I work in finance do you invest?
I do invest - I really enjoy money management!
It is a lot of fun!
It is interesting!  And it is very important to know your risk level and what rate of return you would like.
What would you recommend a first timer do?
You need to leave emotion out of it.  There are always going to be times of uncertainty and risk, that's when it is important to just sit tight.
I will keep that in mind,
You also should have a plan, like maybe saving to pay for education or real estate for example.