If you are new to Elite Dangerous, you will find yourself in a sidewinder without the necessary credits to upgrade to a better ship.
A fun way to get the credits to purchase a better ship while developing fighter skills is to head on over to close quarters combat and work your way up through the first prestige.
Here are the reasons you might go this route:
1) It's fun
2) Your fighting skills will be developed - that will help with main game
3) You always earn some credits, no matter how much of a nube you are, and you never lose credits (no insurance in CQC)
4) Earning credits in the beginner ship in the main game is slow and a grind - might as well earn credits in CQC which is slow but fun
5) You will earn over a million credits by the time you reach prestige one in CQC - getting prestige one entitles you to travel to the CQC homeworld in the main game to purchase and outfit a better ship - with discounts
Now that you have a better ship in the main game, you can earn way more credits per hour in main than in CQC. At this point only head back to CQC for fun, or to work toward your CQC Elite badge.
A fun way to get the credits to purchase a better ship while developing fighter skills is to head on over to close quarters combat and work your way up through the first prestige.
Here are the reasons you might go this route:
1) It's fun
2) Your fighting skills will be developed - that will help with main game
3) You always earn some credits, no matter how much of a nube you are, and you never lose credits (no insurance in CQC)
4) Earning credits in the beginner ship in the main game is slow and a grind - might as well earn credits in CQC which is slow but fun
5) You will earn over a million credits by the time you reach prestige one in CQC - getting prestige one entitles you to travel to the CQC homeworld in the main game to purchase and outfit a better ship - with discounts
Now that you have a better ship in the main game, you can earn way more credits per hour in main than in CQC. At this point only head back to CQC for fun, or to work toward your CQC Elite badge.