cut one’s teeth

to get initial practice and experience with a specific activity

Example Sentences:

Before I became a chef, I cut my teeth by working at a small restaurant.

A: Where are you working these days?
B: Suki’s.
A: What do you do there?
B: I want to be a hairdresser but I have no experience, so I’m doing an internship so I can cut my teeth there.

From the Blogs:

Where social media’s “It Boy” cut his teeth

Media:

Similar idioms:

1. cut out for something
2. make the cut
3. cut corners
4. cut off one’s nose to spite one’s face
5. cut it
6. cut to the chase
7. cut down on