Welcome to Chaos [member='Interrupt']! D&D, huh? I finished a session an hour or so ago.
I'd recommend checking out the discord, it's a great way to meet people. Most factions have faction-specific discords too, so you could join one and ask around if one catches your interest. It's much more non-committal than making a character for that faction from the get-go, after all!
Speaking of factions, joining one would probably be a good idea; check out the faction tab, I recommend looking at some of the bigger "Major Factions" and browsing the "Faction Ads" section for a while.
Now for some shameless self-promotion: The Sith Empire is a pretty great faction with a rather lively Discord and some downright
sexy ships. If the dark side doesn't tempt you, then perhaps the Chiss Ascendancy may interest you; we're pretty small at the moment, but I'm confident we'll make major faction in not too long. Regardless of what you choose, remember to have fun and do what works for you; waging a war, starting a corporate empire, and spending twenty posts haggling over a musty rancor leather boot are all perfectly valid options.