I think focusing on what cad tool to use is a bit like fussing over what brand of pencils to use as a professional artist. It really doesn't matter if you start

I think focusing on what cad tool to use is a bit like fussing over what brand of pencils to use as a professional artist. It really doesn't matter if you start with fusion360, Catia, inventor, AutoCAD, SolidWorks because these tools are all trying to keep the amount of surprise for people switching to a minimum. You will likely get to use whatever your employer has licensed and if you work in 2 places, chances are you will have to learn 2 tools. I started with pen and paper and had to do the 3d part in my head, and working out the material resistance calculations with equations, no fancy finite elements...for context.