I do a similar thing. The first thing you have to get your head around is that no character is good at everything. Pick something, be really good at it, and be fairly good at one or two other things. I start by writing down some notes on what the basic concept is and what I want the character to be able to do. This could be as simple as "Professional thief, augmented instead of magic, combat as secondary skill area."
Then I start to make notes on what is critical to accomplish that. In this case the stealth skill group, a high agility (both for skills and combat). What else? A thief should be able to open locks. Locksmith and hardware (maglocks) goes on the list. A good logic will be needed to back up the hardware. So it looks like my main stats are going to be agility, logic, and maybe reaction since I want to be fair at combat. Intuition would help as well with some stealh group skills. Strength and body will probably be average at best, so ranged combat will likely be best. Pistols and Automatics goes on the skill list, pistols for subtle/concealed, automatics for when more firepower is called for. I consider defense needs. Gymnastics for dodge (works so well with synthacardium),in fact maybe Athletics if he is a second story man and needs to climb, etc. and if I can find the points some unarmed (shock gloves, and a parry if it comes up).
Then maybe I look over the 'ware I want and make a wish list. Muscle toner for agility, wired reflexes, synthacardium, some cybereyes, etc. I don't fill all the details in, I just make a wish list. Note anything that might need a restricted gear quality. I also budget some build points for gear and contacts, because it sucks to get to the end and find you have tremendous skills and stats, but nothing but a taser, a scooter, and your cousin Alfonso's phone number at the start of play.
Then I go back and work through the actual creation process as listed in the book. Pick my metatype. Sometimes this is an rp choice, but if you have a sense of what your key stats are you can make a more informed choice here. Build your stats, fill in your skill list, buy your 'ware, gear, llifestyle, contacts, etc. Then add it all up.
On almost every character I have made I am at this point confronted with the fact that I am over budget. But because you have made the choices in advance of what is primary, what is secondary, etc, you can figure out what you can do with a few less dice in, or skip all together to get under budget.
In the unlikely event you have build points left, look at your stats and see what might work well. This character has a good logic for his hardware skill. If you had points to spare you might throw in some other electronics skills, or some first aid to make use of that stat.
Above all, talk with your GM before making your character. Find out about the type of campaign he is going to run, and expected power levels. In some groups a total dice pool of 12 is amazing, in others thats a secondary skill. Try to get a sense of how combat intensive the campaign is going to be, etc. A cybertroll killing machine will be out of place in a Denver based spy campaign with heavy legwork and investigation. On the other hand, that investigator/face with 12 contacts might feel underpowered in a campagin where ever session opens with heavy weapons fire. Every character should be able to do something in a fight, something for legwork, and have a utilitarian skill or two to offer the group.
