I'd highly recommend a Yankee Modelworks kit as a first build. I used their USS Farenholt kit for my first resin ship, and my first actual model after a 10 year break and it came out fine (well, I think it did at least). I even documented my build, which you can see here: http://www.modelwarships.com/reviews/ships/dd/dd-491/350/farenholt-menu.html
-Devin