Welcome dude.
Imo the best newbie advice would be to build a reputation on P411 (Preferred 411) it makes screening a breeze. I would shop on p411 for girls who are newbie friendly (or on Eccie for newbie friendly girls who are also on p411), look on Eccie for reviews on them (you'll need to buy a month of premium access to see the review details) to make sure they are what you're looking for, then schedule using p411. If you don't want to pay to join p411 you can see a newbie friendly girl who will help you get a free 6 months on p411 to check it out.
Do that a few times and write reviews on your experiences here while getting okays on p411 and you'll be in good shape to see pretty much anyone else you want.
The screening process for most girls is simple, mostly they're just trying to verify that you're not LE, not a psycho, and that you pay what you owe. So you just provide them with references who vouch for that and you're gtg.
After you get some reviews and especially some p411 okays most providers stop asking for additional references although some will still want a vouch. Depends on the provider.
Welcome to the dark side