There's nothing to read. For example, when a user has a question, the help desk technician must be able to diagnose the IT issue, identify a solution and then explain it to the user. 100% correct. 14. Job boards and recruiters aren't helping here. We get questions from people who can't seem to get out of a help desk job over and over again on here. Well, as the title says. Key to working on a help desk is knowing Microsoft Windows. how do I do it too? That stuff is important, but it is a distant number 2 to servicing the business in the best way you can. Take a Break. Looks like you're using new Reddit on an old browser. Sixty-one percent of workers in non-desk jobs said they have felt burned out at work compared to 57 percent of workers in desk jobs. Managers and supervisors want to see what you’ve accomplished. Learn about what they do and what their department does and then how all the departments make the business run. The first are people who write the minimal amount possible. In fact, when I see a help desk person has a ton of certs, it makes me even more sure there's probably an issue. In short, don't let it get to the point where they blow a fuse. What you'd do: A help desk technician is the person who diagnoses any technical problems for customers or colleagues. I'm not sure I can get the CCNA to leverage me in to IT, and am posting this here for well.. informative purposes. Not understanding how to learn how to learn. Some additional career advice: Take your help desk career to the next level by advancing your education. It is the single most important question in IT. I've dealt with help desk people with really poor time management and there are basic tickets still sitting there well after the SLA. No one likes angry people, and most service desk workers are less inclined to help someone that's called them a complete nincompoop (or stronger words to that effect). Yep this is very important, it didn't dawn on me for a while, but once it did you see everything from a different light and it helps you in sooo many ways. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. A help desk person who understands business impact is not going to stay at the help desk very long, but it also means they have all that other stuff down first. People expect results and you have to keep things going. I originally thought you wanted out due to the wording of your question. Good luck to all, Can't get a help desk job with a CCNA + education. It's the focal point of what makes a good sysadmin so valuable to a company, and why a good sysadmin is different than a good helpdesk technician. Getting some people to update tickets, or even contact customers is like pulling teeth. And learn something about the finance side of the business and how to write a business case. Ask your manager to get involved in any project that your job has going on. Working the IT help desk means listening to people’s problems for the majority of your day. Initiative to learn how to learn for yourself. Workers in desk and non-desk jobs were equally likely to experience high stress levels at work (30 percent and 29 percent, respectively), but workers in non-desk jobs had a somewhat higher tendency toward burnout. The second are people who write way too much, but never really get to the point. They're not going to like this (or take you seriously, or like you). i tend to see this show up in two different ways. So after 1.5 years in a service desk and 1.5 years doing desktop support, I finally got a job as a cybersecurity engineer at a new company. By Tyler Regas . Tell me about a time you went the extra mile. It isn't about the newest shiny toys, or having the most lights blinking in the server room. So frustrating to explain. When I was helpdesk one of the things that cropped up often in interviews (and also when I've helped interview for a helpdesk role) was a scenario where 3 people were asking for things - the CEO, and a couple of others with a question as to what order you would deal with them and why. Anyway, something to think about for those who can't seem to get out of the help desk.. Maybe you can phrase it better, or get to the root of what I'm trying to say. I have worked as a 1099 IT contractor, replacing networking equipment, running cables and troubleshooting. Some in-demand fields today are mobile, networking, data security, cloud products, healthcare and advanced server hardware. When writing your resume, be sure to reference the job description and highlight any skills, awards and certifications that match with the requirements. Can't get a job anywhere in IT, nothing at level one, help desk, just.. nothing. Whether it's help desk or sysadmin, you HAVE to get away from your desk and spend time with users. Six months in, I enjoyed my Help Desk job. My default answer was always "whichever problem is currently having the most adverse impact on the company", with examples of how each might and might not be that problem. The helpdesk manager should be prioritizing tickets to make the work of the helpdesk align with the business goals of the company. Apply to Help Desk Analyst, Helpdesk, Technical Support Specialist and more! I was learning new things, and had new responsibilities. Congratulations. Communication verbally is also extremely important. Yes you can stay help desk your entire career and do quite well. After six more months though, I'm starting to feel the drain. Thanks. If you can’t fix it […] I have never met a successful systems administrator that wasn't able to view an issue from the perspective of how it negatively impacts the business. What they're up to is anyone's guess. My entire job is people coming to me with technical problems and my asking them "What do you, as a business, want to achieve?". Meanwhile this could have been a path to be more independent and do more work on his own. I would say this is the biggest problem I see in IT when interfacing with the business. What I did was offer myself to my superiors when one of our serverguis left for another company. But when I was in helpdesk, I very quickly rose beyond it because when my boss (and his boss, the CTO) came to me with an issue, my first question was, "Okay, how is this affecting the business & how would you like to see it resolved / improved / worked on?" Initiative to follow through on items, so that you can learn. The resulting 27 roles pay as much as $267,020 a year, and while we can't promise you'll never have to sit a desk and fill out a report, for the most part you won't be staring at … If there's no business value, IT is pointless. is a really annoying person. Salary estimates are based on 11,077 salaries submitted anonymously to Glassdoor by Help Desk Manager employees. New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast. Perhaps a help desk guy has an opportunity to help manage the DHCP service on Windows. By using our Services, you agree to our use of cookies.Learn More. Help Desk Support staff are responsible for offering technical assistance to customers on the phone or via email. What’s more important is your ability to stay calm under pressure, be sup… Tackling IT problems from the perspective of business processes allowed me not only to better understand all the working pieces of IT, but of how they best support the business as a whole in the enterprise. Help Desk techs who get this (even if it isn't currently part of their job) will move up quickly; techs who don't understand this will likely stay where they are. Far, far too many techs do not understand this and get hung up on the right "IT" way to do things or whatever else. The lauded certification, one of the core elements of the technical services industry, can be one of the best ways of getting a well-paying job without making too great an effort. Consider These 13 Tips – 1. It's brilliantly simple and is great advice. I think I agree with cranky on this one, it's an important skill as one progresses in their career; but, probably not one which is learned at the helpdesk level. Do You Need Certifications to Get an IT Help Desk Job? From your desk and make good money desk your entire career and do more work on his.. Customers on the phone or via email but if IT was a paper... Basic research before business impact is kind of networking experience technical assistance to customers the. I did n't want to make the list too long ca n't leave IT. major problem for who... To verbal communication as well into play with casual workplace conversation trying to say communication! Diagnosis programs, they also need to have if you ’ ve accomplished extends... 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Who write the minimal amount possible an example learning materials for everything into play with casual workplace conversation to. Did n't want to be concise, but business impact is kind of networking experience to... Helpdesk experts on Reddit that can get you headed towards that first and. Mobile, networking, data security, cloud products, healthcare and advanced server hardware desk Technician is the problem...