Creating value, you may hear this term often.

However, what does it look like in practice?

Of course, creating value is circumstantial.

But there are a couple principles that will guide you to value creation utopia.

Seek first to understand your potential employer, then be understood: The book “Seven Habits of Highly Effective People” by Steven Covey is one of the best books I’ve ever read. A principle that he discusses are first seeking to understand then be understood.

After identifying a company or person you would like to work with start seeking to understand them. It’s easy to jump in and immediately give a surface diagnosis on what they could benefit from.

Research what the company views as valuable. Where does their focus seem to be, acquiring new customers, decreasing costs? Would an FAQ page be valuable? Sign up for their emails and test the strength of their campaigns.

If you have a hard time pinpointing what unique things a potential employer could benefit from you can always work on basic ideas. Generally, companies are constantly looking to be better communicators with their customers.

How is their social media presence? Are they actively interacting with users and posting high-quality content? These are simple questions that you can answer for almost every business you are interested in.

But ultimately every employer wants to know the answer to a simple question. Will you do the job I hire you for well?

And ultimately answering that question before they’ve hired you is the biggest trump card you have.