 evidence links or private images, for example an enrollment email or certificate. Do not upload identity documents.
• Its status starts as Pending. The reviewer verifies it while reviewing your profile.

Important Without a saved affiliation your profile cannot be approved, even if everything else is perfect.

Add certificates with "Add record". If you add one, fill in its title, issuer and issue month. A verification link is optional; the credential ID stays private unless you choose to show it.

Upload a professional photo and a cover image, or keep the default initials and Cyberpedia cover. Press "Choose image", adjust the crop, then "Upload this image".

• Photo: JPEG, PNG or WebP, ideally 800 × 800 px, up to 5 MB, cropped square.
• Cover: ideally 1600 × 400 px, up to 8 MB. Keep text away from the bottom corners.

In "Opportunities and privacy", tick at least one opportunity type and one work arrangement, then add at least one spoken language with its level ("Add spoken language").

Tip Location is optional and coarse: a two-letter country code (for example SY) and a city. Never add a street address.

Lower on the same page, "Hide my profile" is ticked at first. You do not need to change it: your profile becomes public automatically once it is reviewed and approved. Choose your availability and press "Save visibility and availability" if you change anything here.

• After approval you can hide your profile at any time by ticking the box again.
• "Pause opportunity inquiries" stops new messages without hiding your profile.

Open "Preview" to see exactly what employers will see. Your email, your affiliation evidence and hidden credential IDs are never shown.

Open "Review & feedback". The checklist shows what is still missing. Every item must be complete before you can submit. Use the table further down this guide to find where to fix each item.

Tick the consent box ("I consent to publishing my reviewed profile and project content…") and press "Submit profile for review".

• Submitting locks this version. You cannot edit it while it is being reviewed.
• Made a mistake? Press "Withdraw submission": you get an editable copy back and can submit again.

Your status shows "Awaiting review" and your affiliation "Pending verification". You will receive an email titled "Profile update — Cyberpedia Talent" and a dashboard notification when there is a decision.

The reviewer explains what to improve, section by section. Press "Create a new draft", apply the feedback, then submit again from "Review & feedback".

• A rejection also comes with an explanation and a next step: resubmit after changes, or contact support.
• If only your affiliation needs attention, the reason appears under "Affiliation feedback" in "Learning and affiliation".

When the reviewer approves, your affiliation is verified and your profile becomes public straight away. The status shows "Approved" and "Public".

The dashboard now shows "Public". To change your profile, open "Review & feedback" and press "Create a new draft". Your live profile stays as it is until the new version is approved.

Employers find you in "Find talent" and on your own address, for example /en/talent/sara-yousef. They contact you with "Contact this candidate"; your email is never shown.

Only senders who confirmed their own email reach you. New inquiries appear under "Inquiries", with an email "You have a new inquiry — Cyberpedia Talent".

Open an inquiry to read it. To reply, tick the agreement and press "Accept and share my address": the sender receives your email. Otherwise press "Decline". You can also report or block a sender.

Important A verified email proves the sender controls that address, not that the organization is real. Check the company before sharing more details.