Help Desk vs. Desktop Support

Cisco InfernoCisco Inferno Member Posts: 1,034 ■■■■■■□□□□
in IT Jobs / Degrees
hi there, i have not really found any good information on the differences between a helpdesk technician and a desktop support technician.

could someone please tell me some key differences along with roles of each?
thank you.

which one would be a more desirable position with room for advancement.


ps. the role "IT Technician", what would that pertain.
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  • nicklauscombsnicklauscombs Member Posts: 885
    varies from company to company, job posting to job posting. they could all even describe exactly the same job.
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  • sentimetalsentimetal Member Posts: 103
    nicklauscombs wrote: »
    varies from company to company, job posting to job posting. they could all even describe exactly the same job.

    This! Our help desk calls the help desk guy "Desktop Support Specialist" yet he performs your typical help desk duties.
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  • Asif DaslAsif Dasl Member Posts: 2,116 ■■■■■■■■□□
    Helpdesk technician is a more phone based role, you might do support over RDP, VNC something like that.

    Desktop Support Technician is a more sneaker net (walking desktop to desktop role) but it may also include support over RDP but usually without a phone strapped to your ear all day.

    Desktop support would be above helpdesk technician but below system administrator. If you had a choice between the two, go for desktop support.
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  • Cisco InfernoCisco Inferno Member Posts: 1,034 ■■■■■■□□□□
    Asif Dasl wrote: »
    Helpdesk technician is a more phone based role, you might do support over RDP, VNC something like that.

    Desktop Support Technician is a more sneaker net (walking desktop to desktop role) but it may also include support over RDP but usually without a phone strapped to your ear all day.

    Desktop support would be above helpdesk technician but below system administrator. If you had a choice between the two, go for desktop support.

    ok cool i move from place to place at my job tackling issues. i guess i technically skipped help desk :D
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    CompTIA Linux+    [ ] Bachelor's Degree
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  • N2ITN2IT Inactive Imported Users Posts: 7,483 ■■■■■■■■■■
    Asif Dasl wrote: »
    Helpdesk technician is a more phone based role, you might do support over RDP, VNC something like that.

    Desktop Support Technician is a more sneaker net (walking desktop to desktop role) but it may also include support over RDP but usually without a phone strapped to your ear all day.

    Desktop support would be above helpdesk technician but below system administrator. If you had a choice between the two, go for desktop support.

    +1

    I agree with this 99%

    I have done both roles and I currently manage a team of desktop support techs and the desktop role is a lot more technical. We deal with Linux builds, XP 64 builds, Windows 7 builds, etc. Some of the techs work with the system management team to build custom builds. We install SQL server 2000 and 2005 on high powered desktops and configure them to report back to the data center.

    Like Asif said not quite a system admin or engineer, but worlds away from the helpdesk.

    Every environment I have been in the helpdesk escalates to the deskside/desktop techs not the other way around.
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  • XcluzivXcluziv Member Posts: 513 ■■■■□□□□□□
    Asif Dasl wrote: »
    Helpdesk technician is a more phone based role, you might do support over RDP, VNC something like that.

    Desktop Support Technician is a more sneaker net (walking desktop to desktop role) but it may also include support over RDP but usually without a phone strapped to your ear all day.

    Desktop support would be above helpdesk technician but below system administrator. If you had a choice between the two, go for desktop support.

    Great overview!!!! I would always go for the Desktop Support role......Helpdesk is very basic and would get to be tedious and mundane after a week or 2
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  • EveryoneEveryone Member Posts: 1,661
    Answering the phone and asking "Is your computer plugged in?" vs crawling under the desk and plugging the computer in for the user. ;)
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  • Rockets34LifeRockets34Life Member Posts: 122
    Everyone wrote: »
    Answering the phone and asking "Is your computer plugged in?" vs crawling under the desk and plugging the computer in for the user. ;)

    This.

    My job is actually doing both and doing a little sys admin work.
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  • BradleyHUBradleyHU Member Posts: 918 ■■■■□□□□□□
    like someone said...it varies from job to job. Sometimes they're one and the same. The helpdesk where i'm at is called ServiceDesk. Their responsibilities is basically AD id creations, password resets, virus removal, assigning emails/calls to them that are L2+ to proper IS groups(desktop services, server support, messaging, voice & data, etc). Desktop Support, you do the same AD creations, password resets, virus removals that HelpDesk does, but you do more than just that. A/V setups, Laptop/Workstation imaging & deployments, Blackberry/smartphone support, printer support, etc....
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  • ZzBloopzZZzBloopzZ Member Posts: 192
    Great thread guys. Looks like I will have to shoot for Desktop Support my self.
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  • kentrgkentrg Member Posts: 18 ■□□□□□□□□□
    Like most people said Desktop is in person and Helpdesk is remote.
    Which role is better for you and gets to do more really varies depending where you work.
    In my firm Desktop is pretty much just hardware replacements (keyboards, mice etc) , PC imaging, memory upgrades. I wouldn't want to do it
    Helpdesk gets to do a lot more we troubleshoot the PC/read the logs and tell Desktop what needs to be done then. We also get to do wmware,citrix,video conferencing setups, software management and some admin work.

    Edit: ah ye im sure many people dislike to be stuck on the phone.
    In my case we have a messaging system so i rarely call the user.
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