Re:Ask HN: What topics/subjects are worth learning for a new...
by avocadoLife on Monday September 17, 2018 @07:19AM
(#18004829)
This is exactly my dilemma. I've been in the industry for 2 years but done very little personal development in my own time and my job has been quite limiting in pushing my skills in the direction that I desire.
I value my after work hours to pursue other things/exercise/have a life. This makes me put even more thinking into how should I be spending my already limited time.
Currently I'm sticking to doing some MOOCs related to my my development path (Android) and then I want to crack on a few personal projects. On the other hand, the clock is ticking and I really would love to prepare well for better career opportunities...
Should you invest time in learning for interviews or your own personal growth once you are 2-3 years in the industry ?
I understand that both sets are not mutually exclusive, but where should you put your time on ?
Investing time specifically to give interviews: Leetcode, Cracking the Coding Interview, TopCoder, etc., may increase the chances of getting a better job then your current one (and will make you a better programmer too).
On the other hand reading books like 'the pragmatic programmer' and other classics, won't necessarily put you in a better position to get a better job (in most companies), but will surely make you perform better in the current one.
So, is it ok to put it this way:
* If you are happy with your job and you can see that you can stay 5+ years at the company (basically FAANG ?): Invest time in learning for personal growth (Design Patterns, Refactoring, etc)
* If you plan to switch / want a better salary / company sucks / <every_other_reason> : Invest time towards preparing for interviews specifically ?