To be a good software engineer i would suggest you to do the following:

1)Become a master of any one programming language and jack of few other popular programming languages(This will help you to understand programs written by someone else in other language than the one which you mastered).

2)Be a part of some open source projects. You can check out GitHub, Sourceforge etc download some project and give your input. After gaining enough knowledge you can also upload an open source project initiated by you. Google prefer such people rather than bookworms.

3)Play active role in Q&A sites like Quora, StackOverflow etc. Share your knowledge and thus improve your skills.

4) Go for Algorithm Courses. You can code for 2 years and become a good programmer but just 1 year course in Algorithm can make you a great programmer. A good software engineer is a master in algorithms and mathematics.

5)Take part in online coding contests. You can visit sites like codechef, topcoder, codejam by google, techgig, hackerrank etc

6)Last but not the least, dedication.

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