[nullptr_deref]

Thank you for your detailed answer. I will take some time to sink it in.

One key takeway is to create value. As someone who is barely starting out, what is value?

Is it revenue? Is it efficiency? Is it growth?

What is a proper way to clarify value? How can one show that they are indeed valuable?

[gregjor]

Value means whatever your employer or customer considers valuable and worth paying for. That may mean increased revenue, decreased costs, more efficient process, competitive advantage, even a happier team.

I'll give an example from my freelancing experience. When I meet a potential customer I don't try to sell them on my programming skills or experience. I ask them to tell me the unmet priorities or pains in their company remotely related to IT/software. I've heard things like "Our system doesn't correctly charge shipping on customer orders," or "We think our internet bill is too high." Those both sound like problems I can fix, so I ask how much that's costing the business, to get some idea of how the customer values a possible solution. Then I will propose I deal with it. If I can fix it they pay me some price I come up with based on their perception of the cost, and if I can't I won't charge them anything. And invariably once I fix one problem -- show that I can add value or reduce costs -- they think of other things I might help with. I'm simplifying but basically that's how it works. I don't have to persuade the customer that I have this or that skill on my resume. Of course you need to actually solve problems. That's how you build long-term relationships with customers, because every business needs people who can solve problems. As a freelancer I focus on smaller companies, not necessarily mom & pop, but small enough that I'm talking to someone who can make a decision.

You can use similar techniques in full-time job interviews, but again it will work better if the interviewer has hiring authority -- rare in larger organizations these days when you have layers of people to get through. Rather than sit there while the interviewer goes over my resume and tries to mentally match that to whatever job they have posted, I ask "What can I start on tomorrow to solve an actual problem you're having?" And chances are good they have a list of things they would like to get someone to deal with. Now I'm not getting grilled over why I quit a job eight years ago, I'm getting a description of something that maybe I can do to show my value.

When I have been in the interviewer seat I see the same deer in the headlights faces over and over, worried and nervous, not asking any real questions (or asking something irrelevant), waiting to defend themselves if asked about details on their resume. Don't be that person sitting in the chair sweating it out. You have just a few minutes to make an impression so show confidence, make eye contact, show that you researched what the company does, and ask about problems and pain points you can help solve. That changes the tone of the interview, and the interviewer will remember you as someone who at least showed some spirit and initiative. You have nothing to lose -- worst case is you don't get the job, which is where you were when you walked in the door.