Focus on your core skills first. That means things like the skills that increase your armor, shield, stamina, weapon damage, etc. Get those up to at least 4 before you work too hard at unlocking the better gear because they boost your performance all the time no matter what gear you're using.

If you just skill up for high-end gear first, you wont' be as effective, and you'll die a lot which costs you money.

Also remember that getting a skill to 4 is almost as good as getting it to 5, but that last level from 4-5 takes a lot longer than from 1-4, so only train a skill to 5 if you need it to unlock something or if you really want maximum performance in that skill.

Also, at first, you should specialize. If you specialize in a narrow field (ie: a certain weapon type and dropsuit type), you'll soon be as effective as a veteran in that one specialization. Being a veteran basically just makes you more well rounded.

This advice all carries over from EVE since skills are so similar there.

Okay so I got pretty decent weapons unlocked, the next ones to open up will be the Creo and the Duoville.

I guess I though Dropsuit command, which I have at level 4 would open up more dropsuits but I have to boost up my Caldari Assault Dropsuit, which is L1 right now.

What else should I do to boost armor, shield, stamina, weapon damage, as you suggest?

Right now I have Electronics L3, Nanocircuitry L2, Engineering L3, but I still get demolished in firefights even though I do hit the enemy quite often. What gives??

I could always give you the fit I find works best for me