Realize first off that this game is "time based" in a matter of speaking... by that i mean all skills take time' as you know' and so does getting started that said heres a few quick pointers:

1) Get a probe' or any race basic rig' it'll help you do a few of the easier missions with its better setup than the reaper.
2) Get 2 mining lasers and a survey scanner' an afterburner' as well as cargo expanders for your low slots. (this would be the mining setup)
3) get some money mining....and get your mining skill up to at least 2' then get your industrial ship skill up to at least 1.
4) mine in the industrial ship for a few days...get about 1-2mil isk. it sounds like a lot...but its not...most industrial ships hold (with cargo expanders) about 8k.
5) Keep in the local area to your start point as it will be safer. When you feel a bit more confident check the market for the best buyers of ore and move your operation there' you will get more ISK for your hard mined cargo.

Map Use
A suitable system for launching your new mining career should meet the following criteria:
•  Be 1.0 to 0.8 security.

•  Have less than 30 other pilots in it.

•  Is nearby (less than 5 gate jumps away).

•  Has at least 1 station that offers both refining and market services.

Finding such a system is actually very easy. Open up your ship's navigational maps (the icon on the left that looks like a few white dots connected with lines). This will trigger a query to CONCORD for the most recent star maps and then display them with your current location. There will also be a new window open that has two tabs: "Search" and "Display Settings." Select the "Display Settings" tab.

With the display settings tab open' it is time to make a few changes. First go to the "Labels" tab' and dim all options except for "Solar Systems." Next go to the "Stars" tab. Go to "Animation'" and make sure both options are not selected. Now select "Security Status" under "Color stars by." This will show the security level of the systems around you (if you cannot see any systems around you' you may need to zoom out).

The systems you will want will be near your own (either be connected to it by a line' or connected through up to 2 other systems (connected by lines)' and will have a white dot' signifying high security.

Once you have found a viable candidate' remember where it is' and then hit "Number of Pilots in Space" under "Statistics:" This will ask CONCORD for the location of pilots throughout the known galaxy and update it on your display. Hopefully' the dot that you had your eye on did not swell too much' but if it did' hover the cursor over it to see exactly how many players are in the system. Any more than 15 may lead to crowding' but there are plenty of systems so don't give up if the one you chose is also very busy. If finding a system nearby (or even seeing a system at all) is a problem' you may want to flatten the map (via the button labeled "Flatten")' or try zooming out some. Once you've found a system' right-click on it and select "Set as Destination." You can now close the map. After closing it' select the big yellow "Autopilot" button' sit back' and watch the stars go by.