Hi guys, I'm about to build my first moc project but I have a small problem. I have a rough idea of what parts I need but how do I go and look for the parts in bricklink when I have no idea what the name is?

Maybe start building the moc in "LEGO Digital Designer" or similar first?

If you browse bricklink, they sort parts by category - "brick", "brick modified" (bricks with clips, click hinges, etc), "technic", "mini-fig body part"... Just try typing a few key words into the search box, like "brick" or "plate", and you should get a list of parts that you can browse to find what you need.  

Alternatively, if you know that a part is found in a specific set, search for that set on bricklink.  Sets are usually listed with part inventories (only new releases, or perhaps very old sets are missing inventories), so you can find the name and also the ID number of each brick.

thank you guys for the replies, it helps a lot.