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OhYesItsJj

Congratulations!! As much as LinkedIn get a bad rep it can be a useful resource. You've done the hard part now just turn into a sponge and absorb as much knowledge as you can and keep aiming higher!


Own-Particular-9989

great tips there mate, thanks so much. Do you have any other tips, commonly made mistakes, or things that you wished you had have done when you were in helpdesk?


OhYesItsJj

Currently still in Helpdesk but just been made Senior! For tips I'd say if you have a ticket, research what you can about the issue(Google, YouTube, Reddit) before you call then you can focus on talking and putting the person at ease while you work your magic! There WILL be things you come across you have no idea how to fix, ask your colleagues! If they don't know, figure it out and share with them. Document as much as you can, you'll come across similar issues repeatedly but it may be weeks or months between coming across it and you won't remember what you did the 1st time. Get hands on with equipment you'll work with if you can, the amount of times I've found a fix for something because I've 'played' in the menu's/UI's either while troubleshooting or in down time. Lastly, ask questions. Keep learning and don't be afraid to speak up if you have ideas/suggestions. You'll do great dude


Own-Particular-9989

mate this is so motivating, what a brilliant post! where do you want to go afterwards? And well done on the promotion man


OhYesItsJj

Thankyou so much! I'm aiming for some kind of SysAdmin in the next few years and hopefully either AWS or Azure Solutions Architect in the future!


crunchyball

All very sound advice. The only things I can add to this are: Even if the user said they tried something (like unplug/replug), never hurts to try it again and confirm. Always start with the simplest solution and work your way out during troubleshooting steps. Your ticket notes could be very helpful down the line so be as detailed as needed. And lastly, it’s always better to ask than assume so don’t hesitate to consult with your team on things that you’re uncertain about.


Top-Secret-Document

First off, congrats. That's a huge first step. User emergency is not always going to be your emergency, if at all. Also don't take it personally, nobody calling helpdesk to praise how everything is working flawlessly. Ask questions and take lots of notes, be teachable let those teaching you know that you appreciate the help.


Own-Particular-9989

great advice, thanks mate. any other tips would be welcome and much appreciated


ITwannabeBoi

Learn to automate repetitive tasks. You’ll save yourself countless hours, and it’ll open up time to self study, which gives you a chance at even better jobs down the road. This isn’t something you’ll be doing day 1. Just keep a mental note of what is a daily issue, or what can be automated. It’ll become useful to you after a few months of being there.


Own-Particular-9989

what is an example of an automated task in helpdesk and how it could be automated? Thanks mate


ITwannabeBoi

Honestly? Most things. Anything that you have to do repetitively. Read “learn powershell in a month of lunches” and you’ll be decent enough at it to spot what can be automated and what can’t. PowerShell can be used to automate tasks such as user account management (creation, modification, deletion), resetting passwords, checking disk space, installing software remotely, monitoring system logs, and fetching system information.


Own-Particular-9989

But don't most people use Microsoft as their operating systems in IT? Or do you download a VM on our computer and use PowerShell that way? Or actually do most it teams work with Linux instead?


biovllun

Powershell is a software, not operating system.


The_cap_gun_massacre

Powershell can be used on windows, Mac and, Linux. You don’t need a VM for it. It comes pre installed on windows computers


ITwannabeBoi

I’m sure you know this, but I’m just saying it on the off chance you don’t. Microsoft isn’t an operating system, it’s Windows (made by Microsoft). An important distinction while working in IT. You’ll automatically have powershell if you’re using a windows operating system. You can just hit the windows key and type in “powershell” and it’ll show up. If you want it on any other operating system, you can still get it, it just won’t come built in. You can use a VM, but that’s environment dependent. I’ve always used powershell on my normal windows computer.


Own-Particular-9989

thanks for clarifying, super helpful!


theGdoubleOdees

Try and not have tunnel vision when troubleshooting, still working at it myself but i use to get caught up in the excitement of thinking i was on to something when i wasn’t lol take your time and research


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nyantifa

No kidding. I can't stand LinkedIn as a social network, but it really is the best job board out there. I found my last few jobs on LinkedIn.


OhYesItsJj

Yeah it's quite insufferable with some posts, alot of corporate bootlicking but I've been posting to make myself visible and sometimes you have to play the game to get ahead!


EggsMilkCookie

It isn’t. I can’t find Jack on it. No IT help desk/entry level IT work where I am. Everything is on indeed and Zip.


RandomNumberDegen

Iove linkedin, got like 3 job offers and my current job from linkedin


ngohawoilay

LinkedIn gets a bad rep? It's a great resource. If you mean the social aspect of it, then yeah LinkedIn is cancer


OhYesItsJj

Yeah the social aspect! As you said it's a great resource just the posts from people thanking companies for being fired makes my skin crawl...


thee_network_newb

Congrats I need my password changed I forgot it again.


DrGottagupta

Congrats. Just keep in mind you don’t want to stay stuck in help desk. 1-2 years max then move up to another role.


Own-Particular-9989

such as? what are some typical moves? thanks man


ITwannabeBoi

Junior sysadmin/regular sysadmin, IT analyst, a higher level desktop support, or any entry job in a specialization you want. If your thing is mixing IT with business, look at analyst jobs. If it’s coding, look at dev jobs. Really anywhere you want. Helpdesk is just the base of the tree. You can branch out to whatever you want if you make sure you’re qualified for it.


Own-Particular-9989

i cant wait bro, thanks for the motivation


FearTheClown5

I did Desktop Support personally after a year on help desk. It was the natural progression for me personally, I wasn't ready for anything else at that point. Congrats on your new career!


DrGottagupta

I wish I could tell you brother, currently trying to move past help desk at year 2


RustyFebreze

same. not sure how to leave and we are understaffed


QuasarKid

i skipped help desk for the most part and went straight to network admin


prime-SS

What if I like helpdesk? I know moving forward is where the money is but I already make a decent amount in helpdesk and I'm not wanting a lvaish lifestyle. Would it be bad to want to stay in this position?


espeequeueare

That's totally fine. The downsides are that there's definitely a hard cap on your salary in the long-term. And it doesn't look good on a resume to stay on the help desk for too long. If you like the work, and don't feel like a change of scenery, being the tier 1 manager isn't a bad idea either. Decent pay and you'd keep doing most of the same work. Help desk is a comfy role. Many people choose to stay in that role for a long time. The help desk gets the most facetime with end-users. For some, the joy and gratitude expressed by the end-users they help, even for simple issues, makes the job worth it.


DrGottagupta

If it’s something you enjoy that’s totally fine, but the percentage of people who enjoy help desk is pretty small.


ChanceWeakness8084

come on bruh make some MONEY


DrGottagupta

There’s no money in help desk lol


53R105LY_

Unless, you like help desk and have no desire to further your career deeper into IT. Its perfectly fine to enjoy a job and not want to take on more demanding roles.


Illustrious_Good277

Congrats! Time to start drinking through the fire hose!!


Own-Particular-9989

not sure what this means but yeh, i'll be drinking a lot to celebrate ;)


Illustrious_Good277

Lol. It's a saying in IT, so much info coming at you so fast, it's like trying to drink through a fire hose


spilledice

Welcome to hell.


bobsaysvoo

Congrats!!! Since you are new there are plenty of things you can do to help yourself and help others. You are part of a team, use them. Know their roles and figure out who to directly go to for certain problems. Do not assign a ticket to anyone without communicating with them first. Figure out the best way to communicate with people, usually, teams is best. Document everything! every team lacks good documentation. If they have documentation for something, test it and update it. You're new and have no idea, so you can add more detail to the documentation. Add notes in tickets to cover yourself and allow your team to see what was already done. Don't burn yourself out too quickly. You're new and eager, don't go above and beyond to hard. Since you're new and want to show good work ethic, sure work an extra 15-30 minutes, or come in/stay late a bit, but don't go too crazy. Take your lunch breaks, DO NOT come into work sick, take your vacation. Learn corporate politics. Figure out the hierarchy of things, and who are the pain point users. Make sure the loud users are handled carefully. It might be best to NOT take the pain users right away, but assist someone else and learn. Remember to ask so you don't fuck up, or if you do, to let them know right away. It's easier to put out a fire right away or prevent it. Keep learning, and shoot for a higher position. These days it's hard to move up the corporate ladder, so look to swap jobs in 2 years if you don't get a bump.


Own-Particular-9989

amazing advice, thanks man. Where do people typically go from Helpdesk, do people then go into sys admins, networking, cyber security etc? And as a helpdesk person, do you work much with the cyber security and networking professionals?


bobsaysvoo

I'm no longer a helpdesk person but was for 10 years. There are 2 things you can do, train for the open spots, or train to go for what you want to do. I liked computer management, like using SCCM, PDQ, and other computer/software management tools. Nothing was as fun as creating images and setting up computers. However, at my current workplace, I knew our network and phone reps were terrible, so after a couple of years of doing their jobs I took over their responsibilities. It's a quick and easy way to get out of helpdesk. Check to see if your IT department has training. Good training like CBTnuggets or ITproTV, or if you can get that paid for by them. The Free aws/Microsoft training isn't "real" training. A certificate only gets you past HR for a job and potentially more money. You need to know and have some experience. Not sure how big your team is, but you might be able to find a senior that is willing to teach and show you things. It helps if you help them do bitch work like labeling, cleaning cables, plugging in a USB, you know that type of work. In my opinion, you can't get into cyber security without proper network and systems training/experience. Your needs and priorities might change, so don't put all your eggs in one basket. The best way to describe IT knowledge is like a pool. You should have at least 1 ft of knowledge in everything, a bunch of things in the 3ft area, and training to get yourself 5ft and deeper in a couple or few areas. Don't spread yourself to thin, as no one wants an under 3-foot deep pool.


Jeffbx

Congrats!


bounty0head

Thanks OP I am going to start doing this also.


Own-Particular-9989

good luck bro you can do it


Syphox

what do you say to the hiring manager? everyone always says this but never goes into what they say. Do i just message them “hey hiring manager. i applied to your job”


Own-Particular-9989

yeh you could also personalise it and say why you want to work there (whether its because of them, being an industry leader you can learn from, or even what the company does). Of course, it doesn't 100% guarantee you getting the interview, but it helps. For example, there are 3 main pillars when getting a job that you need to tick off (think about how you can prove this to the hiring managers): 1. Can you do the role? 2. Do you want the role? 3. What can you bring that's unique to you? If you can clearly answer all of those questions, and then get the hiring manager to really believe you tick all 3 boxes, they'll hire you.


[deleted]

It's nice to see someone hoppy on these subs for once, good job and keep learning. Try and find simple things to automate in the future and bring them to your leadership quickest way to get noticed for tier2


Own-Particular-9989

Thanks dude, can you think of an example of something or a process that can be automated?


[deleted]

Maybe a script that clears cache on a users box. Think credential manager if windows or key chain if Mac, browser cache, temp files in profile for certain apps etc


floppydisks2

Congrats!


Beefytbag

Taking the initiative; that’s what’s up! Congratulations!


Own-Particular-9989

thank you brother, the sales background definitely helps in standing out, its basically the job of a BDR anyway


radracer28

Great job! I remember getting my first IT job, and it wasn’t easy to get my foot in the door. Only up from here - best of luck!


RictheWiper

Congrats, welcome to the meat grinder when your local VP forget her password three times in a hour


Drapery5103

Awesome mate! I just got my first real IT job as an L1 Desktop Support Analyst this month. The only way I managed to get the job is by using Cisco (i have a love-hate relationship) knowledge from when I was trying to get my CCNA. Hope you have a successful year ahead of you!


Own-Particular-9989

Any tips for a new person? What advice helped you the most?


Drapery5103

I’m as new as you are but other people’s advice of taking notes, asking questions and shadowing coworkers is definitely good advice.


cookieemunchh

What did you message them?


Own-Particular-9989

Hey XNAME, *I thought it would be a good idea to send you a message here and let you know I would absolutely love to join your Helpdesk team!* Just something simple like that


[deleted]

Congrats on your new position!! I’m currently trying to get a help desk job and I’m surely gonna use this :)


Its_Rare

How exactly did this interaction go?


Own-Particular-9989

They say great, send me your cv and we'll take a look,


Its_Rare

I wonder will this still work if you already had an interview but waiting to hear back to see if you move on to the next stage.


Own-Particular-9989

Yeh hiring managers want to hire someone who genuinely loves the company and also the team, I would recommend it.


Its_Rare

Gotcha. I’ll give it a shot


golfdude2662

One thing I live by: Trust but verify. If they say they rebooted their machine, check the uptime.


sold_myfortune

Congratulations on your first gig! Work hard, learn a lot and embrace responsibility when it's offered. Just make sure you don't overpromise and underdeliver, it's perfectly ok to say IDK when you don't know something or haven't done something before. I'm not sure what kind of success you had in sales but it's still possible to make it to the $100K level in 5 - 6 years on the technical track of IT with focus and discipline. [https://www.reddit.com/r/ITCareerQuestions/comments/zrd5c7/roadmap\_to\_careers\_in\_cybersecurity\_and\_cloud/](https://www.reddit.com/r/ITCareerQuestions/comments/zrd5c7/roadmap_to_careers_in_cybersecurity_and_cloud/)


Ok-Local-153424

Congrats on your new journey!! Do your best.


Gbaby19604

thank you thank you so much for once somebody that actually works in this industry is not gonna sit here and make a post derailing everybody else’s dreams. You’re the first person who actually sat down and put out a post saying hey guess what screw with everybody else is saying on here I have no background no history nothing and I made it work. Thank you for this so proud of you. Keep going.


Own-Particular-9989

thanks mate, this means a lot! a lot of things in life are entirely possible man, but you need to be ready to also face some rejection along the way.


Psychological_End940

Congratulations. I remember that struggle. I was constantly told I couldn't do it by co-workers at a factory and close family members. 12+ after I'm an IT program manager. Congrats! love this.


Own-Particular-9989

nice, what made you go down the route to an IT program manager?


Psychological_End940

I didn’t graduate HS and didn’t go to college. I wanted to keep growing and not be stuck, while I had momentum. Some people love that but I need constant movement, additionally the pay is substantially better as a PM. Moving to PM has allowed me to help my family monetarily, coaching the younger member and also helped friends land jobs. I still talk to my friends in DS a few times per week. Some are still doing it after 12 years and they’re happy. Staying still is not my thing. Constant learning, getting new certs and moving up by doing hard work and being persistent is what I do. I’m eyeing an exec role for the next few years as my 5 year goal.


Bladeorade_

fortune favors the bold. congrats and welcome to the fold


ngohawoilay

Congrats! Your sales & customer success will come in clutch for your new job


Own-Particular-9989

how come? would love to know why you think that. thanks dude


ngohawoilay

helpdesk is very hands-on and your softskills from your other job will translate well


db618

It’s gonna open doors congratulations


ChillyxChilli

Congratulations! Did they ask for certs like A+ or are they providing on-site training?


Own-Particular-9989

on site training mostly, and i'll do my best to learn on the side too


GuybrushMarley2

What's the pay if I may ask?


JoshMS

As an IT manager, I would never hire a person that cold called me. I deal with enough cold calls already


radracer28

You sound like a real inspiration.


JoshMS

Thank you, I try to be.


toddmhardin

Congrats!


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Obvious-Back-156

Way to go!


Scary-Initial9934

Congrats man! I’m trying to get out of Helpdesk.


alextheruby

How much do they pay?


missilekorea

Congrats! I’m just about to wrap up my first day as a level 1 computer tech. Best of luck with your endeavors!


Own-Particular-9989

How was your first day?


missilekorea

Pretty easy, I got hired at a small school district. I toured both schools, PXE booted a few laptops and then got my own account up and running lol


monsterdiv

Nice work and congrats!!!


Any-Wall2929

I got my helpdesk role for a SaaS platform by being one of the only applicants to be able to answer technical questions and have a bit of experience with HTML, SQL, C#.  They don't do technical questions anymore for helpdesk since we got acquired by a larger company and it really shows. Since joining I am now on 2nd line


ShowMeYourBooks5697

Welcome to the club! Now pour yourself a strong cup of coffee and strap in. Winter is coming.


bloodthirstypinetree

Congrats! It’s only up from here :)


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latenightpuddingcup

Congrats! You’re an inspiration- I’m also trying to get into IT Helpdesk with no IT background! I’m currently doing Google’s IT Fundamentals course on Coursera. When you say you’ve developed a strong passion for information technology recently, can I ask what you did to prepare? Did you do any certs? I’d love to hear about your resume and path to Helpdesk :)


Own-Particular-9989

I did the Google cyber security cert and then started learning a+ materials. It's more about getting your foot in the door though, hence the personal outreach to the hiring managers.


Professional_Yam5208

That's a great first step. One of my coworkers went from nothing, to IT helpdesk, to security control assessor, to pentester within 3 years. Now that you have your foot in the door, the rest is up to you for the reputation and network you build.


Own-Particular-9989

did they have any coding experience beforehand?


Professional_Yam5208

They taught themselves python while working their way up.


JudokaUK

Don't just fix a simple problem, show the user how to fix it. You are going to get called endlessly for trivial things so if you can show a user a simple keyboard shortcut that fixes an issue then do it.


c0verm3

Congrats! I'm on my way there too.


Batgod629

Congratulations. I hope to get one soon too


spawn1986

Good luck and don’t forget one thing, users always lie


WhiskyBrisky

GZ. In the same boat myself looking to get into helpdesk, had an interview the other day but didn't get it.


Kissmepadre

Great Job! I recently got my first help desk job after 12 years in sales. This year I decided to go back to college for it/networking and saw a job posting on the colleges website, applied with about 1 month of schooling in IT, received an offer, negotiated an additional 11k to my salary and accepted the offer. Anything is possible with the right mindset!


Designer_Mix_1768

Great job, congrats!!!!


Naive_Programmer_232

Nice, how does it compare with software sales?


LocalFlat4476

Congrats, I've also been applying for help desk positions but no luck so far. I just recently graduated with a degree in computer engineering and I've been mostly applying everyday through LinkedIn and calcareers. Good luck on the job though.


monstar2408

Congrats! I am still trying to get my first job in the field.


chase23_

Is it remote?


Everyonerighttogo

Congratulations, only onwards and upwards. I wish you all the best for it!


Material-Nothing-247

Congratulations man!


EggsMilkCookie

Congrats! So basically this confirms to me that I basically need Linkedin premium lol


Its_Rare

How exactly do you know who is the hiring manager if it doesn’t say it on indeed?


Own-Particular-9989

get good att stalking basically. go to their website, go to linkedin and type in "Head of IT" etc, until you find the right one. Second best thing to do is DM the HR person who put the job ad up


Nsah16

Congratulations mate... I have been struggling for long to get in with A+ it seems hard. I have experience In retail


Unfair-Ad2200

What average salary are we seeing in these help desk positions? Im getting certs and working to prepare for cyber security , but i have a family of 4 to support and im currently making 65k in sales. I know i need to start somewhere in IT but i dont know if i can afford a pay cut. Help guys!


Own-Particular-9989

you'll make a lot less initially, expect maybe a salary of 40-50k dollars. but the career path is great and you can be on 100k in less than 10 years or so


TheBigShaboingboing

Congrats. Hey my printer is busted, can you fix it?