I’ve been thinking a lot about how to actually start a career instead of just jumping from job to job. After college I took the first position I could find because I needed money, but now two years later I’m not sure I’m building anything long term. I’m interested in tech, especially data and AI, but it feels overwhelming. There are so many skills listed in job descriptions that I don’t even know where to begin. Did anyone here start from scratch in a new field and manage to build a real path? How did you choose what to focus on first?

Funny enough, I was in a similar situation a few years ago. I was working in marketing and slowly realized I was more curious about the analytics side than the creative part. What helped me was breaking things into small steps instead of trying to “become an AI specialist” overnight. I started with basic Python and online courses, then joined a couple of communities for women in tech. I also found this article really practical https://www.womentech.net/breaking-ai-ml-tips-tech-savvy-women-2025 — it talks about realistic ways to move into AI and ML without burning out. For me, the key was building small projects and connecting with people who were already in the field.

Reading this thread actually makes me reflect on how unpredictable careers can be. I don’t work in tech at all, but I’ve changed directions twice in my life, and each time it felt scary at first. What I’ve noticed is that no move is wasted. Even random jobs teach you something about discipline, communication, or what you definitely don’t want to do. Sometimes just exploring and staying curious is already a step forward. Careers rarely start with a perfect plan anyway.