Most beginners choose an electric RC helicopter if they are just starting out. They may have bought the kit as an RTF (ready to fly) and be ready to move onto the next step. So, do you choose a part built kit or a kit that needs to be built from scratch?
If you choose a kit that needs to be built from scratch you will of course learn all the idiosyncrasies of your copter so when anything goes wrong you will stand a better chance of repairing it. However, not everyone has a post grad degree in engineering so what do you get if you buy a part-built kit model? Normally the main body of the copter is pre-assembled leaving the buyer to fit the parts such as the engine, rotors, and radio parts. This is great for the person that likes to have a go at building but does not want to wait too long before their first flight.
The next thing the beginner will need to decide upon is the number of channels you want to control; usually RC helicopters can come in 3, 4 or 6 channel versions. Having only 3 or 4 things to control if you are a newbie is probably the way to go as the 6 channel versions can be quite a handful.