Any actually productive ways to prove oneself at a job that isn’t producing content?

In professional settings, after all the pleasantries are exchanged, you’re often asked about your “product” or “value add,” especially if you’re in a role like sales or marketing. These roles are more straightforward (numbers are important, for example), but I’d love to know how you demonstrate value in a role like law, medicine, or the technical sciences—fields where results might be time-sensitive and difficult to quantify (or where a “product” might not be the goal).<br><br>Can someone share their experiences or point out any resources that might be helpful for young professionals or students in these industries?<br><br>EDIT: So many great comments so far. And thank you for the awards and personal messages. I’m glad this question is important to people!<br><br>Unfortunately, I’ve read a few comments that seem to suggest that it’s not worth it to ask questions like mine, and while I do understand where the frustration comes from, I do hope those folks know that I am not attempting to attack these fields. My question is not an attack on science or medicine or other fields. I want to know why it’s so difficult to see what we’re working towards and how we can work towards change while also being realistic about what actually productive change looks like.<br><br>I was inspired to ask questions like this one after working in academia, where so much of what we do is based on answers and conclusions that we have to take for granted (especially if we’re early in our careers). It’s really easy to focus on “how can I solve this problem,” and to forget that often, the conclusions we’ve taken for granted are the very things that need to be figured out! The most important questions are the ones that seem the most mundane, and it’s difficult to remember that when we’re desperately trying to prove ourselves.