depends what you mean by starting out. are you going to a climbing wall or climbing outside or both? I class climbing walls as training (gym) and not climbing. but here is some tips.
always warm up. start easy and build up so the joints and tendons don't get injuries. warm up again if you stop for tea/coffee. for training purpose its going to be best to work on stamina. easy climbing. at climbing walls you will see a lot of guys training on hard moves. don't get caught up on this. ok its fun and always worth a go, but don't spend to much time here at first. try to spend long sessions keeping on the wall. 20-30mins at a time without a rest. traverse walls are great for this. but going sideways is not the same as up. find a peace of wall and take turns going up and then down climbing it. not lower off like most people. it will pay in the long run if you can down climb as well as you can climb up. and going down is always harder.
don't buy your shoes so tight they hurt. a beginner don't need them that tight. you will need to ware them for long periods on easy routes. most shops advise to buy them way to tight, and most beginner listen to shop staff. most shop staff don't climb to well either. make sure your toes reach the top and both sides of your feet fill the sides of the shoes. they will get a little bigger after a few sessions so get a snug fit but not painful. some people have symmetrical feet others A symmetrical feet. don't buy a shoe cos you like the look find one that matches your foot shape best. they are not all the same.
if your top roping either indoor or outside make certain the person belaying really knows what they are doing. I have seen many people claim they are safe but I wouldn't want them of the end of my rope. joining a club is a good way to meet people to climb outside with. but again before you trust them to hold you on the rope spend some time watching them belay somebody else. I have seen people get very hurt and almost die doing so called "easy top roping" cos guys think its safe. one time I see a girl climb a 10m wall without even tighing onto the rope, get to the top, sit on the rope and fall.
with that said, its a great sport that will give you a good workout, it can be a very safe sport but you need to be switched on at all times. your mind will need to be as strong as your muscle. climbing outside has got to be one of the best sports around to my mind. you get to travel see places and test your abilitys all in one. its easy to get hooked. have fun.
Ho and I forgot to say, you will probably end up with a very good back and abs just from climbing so you might want to focus on legs/calves and chest after a while. see how it goes.
