Find a local integrator and offer your services. You'll be sweeping floors for a while, but gaining valuable experience. Hang out with their programmers and take on small projects whenever possible. From time to time, RTI and URC offer free or inexpensive local training. Even if you need to take a day off, go to these classes.
When I watch someone else work or encounter the results of their programming, the takeaway for me is often "don't do it that way!". Initially, you'll probably need to follow the lead of your coworkers, but don't ever forget this valuable lesson. Eventually, you'll develop and be able to sell your own style to coworkers and customers.
I have developed a user interface style that I have found resonates well with customers. Part of my "style" is face to face interaction with the customer. I need this interaction because I want to discover what "easy" means to that customer. "Easy" means different things to different people. For some it is the absolute minimum number of buttons. Anything beyond "Watch TV" and a numeric keypad for the channel numbers is "complicated". Then there is the customer who loves buttons and wants buttons for this, that, and the other "scene" -- this drives his wife crazy. His custom remote probably includes more buttons than the combined total for the native remotes, but he loves it. If you work for someone else, initially you will probably not have the opportunity for much interaction with customers. For me this "quarantine" period was short to non existent, but your mileage will vary. (but back then universal remotes were still products in my imagination and I couldn't raise enough capital to bring out a product)
