Build a small portfolio that proves judgment
Two or three focused artifacts often beat a large unfinished collection. Good examples include a strong bug write-up, a small API or UI test pack, exploratory notes, or a short quality strategy for a sample feature.
Learn enough technical depth to be useful fast
Early-career testers benefit quickly from HTTP basics, API testing, Git, a little automation, and the ability to read failure output without panic.
Talk about AI carefully in early-career interviews
You do not need to claim deep expertise. It is enough to show that you understand where AI helps, where it must be reviewed, and how you would approach testing AI-related product behavior if the role needs it.
Consistency beats breadth
Hiring teams are often more persuaded by a small amount of reliable proof than by a long list of half-learned tools or copied course projects.