The duties of the support desk technician typically involve answering questions about the companys products, and using remote-access tools to troubleshoot computer problems for client employees. Help desk technicians are critical in providing technical support systems to IT users, including employees and customers. As a help desk technician, you are responsible for responding to emails, chats, or calls, and providing technical support for customers using IT systems, hardware, and software. Customers who are having problems with their computer systems, software, or other technology-related things may call in for assistance from a help desk technician.
IT Help Desk technicians offer technical support and troubleshooting services for end users that require help with their computer equipment or software. Remote support technicians typically use special IT support software to gain control over the end-users computers in order to problem solve, diagnose, and solve complex issues. In some roles, a help desk technician may have to travel to the customers location to solve complex issues.
Other technicians may be able to offer remote support and operate from the convenience of their home. Often the first port of call when a problem arises on a network, support technicians possess expertise in customer support, in addition to issue resolution. The marketable skillsets you will be looking for in a Help Desk Technician degree program include PC repair, networking, operating system deployment and configuration, information security, desktop and mobile device problem-solving, as well as soft skills such as customer service and oral and written communication. Technical skills are usually specific to the job you are applying to, and may include software knowledge, computer programming, PC repair, software troubleshooting, and more.
For those pursuing a formal education, computer information systems (CIS) degree programs, help desk management, technical support, and network administration provide a strong foundation to the help desk technician career path. Courses such as A+, Network+, Linux+, or even just a basic computer repair course are all you need to start on this career path, but if you are really serious about it, you should pursue a post-secondary education (college/university) in the field of IT, as employers will always prefer candidates with degrees over those who do not, particularly for higher-level positions like help desk manager or network administrator.
Just like in any career, IT support technicians are going to become better at these skills, ultimately expanding their vocabulary to the non-technical public. The first thing to realize is that helpdesk tech is not actually a job, but rather an entry-level career path–there are opportunities for individuals to grow in this role, developing new skills and taking on more responsibility. Many people looking to start careers in the fields of IT and Engineering are looking for entry-level roles, and these usually include working at the desk.
To enhance your job prospects in the field, focus your skillset in the Help Desk to the Computer Systems Design field, because the labor market for Help Desk professionals in that area is expected to grow twice as fast (24%) in the same 10 year timeframe. You will find help desk technicians working in computer software, retail, video games, and the cloud computing industries. Even though a Help Desk Technician role does not specifically focus on computer technology, customer support is needed at any business, and this is a good way to get computer experience before moving on to the field of Computer Science or another related field.
As a help desk technician, your duties include receiving tech support tickets, calls, or emails, communicating with a user or client, listening to their problems, diagnosing the issue, and walking them through solutions. Because the help desk agents role is one that involves interacting directly with customers, it is important that you are able to communicate with people, understand their problems, requests, or concerns, and offer a clear solution. All help desk agents require great problem-solving, communication, and interpersonal skills, as well as patience, customer-friendly attitude, and an ability to work in a team environment.
Needs is the reason our Computer Support Specialist Program also helps you to sharpen your skills in customer service and public speaking. For instance, the online Computer Support certificate offered by Rasmussen University is designed to help students build technical skills as well as the customer support skills employers are looking for. CompTIA Technical Career Academy offers their IT-Ready Technical Support Program in a classroom setting, so students receive the necessary training to obtain their CompTIA A+ certifications and begin their IT careers at a support desk.
Online technical support professionals assist customers remotely, whether by phone, e-mail, or chat. In-house employees deal exclusively with in-house systems and networking issues affecting their own work force, whereas remote workers can handle customer inquiries and issues through the phone, email, or in-house visits. Desk technicians can either work in-house or remote, as freelancers, and their daily tasks can vary depending on the nature of concerns raised by employees or customers. Throughout the IT Support Technicians day, these technical professionals listen to customers opinions and concerns without filtering them–concerns that are crucial to company leaders knowledge.
Helpdesk support staff also monitors and updates customers statuses and details for any extending requests, and passes any input or suggestions from customers on to appropriate internal teams. The first-level supporter also gathers the customer request or issue details and creates the support ticket/record. When first-level supporters are contacted, they will first gather the customers data, such as their name and contact. First-level supporters are responsible for providing accurate, relevant information about the companys products and services.
To best support users, a help desk technician will work closely with the IT director, in-house application specialists, and third-party support providers. Instead of thinking of an IT Support Technician as a lower step on a ladder, consider an IT Support Technician as being at the forefront of customer support, providing valuable insight to corporate leaders.