Looking to Go to School for Help Desk Job... which Program should I Take?

timmycakes88

Just registered here to ask everyone's opinion on a matter. I am 100% new to the whole idea of working a help desk job and am trying to pick the right program at my school (a local community college). With help from school advisers, my choices have been narrowed down to two programs:

- Computer Information Systems [CIS] - Network Communications Technology

and

- Electronic Engineering Technology [EET] - Computer Maintenance and Networking Major


The reason I am a little confused may stem from simply not realizing what exactly entails working a help desk job. At any rate, though, my initial instinct was to go wit the EET program because it seems to deal more with fixing computers and all that (which I am under the impression an IT help desk person does).

However, if you click the "visit this program's page" button for the EET and hit "Jobs and Salary", you see a list of possible jobs associated with getting a degree in that program--none of which being a help desk job.

Now, when you go to the CIS program--a program that seems more business oriented to me--and follow the same route to get to the "Jobs and Salary" page, you will see (on page 2) [FONT=helvetica, arial]Computer User Support Specialist[/FONT], which sounds like the job I'm looking for.

It may seem obvious that I would just choose the program that literally has the job I'm looking for in its career description, but I want to be sure since the coursework seems more business oriented.

Thanks in advance for any advice!

p@r0tuXus

Great post!

Welcome, first of all. Next, I went into a similar program (CIS) and have done both Help Desk, Support, NOC jobs. They are not end of the road for most people, except those without drive or education in most places. However, there's always going to be a need for that position, the problem is it just doesn't pay enough even at top-out in most places I've been. EET is for gadgetry and digging into circuit boards, maybe even some arduino type stuff in the future (who knows!), but the CIS is probably more like what you're looking for. If you want to fix computers you can probably go down that road with an EET, but it'll literally be fixing/soldering stuff or putting machines together. If you want to help users/end support, CIS would give you a better leg-up and probably more opportunity to branch out into software/coding/networking/security... whatever, let your mind go where it wants. But I'll tell you, help desk isn't for everyone. Troubleshooting all day long can be mentally exhausting and the people can be emotionally draining. But some people love it. One thing's for sure, there's always something new to learn.

Good Luck!

timmycakes88

Thank you so much for such a prompt response! Yeah tinkering and (as you say) fixing/soldering stuff isn't what I'm looking for. So as of now, CIS sounds like the path for me I will let a few more people chime in (if they do) before calling my school and making the decision, but your input is illuminating and informative, so thank you again.

EANx

Have you looked locally to see what the typical job requirements are? I don't want to dissuade you from a degree but many of the listed courses are superfluous to a job in IT.

Quench24

Computer Information Systems has the word computer in it. The other does not. Simple

TheFORCE

Don't go to school to learn how to get a helpdesk job, those jobs can be done by anyone, with degree or no degree. Go to school to learn how to be something more, something that will give you pleasure and fulfillment not only at a specific entry level job but aim higher for a job that you will do for a long time.

Cisco Inferno

I agree, dont go to school with the sights of helpdesk.

Go with the CIS degree. I have that. Mind you, in the AA level, you are really taking all your GenEds. Maybe a half the degree will be with other subjects. If you transfer to any other school maybe 90% will be in your major. so thats fun.

I have also noticed a CIS specialty at this school.
[h=1]Associate of Applied Business in Network Communications Technology[/h]
this looks like what you want to do. I saw another specialty for hardware maintenance and support. DO NOT do this. youre going to school to advance yourself, not learn to do what someone out of highschool can do. it will be more worth it in the long run. Plus this degree will beat that when choosing a candidate.

Also, drop the EET, non related but cool nonetheless.

Moon Child

I would choose the CIS they throw two semesters of accounting and business classes in the mix which is very nice. You want those business classes to fall back on. Even with just a couple semesters of accounting and some business classes you could always fall back on a basic $12/hr bookkeeping job if need be. When I got my bachelors in CIS our professors urged us also to get a minor in Business Admin in order to have something to fall back on. They told us then that computer jobs in our area were hard to come by and also being qualified for basic office jobs like doing bookeeping was helpful.