Don't just sit on the front page. Check out new, comment on someone's new submit. Or try digging up your favorite articles for others to check out. Maybe you'll hit the lotto(front page). Read some Ask:HN. Research something you'd normally use google for using the site search functionality. Try to build up your points to be able to get down vote functionality. Make two accounts and have an alter ego. Try using a throw away. Get into a conversation and consistently check on it/grow it so that you really feel like you're talking to others on here. Quit just lurking. Make some friends and try upvoting each others stuff(not recommended). See if you can find out the real identity of a random poster. Read someone's comment history. Find ways to make your passions relevant and post it! And of course be smart as hell so OP wants to hire you and you end up making six figures cause you cracked HN instead of noobing out on the front page forever...
In other words, HN is ridiculously dope, so discover for yourself how many ways to use it. my 2c.