Definitely go to a local user group. In particular, get a good mentor to help you learn. With the sheer volume of what you have to learn, a mentor will be a necessity. He/She would also make a great reference for your job application 🙂 ... and that will be absolutely critical for you as well given that you will not have work experience in this field.

You are certainly taking a thoughtful and serious approach to this. Congratulations on that, and the very best of luck in your search!