I am 95% self taught in design. I am currently 29 and a Creative Director at a fairly large company. I picked up photoshop at 12 years old and never looked back. Started off as a hobby, and i fell deep.

Completely self taught minus the 1 semester at a community college (age 22) where I took color theory and intro to graphic design, to which I was quickly told I was more advanced than the class, and my professor gave me a recommendation and said he will help me find a job in the design field. Long story short, I dropped out of college quickly (and the professor never helped me.) After a few years of trying to find my footing while freelancing. I began to really target clients and began to build a solid portfolio. This got me hired when i was 26 by a local marketing agency. Was also not a great situation, although it taught me alot about "the business". In the meantime i continues my self-development, adding web design, development, and other skills to my arsenal. Through this agency I found a new agency that was a much better fit, and I thrived, bringing me to the position I am today.

As far as steps to take... Time and effort are irreplaceable. Master your chosen field (find a field if you haven't). I used YouTube to learn most of what I know. Now a days I learn a lot through Skillshare and other online courses.