Different take here -
In my career it hasn't mattered if I'm cleaning bathrooms or building Software used by millions of people IF I'm doing it with people I enjoy being around. The people you work with will make or break your career, and (this will be shocking) if you're smart and like working on hard problems you'll end up wanting to be around people who are like that... so choose your direction based on the people.
> more importantly sell yourself to them so they are willing to take you on?
Be a friendly person who’s fun to be around.
Be optimistic. Say yes more than no.
Learn a lot. Have interesting things to say. Listen more and ask more questions than you talk.
Get good at selling. Be curious about how people think and act.
Encourage others and make them feel appreciative when you offer them critical feedback.
Find something with high value that most people really dislike doing that you are willing to get really good at and actually do.
Follow the golden rule, be the person that you would want to work with. Be valuable enough so that you have some choice in which team you join.
I don't know of any other advice to this end that would apply universally. It depends on specifics of the operating modes and types of relationships you'd develop in the companies that you would fit with.
Work on hard and interesting problems by yourself and then talk to them about your experience doing so. Meet them through meetups and online communities and job applications
How do you meet these people, and more importantly sell yourself to them so they are willing to take you on?