I realize that with the skill system Eve employs, I will never be able to catch up to people that have been playing before me. But I have heard that if you specialize, you can become just as good at *one* aspect as someone who has been playing a lot longer.

Well how long does it take (roughly) to specialize in something and actually become useful?

And if I am incorrect on how this works please let me know.

This is such a loaded and open question but I will do my best to answer it with some helpful info :)

Viable/useful and how long it would take.

It really depends on what you are going for.  There are a few videos out there, Goonswarm comes to mind that show a new player in a newbie ship with MAYBE an hour of training time can gang up with similar folks and have a great deal of fun at others expense.

To be a cheap tackler (certainly viable in many circumstances), about 15-45 minutes to train the propulsion jamming skill.  I'm not sure if there are any pre-req's for it but with the 800k skillpoint new characters, I'm sure it's well within reach if not right out of the door.

To be a viable ratter, most new character builds can start doing level 1 missions right out the door (prolly level 2 if you had the standings for it).

Manufacturing and Research, skills wise you have a good beginning as a new character but the initial investment and cost for materials not to mention personal knowledge of opportunities, markets and demand are what holds many people back I think.

I think there is even the option with maybe a few days of training to get a decent EW pilot (caldari would be the way to go and train for a blackbird cruiser). 

So the short answer would be, not very long to become viable.  To truely specialize you have to keep training much like everyone.  I don't think I've EVER felt like I was "done" in any particular skill area save for maybe learning skills.

you can be a viable crafter in... 2-3 weeks.  all you need is Production efficency 5 and you're good to go, after that its just learning skills for specific tech 2 crafting.

Train all of the learning skill to lvl 5 several million isk and several months you might start to be. This is only my opion. You could join a Corp and mine for them in mean time.

Originally posted by Elsabolts

Train all of the learning skill to lvl 5 several million isk and several months you might start to be. This is only my opion. You could join a Corp and mine for them in mean time.

Tbh, while this makes sense in the min/max sort of way, it's boring and it doesnt gain you any new toys early on when you want to play the game.  I'd say always have a learning skill or two in your training plan and maybe if you are going to be away/offline for a bit do them but don't lose out on getting some fun skills just so you can train them in the future 5% faster or what not.

Also, here's a link to the EVE official videos page.  Good stuff in there, lots of ooh shiney.  If you want more, EVE forums has a Videos page with some REALLY good player made stuff to.

myeve.eve-online.com/download/videos/

Usefulness is not tied to sp. It's a state of mind.

In a pvp corp/alliance, a motivated newbie is much more useful than a "vet" who knows everything better.

How long to specialise?  Of course that depends.  Lets assume you start with a fairly balanced set of attributes.  Here are some estimates picked completely out of the blue from my experience.

To get a kick ass trader: 2 months

Kick ass miner: 6 months

Good Tech 1 pilot (small ships): 4 months

Good Tech 1 pilot (large ships): 1 year

Good Tech 2 pilot (small ships): 6-8 months

Good Tech 2 pilot (large ships): 1-1.5  years

Capital ships:  1.5-2 years

Industrialist: 5-8 months

Note that you cans start any profession straight away.  As you play the game more you will learn how the profession works, learn what you need for it, and get even better at it as both your skills and personal ability improve.  

There is another alternative as well.  You can start playing the trial.  See if you like the game.  If you do like it just keep playing of course.  But if you decide that you really cant wait and want an advanced skill point character right now, you can always buy a character.  There is a healthy market for them on the EVE forums.  Rough cost breakdown is as follows: 400 million isk = 35 USD.  Worth of a character is roughly 200 million isk multiplied by how many million skill points it has.  So for example, a 10 million skill point character will cost approx 2 billion isk, which is approx 175 USD.  Thats the cost of 5x60 day game time cards, or 10 months worth of character advancement that you didnt have to do and get to enjoy right now.  The downsides?  You dont get to choose your name.  You wont have the game experience to understand the finer mechanics of the game. 

So I would say dont worry about it.  Just start playing.  If you find that skill points and competitiveness in one area are a problem to you then you can either adapt by focusing your specialty, or you can find a way around it entirely (for example, you can buy a character).

Thank you everyone for the information. I guess my next question is, If I decide I want to specialize in X, how do I know what to train and where to put points in order to specialize in it?

Look at the toys you need to use, and starting from the ship you need for the role, fill up a training plan.

Download EVEMon for a good training manager program. It doubles as ship/skill/equipment browser.

http://evemon.battleclinic.com/

1.) Install and login to the game - Day 1

2.) Find a CORP and ask what they need in a new recruit ASAP.

3.) Identify the skills that will require and start training them.

-Follow those steps and I think you can be a useful member of you CORP within a month-3 months.

Go here for all your EVE needs

http://myeve.eve-online.com/ingameboard.asp?a=topic&threadID=437508

You can be useful in a few days, literally. You can be succesful in 1-3 months.

Ill give you a Piece of advice that noone has mentioned to you yet. I can start an account NOW and be useful in a day if i make all my own isk. The reason is That your usefulness is tied much less to Skill points than knowledge. 

   For PvP the answer to your question is . You become useful the moment you are willing to lose your ship.  You become GREAT the moment You begin to learn what you CAN and what you CANNOT handle in a fight. To be Truly good at pvp you need knowledge not sp. Knowing what ships can cause you trouble and which you will tear up is what makes you good. Seriously dont worry about that fact that a VET has XX million more sp than you do. Worry about learning how to fight and what you can and cannot handle in your ships.. Then you will be truly great :)