How Do I get myself out of Help Desk ASAP!

Hi, i been hovering the boards for quite a while reading different experiences about people starting there career's in Help Desk.

I worked in a call center environment since 2009 and have joined a Enterprise Help Desk team in March which runs systematically as a call center taking inbound calls from employees at the Tier 1 Level.

I have to meet the same strict requirements on the phone which is Average Handle Time, After Call Work, Compliance with Breaks/Lunches. Taking away all that and doing the straight technical support that i do i would have a great experience but i'm tired of having to be forced and bound to a phone like a dog on a leash.

I have various recruiters all scavenging for positions for me to fit into but the fact that i have to take time off for interviewing is another problem of its own since i have to take time off for most interviews. I want to at least assure myself the next position i take will be the right one in the right place. I am currently A+ certified and enrolled in WGU working towards my IT/Security program. How much longer should i invest in Help Desk and what certs should i shoot for to be able to market myself better and have the skillset to move up. My goal would be to work as a System Administrator but i am confused with so much of the certifications that are out there.

Any guidance from fellow people who were in my shoes would be great! Let me know what you guys think.

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Comments

Deathmage

dsqueo1309 wrote: »

Hi, i been hovering the boards for quite a while reading different experiences about people starting there career's in Help Desk.

I worked in a call center environment since 2009 and have joined a Enterprise Help Desk team in March which runs systematically as a call center taking inbound calls from employees at the Tier 1 Level.

I have to meet the same strict requirements on the phone which is Average Handle Time, After Call Work, Compliance with Breaks/Lunches. Taking away all that and doing the straight technical support that i do i would have a great experience but i'm tired of having to be forced and bound to a phone like a dog on a leash.

I have various recruiters all scavenging for positions for me to fit into but the fact that i have to take time off for interviewing is another problem of its own since i have to take time off for most interviews. I want to at least assure myself the next position i take will be the right one in the right place. I am currently A+ certified and enrolled in WGU working towards my IT/Security program. How much longer should i invest in Help Desk and what certs should i shoot for to be able to market myself better and have the skillset to move up. My goal would be to work as a System Administrator but i am confused with so much of the certifications that are out there.

Any guidance from fellow people who were in my shoes would be great! Let me know what you guys think.

If you want to be a system administrator do you like Windows/Apple/Linux? - choosce the certifications in that criteria to specialize.

If you want to be a network adminstrator focus on either Net + to start and go for a CCENT/CCNA R&S combo.

Also I make a strong push for which every one you choice and get a Security certification such as Sec + or GIAC since security is a big thing right now for any administrator be it network or systems.

dsqueo1309

Which Certifications would be solid for System Administrators for Microsoft or Linux?

lsud00d

Microsoft - MCSA 2008/2012 (Each constitutes 3 exams, or the MCSA 2008 + MS 70-417 [upgrade exam] = MCSA 2012)
Linux - Linux+, RHCSA (Linux+ is 2 exams)

Note that both tracks are not easy but since most people have exposure to Microsoft due to being consumers of Windows operating systems I contend the Linux track to be more difficult.

xenodamus

Start with the MCSA for Microsoft. Certifications aren't as important in the Linux world from what I've seen. For the purposes of learning, Linux+ provides a good introduction. Beyond that, RHCSA and RHCE are some of the best known Linux certifications.

Fidelity

To put this bluntly, you should have gotten yourself out of Helpdesk at least 2 years ago. Right now all you are doing is pigeon-holing yourself into Helpdesk. The longer you stay in Helpdesk the less likely you are to get out of it.

Start applying for junior and mid level System Administrator roles immediately. Don't worry about meeting all the requirements, you want a job where you can learn and grow. Show them you are hungry and willing to take on challenges and somebody will take a chance on you. In the meantime, start studying for the MCSA or RHCSA (If you don't know any Linux, start with Linux+) as they will significantly boost your chances for their respective specialties.

Kinet1c

lsud00d wrote: »

Microsoft - MCSA 2008/2012 (Each constitutes 3 exams, or the MCSA 2008 + MS 70-417 [upgrade exam] = MCSA 2012)
Linux - Linux+, RHCSA (Linux+ is 2 exams)

Note that both tracks are not easy but since most people have exposure to Microsoft due to being consumers of Windows operating systems I contend the Linux track to be more difficult.

All of the above and perhaps CCNA. I did the certs to the left on my profile to get a Network/NOC position so that could be an option too.

W Stewart

Don't underestimate the value of networking knowledge as a sys admin either. Other then that, anything else I would have said has already been said.

dsqueo1309

Fidelity wrote: »

To put this bluntly, you should have gotten yourself out of Helpdesk at least 2 years ago. Right now all you are doing is pigeon-holing yourself into Helpdesk. The longer you stay in Helpdesk the less likely you are to get out of it.

Start applying for junior and mid level System Administrator roles immediately. Don't worry about meeting all the requirements, you want a job where you can learn and grow. Show them you are hungry and willing to take on challenges and somebody will take a chance on you. In the meantime, start studying for the MCSA or RHCSA (If you don't know any Linux, start with Linux+) as they will significantly boost your chances for their respective specialties.

Thanks for the advice and for everyone's suggestion. The reason i didn't take myself out of the help desk is because i was in a limited role with the position i was in which was with the ISP. Currently I'm going 5 months on the Enterprise Help Desk role so i wanted to just get a few months in but you are absolutely right about applying for these roles immediately.

Most of the recruiters i been working with have said that right now the market is competitive and that a lot of managers are not leaning towards the hungry, ambitious person and want more experience.

Right now with the IT Security Program i am taking:

CIW Web Foundations Associate
Network +

I already have my A+ as of April 2014.

I haven't decided on which certification to go towards but my instinct tells me to go for the Security +

W Stewart

It really depends and maybe its location as well but I've seen plenty of employers looking for somebody with just enough experience to pick up on things quickly but not so much experience that they're going to demand a higher salary. Your best bet if your knowledge is still at the help desk level is to get some certs and do some labbing at home. You cant go wrong with security+ either. Security knowledge is often underrated but it's also essential for a sys admin.

Itrimble

I'm also in WGU Network Design & Management track. I also work Help Desk. Like you, I've been doing Help Desk since February. My company implemented it in February and chose 2 of us to do it. At first it was challenging, now it seems like I do 60% more work, since I create tickets, and and answer the phone all day, and work on tickets all at the same time. I'm doing the Security + and the Network + right now as well. Then I'm looking into Microsoft certs and CISSP, or CEH. Down the line, I'm looking at CCNA. Keep on working on those certs.

dsqueo1309

Itrimble wrote: »

I'm also in WGU Network Design & Management track. I also work Help Desk. Like you, I've been doing Help Desk since February. My company implemented it in February and chose 2 of us to do it. At first it was challenging, now it seems like I do 60% more work, since I create tickets, and and answer the phone all day, and work on tickets all at the same time. I'm doing the Security + and the Network + right now as well. Then I'm looking into Microsoft certs and CISSP, or CEH. Down the line, I'm looking at CCNA. Keep on working on those certs.

Did you take all the MTA's with WGU. With my program im given the MTA-Windows OS Fundamentals and MTA-Software Dev Fundamentals.

lsud00d

Fidelity wrote: »

To put this bluntly, you should have gotten yourself out of Helpdesk at least 2 years ago. Right now all you are doing is pigeon-holing yourself into Helpdesk. The longer you stay in Helpdesk the less likely you are to get out of it.

There's no reason to be so fanatical about this. I was in the Help Desk for 4 years doing tier I/II HD/Network/Video conference support and within the past 3 years have been promoted multiple times to a senior infrastructure engineer.

What's more important is what kind of person you are, including your work ethic, outlook on life, and overall self-worth. All of these things start with you, not what position you're in.

dsqueo1309

lsud00d wrote: »

There's no reason to be so fanatical about this. I was in the Help Desk for 4 years doing tier I/II HD/Network/Video conference support and within the past 3 years have been promoted multiple times to a senior infrastructure engineer.

What's more important is what kind of person you are, including your work ethic, outlook on life, and overall self-worth. All of these things start with you, not what position you're in.

That's true nobody likes to work with people that don't have work ethic. I think its a little bit of both. Im going to start working on adding those skill sets and start applying for the higher level positions. The worst that can happen is they tell me no.

Itrimble

I took all my MTA's through WGU.

DrB1986

I am currently going through this hell, and I know it all to well.........

Just thought I would throw in my two cents since I am leaving my helldesk job this week, I would follow the advice you are given on the board, study for as many certs as you can, N+ ( like I am doing) and MS MTA certs ( If possible MS MCSA, MCTS), then get the hell out, get out by any means possible, save yourself lol.