start out as (something)
start out as (something)
To begin development from some particular status, condition, rank, etc. I started out as a QA tester, but I was eventually given the chance to be one of the company's software developers. It started out as short story, but I kept adding characters and plot developments until I eventually made it into a full-fledged novel. Hey, don't feel bad—we all start out as beginners. It's only through practice and experience that we get better!
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2015 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.
start out as something
to begin one's career as something. I started out as a clerk and two years later I'm still a clerk! I wanted to start out as an assistant manager.
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs. © 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.