In order to get a job as helpdesk support you must be highly trained in the company’s product. This training usually comes in the form of company training in an entry-level position or training you receive before you actually start to deal with customer problems. To reach this stage, though, you should hold a degree in Computer Science or a combination of computer certifications. Since there are many types of computer applications involved in such a position, you need to be knowledgeable in all the applications the company uses. There are many certifications available for helpdesk support positions, which include Computer skills and Microsoft certification.
There is also a specific helpdesk certificate you can obtain to help you get a job as helpdesk support. The areas tested for this certificate include the concepts of a helpdesk, etiquette procedures for dealing with customers on the telephone, using correct grammar and spelling when typing up reports, the process of providing assistance to customers and general computer and mathematical skills. These certificates are usually obtained outside the course of study for a degree, It would be in your best interests to take it upon yourself to become certified in several areas of this kind of support to increase your chances of being hired for a job.
Once you obtain a position as helpdesk support, you have many opportunities for advancement. You will start off providing deskside support, answering telephone calls and emails and providing the customers with the answers and the support they need. You should know that this job involves shift work as a helpdesk runs twenty-four hours a day. It is also open on holidays, so you cannot conclude you will be able to spend all the major holidays with your family. Like all jobs, there will be days when you are extremely busy and other days when you have time between calls.
After you gain experience in handling calls as helpdesk support, you can advance to the network team, which is responsible for maintaining the infrastructure of the system. This includes maintenance of the routers, switches, servers and firewalls. In this capacity, you will handle issues passed to you from the helpdesk that cannot be handled at that level. There may be other teams in the company, such as applications teams or teams that provide helpdesk support only to other businesses in the form of customer support for products the company sells. As you advance through the levels, you may get a job on a high-priority team providing service to banks and other large institutions with a wide variety of networks.
