I started at 33 with a free copy of Realsoft3D from a magazine. I was working rotation offshore and saw a 3dmagazine that said "learn 3d modeling".....so i did

I think that was 2003

that started a transition through many programs ...carrara (also free from a magazine), Cinema4d, TurboCAD which also got me stated in project management, later solidworks, autocad, MOI

I've tried just about every DCC software their is, they all state they have amazing things but in the end you can pretty much achieve the same things in all of them so I do not think it matters much

'Find ones that click with you AND that appear to have some sort of future and have not been abandoned and master those, like MOI.

tried z-brush and never really felt comfortable with sculpting approach but I do like poly modeling