Advice on how to move out of help desk career

Hi,
I am currently working as a help desk technician in a big enough company for the past one year, but I really want to move out of it
Need advice on what do I need to do like certifications and all and how much time it will take to move out
Also I am more inclined to a managerial role in the IT field

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Comments

BradleyHU

what do you want to move towards? certifications arent necessarily the end all be all to getting into a position that you want, but they dont hurt either. also, for the direction that you want to move to, do you do any of those activities now? and what does your help desk duties consist of?

dave330i

1. learn a technology
2. get certified in said technology
3. apply for jobs involving said technology.

Kadambari

to sum it all up I work in a project that supports a production company.
My job is to do simple things like password resets unlocks for the applications they use, troubleshooting whatever problems the users have with their production related applications and also their mail client.
But yes I am in an L1 support so that means I am not specific to a domain or technology. And no the only managerial thing I do is adhering to the various agreements that my company has made with the client company.
Advise are welcome on this

Kadambari

coreyb80

Find what it is that you're interested in rather it's being a System Admin or maybe being a Network Admin. Once you find your niche study and master it.

puertorico1985

Dave is right on the money. The first thing you have to do is decide what it is you like to do. That may be easier said than done. You may not have had the opportunity to work with many different technologies and may not know what you want. Unfortunately, you have to decide on something. Look at job postings, read the job descriptions, and decide from there if you are really having trouble. Or perhaps you have a IT-related hobby that you love doing. If so, choose that. Once you have found a specialization, look at job postings (again) for those types of jobs, and get certified in that field. For example, network admin you would study for the CCNA, or SysAdmin study for Linux+ or Microsoft material. Those are just example scenarios, but knowing where you want to go will allow you to walk the path necessary to your destination. Good luck!!!!

cyberguypr

Definitely identify what moves you. This is critical. If you follow a specific path for the wrong reasons you'll be miserable really fast. If you follow your passion, then you have half the battle won. Once you identify where you want to go as other have said, study it, cert, and become proficient.

Once the above happens you can start looking at other positions. Apply to those positions but be aware that lack of practical experience will most likely be an issue. My recommendation is to try to find a helpdesk/desktop support position with a company that is growing fast and is understaffed. That way, you'll have the chance to take on additional duties that will blend into the systems/network/security administration area. Not an easy tasks, but definitely doable.

Best of luck on your endeavor.

Heny '06

Ahhh the Helpdesk black hole, it's so hard to get out of....well it can be. I do agree with others have said find what you like learn those skills and get certified in them. But here can come the dilemma, you might not have the experience, only helpdesk type of experience, which may mean you only get helpdesk type of opportunities based off your working experience not your education and certifications. As many have said, work experience usually trumps certs "usually". My advise try to get on projects that allow to see and touch more of the IT infrastructure other than helpdesk, if you're willing to take a new job you might have to, to either get more duties and responsibilities that you're not getting at your current job. Talk to your manager, like them know you have aspirations to do more than helpdesk and you can show them your putting in the work to be more than just a helpdesk tech. good luck and keep us posted on your jouries out of helpdesk. These can be success stories we should make a sticky on this

xocity

Get 1/2 certs on a technology you like. Build some people skills, learn how to come off as determined and confident and speak with your manager. Show interest in higher things, Let them know where you are and where you want to go in your career. Its always helped me and I eventually moved out of the help desk.

N2IT

dave330i wrote: »

1. learn a technology
2. get certified in said technology
3. apply for jobs involving said technology.

+1

Figure out what you want to do and start to shape your career towards that particular technology. If you are on the service desk and you want to get into system administration then start to capture all duties you do that synch into that position. You may add and remove machines from the domain. That would be something to capture.

Get a certification that links what you are doing now to what you want to do.

JoJoCal19

dave330i wrote: »

1. learn a technology
2. get certified in said technology
3. apply for jobs involving said technology.

This.

Decide what area of technology you like, or if you just want out of the HD, what areas you can move into. Get certifications like MCSA/MCSE if you would like to go into systems admin role, CCENT/CCNA if you want to get into networking, SSCP if you want to get into security. Then apply for some entry level jobs in those roles or start networking and job shadowing at work and try posting internally. You want to try to get an interview and then demonstrate you have the knowledge to do the job you want and hope that you find an employer willing to give you a shot. Also I would look into getting a degree (if you don't already have one) as you will find you will be competing with others who have degrees.

nkillgore

Tell your boss you want to be involved in more complex projects. If your boss says "no", figure out why. Is anyone on level 1 support moving up in the company? If not, get a job somewhere else. If so, figure out how they are doing it.

You aren't going to jump from level 1 support into management. Get certs (PMP or CAPM are good project management certs). I think comptia has a project+ cert. Lazy people can spend their whole lives in level 1 support. You get out of an IT career what you put into it. It took a few months to realize, but the sooner you understand that, the sooner you will get out of help desk.