What to Do and Not to Do?
I am graduating from non-CS/IT branch at a prestigious college this month. In July, I will be joining as an SDE 1 at Appian. Since this is my first full-time job, I want to prepare myself. Experienced professionals, please advise on what to do and what to avoid for better personal and professional growth.
Here are some facts about myself:
Personally, I am somewhat introverted but can talk if necessary and am good at conversing with friends. I often find that others put more effort into initiating conversations, which is why I have only a few friends and no female friends. Most of the time, I am comfortable with this, but sometimes I feel a bit lost. I rarely play sports or engage in physical activities (I’m not good at any sports). Any suggestions for improvement in this area would be appreciated.
Professionally, I was a mediocre student in college and spent a lot of time on LeetCode (I’ve solved around 700 questions). Should I continue with LeetCode or competitive programming after joining? Or should I focus on projects and learning new tech stacks or AI/ML (I’ve studied a few courses and worked on ML projects)? Alternatively, should I just focus on company work and not pursue anything on my own?
Lastly, I have a keen interest in finance and the stock market. I’ve been learning and investing for the past four years. Should I devote more time to learning technical analysis and swing trading, or should I keep it minimal?
How should I prioritize my personal, professional, and financial goals?