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This piece of ad content was created by Rasmussen University to support its educational programs. Rasmussen University may not prepare students for all positions featured within this content. Rasmussen University is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission, an institutional accreditation agency recognized by the U.S. It’s a tech career starting point that requires you to listen well, have top-notch communication skills and walk into work knowing that each day will never be the same as the last. Many jobs in the technology field require a Bachelor’s degree or higher, but not the IT help desk. This career is accessible to most people who have a knack for technology and some basic training.
The highest-paying industry for a help desk engineer is the finance industry. In general, desk support technicians achieve similar levels of education help desk engineer than help desk engineers. They’re 2.8% less likely to obtain a Master’s Degree while being 0.6% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.
traits hiring managers look for in help desk job candidates
These kinds of IT support roles might be a great fit for you if you like technology and helping people solve their problems. This person feels responsible not only for their own tasks, but also cares about their team’s workload, too. They know when to ask for and offer help, and understand how much they can take on at a time. They care about the team’s success, and are happy to sacrifice personal goals when needed to help the team achieve its goals. There are times you will get pulled into a call that lasts for hours on end, so it’s good to know the team can cover for you. “The most enjoyable part of working at an IT help desk is no doubt the bizarre stories and requests that customers call in with,” says Tom Winter, cofounder of DevSkiller.
They’re enthusiastic about using them, understanding how they work inside and out, and seek to improve them. This natural curiosity drives them to tinker, and truly understand how the product works, not just how to fix it when something breaks. This type of passion for the product shows up in customer interactions, and it’s infectious. A superior support agent sees the customer as an equal partner, and considers themselves an extension of the customer’s team.
000+ Help Desk Engineer Jobs in United States
VARs sell and install the manufacturer’s products for customers, who may or may not need help managing their network. If they do, they can outsource their IT department to an MSP and only keep one or two IT guys in-house. Here’s what you need to do to avoid getting stuck in your entry-level role and move up the industry faster than what most people would say is possible.
For example, when a user has a question, the help desk technician must be able to diagnose the IT issue as well as explain the solution to the user. A help desk technician might also manage hardware and software for an organization, including tasks like installation, training end users, and keeping everything up to date. The primary job of anyone working at the help desk is to help others solve the problems they encounter with computer hardware or software. In other words, it’s about troubleshooting an issue and being able to clearly and efficiently guide someone else toward a solution. Before we dig into the truth about working the help desk, you need to understand the basics of this tech role. The main purpose of help desk technicians is to assist customers who need help—which can include more job duties than you might think.
Time Management Skills
Yes, you can get to a managerial or executive-level position—even a seat in the C-suite—from the IT help desk. It can be tough to see the top through all those rungs on the ladder, but the top is closer than you think. All that customer service and communication experience you gained while helping colleagues learn and use new technologies will help you work your way to the top. Eric Bloom, the executive director of the IT Management and Leadership Institute and a former CIO, writes in CIO that communication is key to IT’s efficiency, effectiveness, and value. We are looking for a competent Help desk technician to provide fast and useful technical assistance on computer systems.
Before considering pursuing a help desk position, however, it’s reasonable to find out something about your potential income so you can make sure a job in this field will support you. This person understands support processes are important, and not only follows them, but helps improve them. They take an analytical approach to driving change, and use data to support their assertions. Rasmussen University is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission and is authorized to operate as a postsecondary educational institution by the Illinois Board of Higher Education.
“Will this person embody our values and help cultivate a culture of customer success? ” “Will they continually seek to learn, grow, and make the product better? ” Being able to demonstrate this cultural fit is just as – if not more important – as the technical skills you possess.
Basically, everyone in IT goes through the helpdesk or a similar entry-level position. However, some people stay stuck in entry-level roles for what seems like a lifetime and others go on to become systems engineers at top tech companies in just a few years. The median salary for computer support specialists, the Bureau of Labor Statistics says, is around $52,000.
You’ll get instant access to all skills and keywords, plus be
Someone with a cert in routing and switching could become a network engineer and make a great living. The best part is that if you’re feeling down or maybe even lost, you can get plenty of support. For instance, someone struggling to prepare for a certification or having a bad time at work can simply share part of their story with their community and be flooded with tons of positive messages. This may seem like a triviality, but having the privilege to rely on a supportive community can make a gigantic difference in your career.
As you consider the next move in your IT career, check back with CompTIA to learn more about your job prospects and how to get there. One thing to keep in mind is that some help desk positions will be primarily outward-facing. In other words, you’ll be helping an organization’s customers with their technical issues. They know it’s essential to listen and understand before being heard. They know how to adapt their style to different kinds of customers – from those that want to be your best friend, to those that just want the problem solved. Their natural teaching skills help customers understand the product enough to even solve issues on their own.
This course explains each best practice and provides exercises that help service reps master the ITIL approach. This may seem obvious, but you have to understand the product to explain it to the customer. From 2014 to 2024, the BLS projects an increase of 12% for computer support specialists, with 88,000 net new jobs expected during that 10-year period. Daniel Greenspan is an IT education specialist and the founder of ITCareerFinder.