Interview Help- Level 1 Help Desk

New2ITinCali

Hi All, I have an interview coming up on Monday and I need some advice please. It's a level 1 help desk position and the job description also states, "Basic understanding of network/data communications. Troubleshooting and documenting solutions. Maintain and update Active Directory."

If anyone has any feedback or has ever worked in a similar position I would greatly appreciate any and all advice offered to me.

THANKS IN ADVANCE

cyberguypr

From a post I made the other day:

One of my biggest pet peeves with support techs these days is the lack of networking knowledge. I mean, some guys have no idea what a local loopback is, and don't even get me started about APIPA. Heck, I've even seen "system administrators" that can't do networking at all and then wonder why things don't work properly.

Make sure you understand how DNS and DHCP work. No need to be an expert, but make sure you know what devices do: switch, router. firewall. Understand the purpose of subnetting, etc. Extra points if you can tell me how to use ARP, Netstat, Traceroute, NSLookup to troubleshoot. Security is a hot topic. If you can show knowledge in this area you'll have another point in your favor.

You can get away with just imaging and light AD work but widening your skill set will set you apart from the bunch.

--chris--

Customer service, social skills & customer service!

The stuff you will see on help desk is easily learned. Knowing how to handle failures, upset users and other prickly situations is what makes great support.

For technical stuff: I'd know what he posted above, how to troubleshoot outlook, how to move around user profiles in AD, and the basics like bad cabled connections...etc

rsutton

Expanding on cyberguypr's post. If you can answer these questions then you are ready for your interview.
1) How does a data packet get from your computer to a web server on the internet? What devices will it traverse?
2) What is a 169. IP address and what could it indicate?
3) What's the purpose of DNS in relation to Active Directory?
4) What's the purpose of DHCP?
5) How do you reset/create/disable an Active Directory user object?
6) What does a Domain Controller do?
7) How would you troubleshoot a computer that you cannot join to an Active Directory domain?
How would you troubleshoot not being able to connect to a local web server?

MAC_Addy

cyberguypr wrote: »

From a post I made the other day:

One of my biggest pet peeves with support techs these days is the lack of networking knowledge. I mean, some guys have no idea what a local loopback is, and don't even get me started about APIPA. Heck, I've even seen "system administrators" that can't do networking at all and then wonder why things don't work properly.

You sir have hit the nail on the head. If I were to meet you in person, I'd buy you a beer. Only because this is one of my pet peeves, too. I have seen many, many IT "professionals" have a hard time explaining 90% of what you included in your post. Ridiculous if you ask me. The company I currently work for has a few technicians that don't even know what AD is. But the funny thing is, they have "Systems Administrator I and II" listed on their resume as a previous job. I wished I was in that interview.

coreyb80

cyberguypr wrote: »

From a post I made the other day:

One of my biggest pet peeves with support techs these days is the lack of networking knowledge. I mean, some guys have no idea what a local loopback is, and don't even get me started about APIPA. Heck, I've even seen "system administrators" that can't do networking at all and then wonder why things don't work properly.

Make sure you understand how DNS and DHCP work. No need to be an expert, but make sure you know what devices do: switch, router. firewall. Understand the purpose of subnetting, etc. Extra points if you can tell me how to use ARP, Netstat, Traceroute, NSLookup to troubleshoot. Security is a hot topic. If you can show knowledge in this area you'll have another point in your favor.

You can get away with just imaging and light AD work but widening your skill set will set you apart from the bunch.

A person can know all of this, which is fine well and good, but still lack of the most important skills in Helpdesk which is customer service skills.

MAC_Addy

coreyb80 wrote: »

A person can know all of this, which is fine well and good, but still lack of the most important skills in Helpdesk which is customer service skills.

If they can get the job done, then it really doesn't matter all that much.

Eston21

Sadly mosy entry level help desk jobs are really customer service jobs. Because at a lot of places most of the problems are the same, so they feel they can teach anyone to solve those 90% of problems. They are more worried about a pleasant customer experience as opposed to a know it all talking down to everyone.

New2ITinCali

rsutton wrote: »

Expanding on cyberguypr's post. If you can answer these questions then you are ready for your interview.
1) How does a data packet get from your computer to a web server on the internet? What devices will it traverse?
2) What is a 169. IP address and what could it indicate?
3) What's the purpose of DNS in relation to Active Directory?
4) What's the purpose of DHCP?
5) How do you reset/create/disable an Active Directory user object?
6) What does a Domain Controller do?
7) How would you troubleshoot a computer that you cannot join to an Active Directory domain?
How would you troubleshoot not being able to connect to a local web server?

Yes I've learned all of this in my Network Communications course in college. Thats just the thing though. I cannot articulate myself when it comes to technical questions. Here is a question from a previous interview I had with the same company.. "How do you set wifi for a large campus?" ..

New2ITinCali

Eston21 wrote: »

Sadly mosy entry level help desk jobs are really customer service jobs. Because at a lot of places most of the problems are the same, so they feel they can teach anyone to solve those 90% of problems. They are more worried about a pleasant customer experience as opposed to a know it all talking down to everyone.

Well I can definitely tell you have Excellent Customer skills. It has been documented in my past performance reviews. So that is an area I'm not concerned about. I'm concerned about getting past the technical questions although I do hold a Bachelors in Information Technology Management, I still struggle with technical questions.

New2ITinCali

coreyb80 wrote: »

A person can know all of this, which is fine well and good, but still lack of the most important skills in Helpdesk which is customer service skills.

As I stated previously, I have excellent customer service skills. It has been documented in past performance reviews at work. My management raves about my CS skills (no bragging btw). I'm just desperate to get my foot in my door. My Bachelor in Information Technology Management is doing me no good in the accoutning field. So I'm stuck. I really want to tranistion into IT, I just lack hands-on experience besides a 6 month IT internship I completed about 2 years ago. Thanks

coreyb80

MAC_Addy wrote: »

If they can get the job done, then it really doesn't matter all that much.

It matters more than you think.

rsutton

MAC_Addy wrote: »

If they can get the job done, then it really doesn't matter all that much.

This couldn't be further from the truth. When I hire entry level technicians I care more about their soft skills & how they will interact with my clients.

Fidelity

New2ITinCali wrote: »

Yes I've learned all of this in my Network Communications course in college. Thats just the thing though. I cannot articulate myself when it comes to technical questions. Here is a question from a previous interview I had with the same company.. "How do you set wifi for a large campus?" ..

If you can't explain it then it means you don't really know it... You should be able to explain it in laymen terms at the minimum. You don't need to give a highly technical answer. This will be how you are expected to answer questions for clients as Helpdesk. If you give them a technical answer 99% of callers are not going to understand what you are saying. That's bad soft skills.

New2ITinCali

Fidelity wrote: »

If you can't explain it then it means you don't really know it... You should be able to explain it in laymen terms at the minimum. You don't need to give a highly technical answer. This will be how you are expected to answer questions for clients as Helpdesk. If you give them a technical answer 99% of callers are not going to understand what you are saying. That's bad soft skills.

Well I think you're right about that. I don't have much hands-on experience so explaining it is very difficult as I've stated before I have more textbook knowledge than anything else. I am setting up an in home lab, and studying for A+ certification as advised by some on here I think that should help me some.

TheFORCE

Having worked in a Helpdesk position before, the most important is customer service! I understand, some of the people above want someone to answer all the tech questions, but really, someone at the Helpdesk will probably never have to setup DHCP. The basic knowledge of pinging an IP address and troubleshooting switches and routers will come handy. Helpdesk position is an entry level and a stepping stone for a lot of people. If they have the drive and desire, they will eventually move up. But the most important skills to start off is customer service and communication, common sense and some basic/intermediate troubleshooting skills.

bull313

When I worked Level I help desk, it was customer service first and foremost! Obviously skills with Windows, Office, AD, et al is important as well. However there are also the intangibles that you just can't teach: positive attitude, a willingness to go above and beyond, and such. Whenever I had downtown (like lunch break), I would call back the end users from a few days before to make certain I resolved the issues to their satisfaction. This effort allowed me to be promoted to Level II pretty quickly.

Anyone can be taught about networking and troubleshooting. After all, none of us were born into this world known how to configure DNS

juicyjay36

rsutton wrote: »

Expanding on cyberguypr's post. If you can answer these questions then you are ready for your interview.
1) How does a data packet get from your computer to a web server on the internet? What devices will it traverse?
2) What is a 169. IP address and what could it indicate?
3) What's the purpose of DNS in relation to Active Directory?
4) What's the purpose of DHCP?
5) How do you reset/create/disable an Active Directory user object?
6) What does a Domain Controller do?
7) How would you troubleshoot a computer that you cannot join to an Active Directory domain?
How would you troubleshoot not being able to connect to a local web server?

Could someone please provide answers for these? Some I get, some I have no clue.

MAC_Addy

rsutton wrote: »

This couldn't be further from the truth. When I hire entry level technicians I care more about their soft skills & how they will interact with my clients.

I agree with you if you have actual clients that you're sending technicians to. But, if it's a small company then it kinda does matter, because you'll get a bad rep. Though, we do have a couple of technicians here that have NO people skills, but people love them because they get the job done quickly. This is just based on my personal experience where I don't have to send our techs out to client sites.

egrizzly

My suggestion to you is two fold.

1. Master all the required skills listed in the job description.
2. Be excellent in other areas of the interview which you can control.


For #1, just print out the job description and then go through a study guide to be sure you can demonstrate or answer questions on the skill set. If you know those skills from experience that is even better. Since you have been called in for a face to face interview that means they are already impressed with the technical skills listed on your resume. Because of that #2 is more important. Trust me on this. You have to be excellent in other areas of the interview which you can control. If you can perform most tasks on the job description no Help Desk manager gives a sh#% that you cannot configure VPN or some other secondary task they can teach you in ten minutes. Note the following tasks pertaining to #2 importantly.

a.) very important. know how to have small talk that presents itself usually before or after the interview. This does not appear as the official interview discussion but it shows them that you can bond with the help desk team. Be sure to google the following items: weather, any interesting current events like the grammys, sports (college basketball, NBA usually common around this time), any interesting thing/hobby you did that u can naturally talk about. It could be the two minutes that you guys yap about the superbowl that gets you the job "you know I really like Jeff. He's easy to talk to" could be the winning recommendation.

b.) be on time (means 15 minutes early. if your there at 9am for a 9am interview you're late!)

c.) master how to answer all the basic interview questions confidently. E.g. when asked "what is your greatest weakness" know to give the desired response (e.g. I struggle with public speaking skills) but provide a practical workaround. This is because public speaking is not related to your job. You can get to basic interview questions by googling "interview questions for help desk"

d.) Dress sharply! Cannot emphasize this enough. A manager should look at you and without even speaking think "this is a guy that's got it together". Remember dressing sharp is important.

e.) Note this as well. If you get asked about a specific brand/skill that you are not aware of. E.g. "How do you configure Cisco VPN?" tell them. I have not had exposure with Cisco VPN specifically but I understand the concept of VPN. Tell them you can set it up with XYZ software. They all work the same except that the menus are different! Note that I use VPN here as an example. The task they ask you about could be encryption, passwords, email signature, e.t.c

best of luck. you'll get this job if you work hard on passing the interview.

egrizzly

New2ITinCali wrote: »

As I stated previously, I have excellent customer service skills. It has been documented in past performance reviews at work. My management raves about my CS skills (no bragging btw). I'm just desperate to get my foot in my door. My Bachelor in Information Technology Management is doing me no good in the accoutning field. So I'm stuck. I really want to tranistion into IT, I just lack hands-on experience besides a 6 month IT internship I completed about 2 years ago. Thanks

Nonsense! If you lack "hands on" experience then perform the labs where you lack experience in over and over till you master it. You would have more knowledge than half the people at the potential employers group at that point. Then what you do is gently put on your resume "Experience In a Lab Environment". If the manager needs help and see that you have demonstrated how to do the job and have a good personality they'll hire you. Just don't be dishonest about it.

New2ITinCali

egrizzly wrote: »

Nonsense! If you lack "hands on" experience then perform the labs where you lack experience in over and over till you master it. You would have more knowledge than half the people at the potential employers group at that point. Then what you do is gently put on your resume "Experience In a Lab Environment". If the manager needs help and see that you have demonstrated how to do the job and have a good personality they'll hire you. Just don't be dishonest about it.

I should rephrase that. Instead of saying I lack hands-on experience, because in all actuality I don't, I think I should say I haven't held an official position in the field of Information Technology. Therefore it makes it somewhat difficult to land a position.

Fidelity

The words you are looking for are: work experience.

mokaiba

rsutton wrote: »

Expanding on cyberguypr's post. If you can answer these questions then you are ready for your interview.
1) How does a data packet get from your computer to a web server on the internet? What devices will it traverse?
2) What is a 169. IP address and what could it indicate?
3) What's the purpose of DNS in relation to Active Directory?
4) What's the purpose of DHCP?
5) How do you reset/create/disable an Active Directory user object?
6) What does a Domain Controller do?
7) How would you troubleshoot a computer that you cannot join to an Active Directory domain?
How would you troubleshoot not being able to connect to a local web server?

To help out:

1. I press button and magic happens through the OSI/dod model.
2. 169 is a windows IP. It can happen intentionally or if something is wrong, for example, you use DHCP server but the pc cant reach it, windows will use the 169 address.
3. I dont think this would be a level 1 help desk question (assuming its a call center)
4. DHCP provides addresses for computers so that they can communicate withing the network.
5. I dont think this would be a level 1 help desk question (assuming its a call center)
6. I dont think this would be a level 1 help desk question (assuming its a call center)
7. I dont think this would be a level 1 help desk question (assuming its a call center)
8. well, you can start by determining what is wrong to establish a theory. involves basic troubleshooting questions.

mokaiba

rsutton wrote: »

This couldn't be further from the truth. When I hire entry level technicians I care more about their soft skills & how they will interact with my clients.

Soft skills are important. I see many people at my current job with horrible soft skills and my oh my, some of the things (and the way they say it) they say to clients and coworkers...makes me wonder how they lasted a few weeks instead of being fired a few days into the job.

egrizzly

New2ITinCali wrote: »

Hi All, I have an interview coming up on Monday and I need some advice please. It's a level 1 help desk position and the job description also states, "Basic understanding of network/data communications. Troubleshooting and documenting solutions. Maintain and update Active Directory."

If anyone has any feedback or has ever worked in a similar position I would greatly appreciate any and all advice offered to me.

THANKS IN ADVANCE

When they say "Basic understanding of network/data communications." they're merely saying you have to know network fundamentals such as TCP/IP, DHCP, PING, Server, Router, Switch, e.t.c. You should have an idea of how they work within a windows environment (e.g. Windows 7/. The troubleshooting merely means knowing the right questions to ask and what steps to perform after each question to either escalate or resolve the issues. Documentation is a no brainer. If you can communicate your posts here effectively you can document. Be careful with the ticketing systems though because some managers get hung up on that. The usual suspects are Remedy, HEAT, Clarify. If you have experience with one and not the other just discuss that documentation usually involves "creating and updating incidents, service orders, and change requests and that you are well versed with doing that".

New2ITinCali

Thanks so much egrizzly! I think I need to boost my confidence as well and just know that I KNOW this stuff. I've been doing a lot of research as well just to freshen up my knowledge and skills.

New2ITinCali

Fidelity wrote: »

The words you are looking for are: work experience.

Yes, so much simpler.

New2ITinCali

bull313 wrote: »

When I worked Level I help desk, it was customer service first and foremost! Obviously skills with Windows, Office, AD, et al is important as well. However there are also the intangibles that you just can't teach: positive attitude, a willingness to go above and beyond, and such. Whenever I had downtown (like lunch break), I would call back the end users from a few days before to make certain I resolved the issues to their satisfaction. This effort allowed me to be promoted to Level II pretty quickly.

Anyone can be taught about networking and troubleshooting. After all, none of us were born into this world known how to configure DNS

Thanks for sharing. I've been studying DNS these past couple days.

wweboy

If you can answer general computing questions that is fine anything can be trained. You don't need to be an expert but you need to be hungry and want to learn or is willing to learn. I can stand hiring someone who doesn't know every question in an interview but asks questions and is willing to learn.

Just be positive and remember that you need to win them over and make them think they need you. Good luck on your interview.

SweenMachine

I used to hire and do technical interviews for our help desk, which was a 91,000 person companies primary line of defense. I have probably conducted 200-300 interviews in the past 7 years.

Rule of thumb in my personal experience. The larger the help desk, the more they are interested in your ability to provide customer service and your ability to show up to your shift on time and do the work assigned, which is usually heavy processed low level tech support. Smaller companies, like my current one, allow a LOT more leeway as far as outside the box troubleshooting and might be more selective in their hiring process.

If it is a small help desk, the rules are different. I agree with Bull313's post about intangibles. Customer service and the ability to speak and multitask is worth 4 CCNAs to a level one help desk manager, and anyone who says otherwise has been off the level one help desk for a while.

Cyberguy made a point earlier about networking knowledge, about it being a pet peeve. I agree with this. Although I would never ask questions that dealt with protocols and things of that nature directly, I would ask EVERY SINGLE TIME if they could explain the troubleshoot steps to getting a user connected to their home wireless. The answer of which would tell me very quickly if they have any concept of network knowledge.

So, from a person who has conducted many interviews to bring in low level help desk I would say the following:

1. Dress for the interview, don't be sloppy.
2. Review the qualifications, and focus on those you know really well and be prepared to speak to your knowledge.
3. Don't lie about stuff you don't know, just say you don't know but you have the aptitude to learn it.
4. Focus highly on your ability to perform the customer service element of the job. (being on time, not calling off)
5. Work in someplace in the interview about your attention to detail.

Some of the best techs I have hired have been younger who had willingness to understand their flaws. Some of the worst interviews have been over certified know it alls who clearly were only taking the job because they needed someplace to rest their bag until their next Cisco gig.

You will do fine!