0 to begin your life, or the part of your life when you work, in a particular way: --
My dad started out as a salesperson in a shop.
1 to begin to do something in business or a job, or to begin your working life in a particular way: --
It's hard to believe she started out as a magician's assistant.
She started out as a waitress and was spotted by a model scout.
What started out as a part-time job soon became a full-time occupation.
He started out as a teacher and only began writing in his thirties.