Well, this may not apply in your case, but a newbie who hasn't done any homework beyond deciding "I want to fly around the world" can present a horrific workload to the person at the other end of the line.

Download a copy of Cathay's trip planner, plan all the details of your trip, and then the rtw desk of any of the OW carriers should be pleased to type your itinerary into their computer, price it (which maytake a day or so), and sell you a ticket.

As you probably have already noticed, there are a number of individuals who contribute to this forum who'll be glad to give helpful advice along the way.

If you already did all that homework and ran into a grumpy airline res agent, just call back and you'll find someone perfectly helpful. The ones you're likely to approach (Cathay, American, British, Qantas) generally have pleasant people to talk to, although BA has been doing a little messing with their call centers the last couple of years.)