How Long Should You Stay on the Help Desk?

I will also share some tips that will give you an extra edge and help you stand out in your job applications. There are many reasons to join the tech industry such as competitive salaries, promising career paths, and work-life flexibility. In my opinion, one of the biggest reasons to work in tech is that some tech companies even hire without a formal 4-year degree. Entry-level jobs hire people with little or no experience in that job. There are plenty of entry-level tech jobs on the market these days because of the ever-growing demand for technology-savvy workers. After gaining significant experience at this level and with exposure at handling issues, professionals at this level will still require certifications to fill in knowledge gaps that will improve their performance. Upon being certified and with years of experience gained along the line, prospective professionals can become Business Relationships Manager or CIO.

In fact, CompTIA research reveals interesting breaks from traditional career paths for workers after the help desk. Software development, computer network architecture, and computer programming are other possible professions those working on the IT help desk or in other entry-level IT positions can pursue. In today’s ever-changing job marketplace, there’s no one career pathway. IT continues to be one of the country’s most in-demand fields, and with a little experience and a lot of passion for learning new skills, you’re open to limitless opportunities.

Beyond the IT help desk: how to grow your career.

Check out the resources below and ask the IEP team about opportunities in your local community. The courses in software development at Herzing University prepare you for this type of work and put you on the fast track to your next job in software development. We offer 100% online coursework (with an optional internship or capstone project at the bachelor’s degree level) that will give you skills to help get your foot in the door as soon as possible. While the daily responsibilities and duties of a software developer versus a help desk representative are very different, both positions require a general understanding of computers, data, networks, and servers. Once your experience is coupled with good technical skills and preferably a degree, you can advance to supervisory positions or other positions like a data analyst. Consider taking extra courses to reskill, in case old skills have fallen into disuse. Besides, an ITIL certification course would also demonstrate proof of commitment to prospective employers.

As the cost of office space continues to rise and more positions go remote, you might soon find your role has become fully-remote as well. And, while this might not change what you do for a living, it will certainly change how you do it. Being exposed to an array of different perspectives can help you find solutions to problems that you might not realize exist. It can also change your opinion on an issue after looking at it from an angle that you hadn’t considered before.

The Ladder Doesn’t = Success

Your help help desk engineer experience has given you valuable practice working on a team, communicating technical information to customers and, of course, working with the latest tech tools. There are so many paths a technology career can take – and many of them intertwine. Use your time at the help desk to observe, ask questions and learn what it is that you’re passionate about. Then, take that knowledge, put a plan into place and take your career to the next level.

• He notes that many system administrators still have a support role to fill, but it’s typically on a larger scale rather than troubleshooting with a single user.
• As you shift from lead decision-maker to that of an advisor, coach, and mentor, continue to be involved in IEP meetings.
• Click here to learn more about our Full Stack Network Engineer program.
• The help desk has long been a necessary component of IT shops, but if you’re ready to transition roles, here’s how.
• Learn about the different types of help desks, read our blog articles about customer service, or learn more about Jira Service Management, our customer service and IT support tool used by over 20,000 support teams.

Modern approaches such as Shift Left advocate for the reduction in these layers, by bringing the support closer to the user. Swarming, which promotes teamwork over level-by-level escalation, encourages the initial point of contact seeing the issue through to resolution.

Middle of the Ladder:  Systems Administrator/Network Administrator

Chrissy Kidd is a writer and editor who makes sense of theories and new developments in technology. Formerly the managing editor of BMC Blogs, you can reach her on LinkedIn or at chrissykidd.com. HDI Technical Support Professional certificate looks to elevate help desk employees to be capable of handling Tier 2 and Tier 3 support, whether customer-facing or supporting internal IT infrastructure and practices. The representatives that are client-facing, talking with customers who have called in or started a live chat seeking help. This subreddit is designed to help anyone in or interested in the IT field to ask career-related questions.

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. Of course, some roles lend themselves more naturally to advancement beyond the help desk than others. Brandon Sheehy, former help desk worker and current software developer, finds that system administrator roles are often a natural fit for those ready to leave the IT help desk. “It advances the technician past end-user support into the management of servers, vendor software, large swaths of desktops and/or networks,” Sheehy says. He notes that many system administrators still have a support role to fill, but it’s typically on a larger scale rather than troubleshooting with a single user.

Alternative Careers and Related Jobs For a Help Desk Technician

Still, there’s one other type of communication that forms a major part of the responsibilities for the service desk. Handling of Major Incidents- Some incidents are classified as major incidents, meaning that they cause a massive business interruption and need to be fixed immediately.