Geek Squad vs Help Desk?

Ok, so I am starting over career-wise, a few certs under my belt, and I am still in school... pockets are getting thin, I'm going to have to go back to work...

i have accepted that I will have to start at the bottom... I've accepted the fact the money is going to be poop for awhile... my question...

I have some apps out there and I have gotten some calls... would I be better off in a Geek Squad or at a Help Desk somewhere? when I say Geek Squad I mean the Geek Squad City, not the actual Best Buy store, and it would be entry level, just repairing laptops, etc....

or would it be better to start in a help desk answering the phone somewhere and resetting passwords?

I am finishing up Security+ and then headed down the Microsoft path school-wise

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Repo Man

Help desk and it's not even close.

You can advance in a help desk role.
You'll touch a lot more technology.
You can make a lot more money.

Most help desk roles are a lot more advanced then resetting passwords. If the help desk role is simply log and routes and resetting passwords I wouldn't take it though.

Essendon

Helpdesk I'd say, stepping stone for most to the Server Engineering arena. After your S+ you should start working on some MS certs. I have only heard poor reviews about Geek Squad, the money's going to be crap either way, so take the better (and perhaps easier and more comfortable) way out and go for a Helldesk (lol) job.

Bl8ckr0uter

Geek Squad City.

More than likely in an entry level helpdesk you will be a password reset ninja and basically glorified customer support. With GSC you will be able to get into the nitty gritty rather quickly. I know GSA does do some of the "regular" GS duties but they also do hardware repair and data repair stuff. You could get a fast track into server hardware engineering. At least that's my 2 cents. After Sec+ you might want to do Serv+.

PsychoFin

Back when I started out, I got a Technical Support role in a Helldesk, and did quite some troubleshooting over the phone. We also had CS people, who took care of billing and other such issues. A helpdesk isn't always about just resetting passwords

But I would personally have loved to start out in a hardware repair type function. That's something I've kind of missed since I moved straight into a NOC fairly quickly.

mikej412

Mike-Mike wrote: »

or would it be better to start in a help desk answering the phone somewhere and resetting passwords?

Depends on the help desk.

If it's a dead end read from a script outsourced packed like sardines into an area where your "cubicle" is just big enough for your computer and mouse and your chair is in the aisle and you can bang chairs with the person on the other side of the aisle if you both try to push back and stand up at the same time -- then no.

Your laptop/hardware repair skills would be more useful down the road in getting you into a desk side repair/install/upgrade gig or a server room/wiring closet than a help desk job telling an end user to reboot their computer -- or filling in a ticket that someone else will actually complete.

You need to find out if the help desk position has a career upgrade path that leads out of the help desk -- or if it's just a burn & churn do your time position so they can bring in a new cheaper employee next year.

hypnotoad

Geek squad is the gateway 2000 of life.

rogue2shadow

mikej412 wrote: »

Depends on the help desk.

If it's a dead end read from a script outsourced packed like sardines into an area where your "cubicle" is just big enough for your computer and mouse and your chair is in the aisle and you can bang chairs with the person on the other side of the aisle if you both try to push back and stand up at the same time -- then no.

Your laptop/hardware repair skills would be more useful down the road in getting you into a desk side repair/install/upgrade gig or a server room/wiring closet than a help desk job telling an end user to reboot their computer -- or filling in a ticket that someone else will actually complete.

You need to find out if the help desk position has a career upgrade path that leads out of the help desk -- or if it's just a burn & churn do your time position so they can bring in a new cheaper employee next year.

+1 and I agree with everyone else. I've worked for two retail stores and did my time as a salesman and as a "geek squad" type (I won't name the companies but you get the idea) and I can honestly say there isn't really much mobility. Essentially you app for the position you want (agent, secret agent, some other rank etc) and you're pretty much stuck there until the guy above you leaves (at least in my experience) lol.

Though help desk at times (depending on your company) can be painful, the fact that there is room for mobility definitely reigns superior over any "geek squad" job. The customer experience on an executive level is unparallel to that which you might get in retail; its a different type of vibe, different type of customer (more often higher stakes) but the fundamentals are the same.

Mike-Mike

I have considered Server+, I have the Skillport loaded for it... after Security+ I am going for MCDST via Skillport, MS E-Learning, and the Sybex book, good try to that over the winter break, and then Windows 7 via my school in Jan

RobertKaucher

GSC is going to get you a lot of touch time with PC hardware. You are going to learn a lot of cool tools and you will be working on all the major brands (Toshiba, Dell, HP, Gateway, etc) I think only Sony goes Direct-to-Vendor for repair.

When I was an in-store Agent we had far too many issues with PCs being returned to us unrepaired or with other issues not being detected. For example I had an HP laptop that showed no indications of power. Obviously not something we have the parts to repair in store so I shipped it off to GCS. They returned it to us with the mobo replaced but the hard drive was bad. This sort of thing was typical. Our store performed full system diagnostics on all PCs returned from GCS because of stuff like that.

That being said, what do you see as your dream job in 5 years? Some sort of sys admin position?

SteveLord

Geeksquad hires salesmen, not technicians. They're retail, not IT in my book. Avoid unless you're out of options and in need of cash.

Hypntick

mikej412 wrote: »

Depends on the help desk.

If it's a dead end read from a script outsourced packed like sardines into an area where your "cubicle" is just big enough for your computer and mouse and your chair is in the aisle and you can bang chairs with the person on the other side of the aisle if you both try to push back and stand up at the same time -- then no.

"You must spread some Reputation around before giving it to mikej412 again."

That is dead on. There is help desk and there is "customer service". Unless you can actually get some experience with real troubleshooting then it's not worth it.

Mike-Mike

SteveLord wrote: »

Geeksquad hires salesmen, not technicians. They're retail, not IT in my book. Avoid unless you're out of options and in need of cash.

this job is for Geek Squad City, there would be no actual customer contact, it's a big building where Best Buy stores ship things to get fixed that they can't fix in the actual Best Buy store

Mike-Mike

RobertKaucher wrote: »

what do you see as your dream job in 5 years? Some sort of sys admin position?

quite frankly I don't think I have enough experience to answer this... I think Security sounds cool, but outside of studying for certs, the only experience I have is tinkering with stuff at home, or setting up DSL with AT&t....

so I figure I will get my foot in the door somewhere, and then I can figure out what I like and don't like

Bl8ckr0uter

Mike-Mike wrote: »

this job is for Geek Squad City, there would be no actual customer contact, it's a big building where Best Buy stores ship things to get fixed that they can't fix in the actual Best Buy store

I don't think a lot of people here know what GSC is (I use to work for GS so I know very well).

steve13ad

Helpdesk, it'll get your foot in the door with the company and you never know where you could end up.

Yes, you could be exposed to more at the GSC. But there's still kinda a stigma (deserving or not) with anything Geek Squadie.

N2IT

Mike-Mike wrote: »

I have considered Server+, I have the Skillport loaded for it... after Security+ I am going for MCDST via Skillport, MS E-Learning, and the Sybex book, good try to that over the winter break, and then Windows 7 via my school in Jan

You are going to take Security +, Both MCP's/MCDST and Windows 7 70-680 all by January?

Month and a half and those 4 certs?

rogue2shadow

N2IT wrote: »

You are going to take Security +, Both MCP's/MCDST and Windows 7 70-680 all by January?

Month and a half and those 4 certs?

I remember an old thread where he mentioned taking a Windows 7 class that is starting in January. Yea, for a second I was like thats pretty hardcore lol.

Daniel333

I'd take Geek Squad city over help desk. Lotsa fun there.

WillTech105

I'd go for help desk if you seriously about moving up in the IT field. Depending on your helpdesk you'll be able to listen in and potentially shadow higher techs which is where alot of your experience will be gained.

Reason I moved from Desktop to Sys Admin was a good chunk of listening in and asking questions about what the Lv2,3 techs were doing and then going for the MCSA.

edzy

I respect you guys that can get past that damn unicru personality test

snokerpoker

As many others have said, Help Desk is a much better option that the GS. Putting GS experience on your resume is just a waste of time. I feel it will set you back rather than being a stepping stone.

Mike-Mike

N2IT wrote: »

You are going to take Security +, Both MCP's/MCDST and Windows 7 70-680 all by January?

Month and a half and those 4 certs?

haha, no, not all by Jan... Rogue2Shadow is right, I am scheduled for Security+ on December 22nd, I have been studying that since December 3rd...

my college goes on break December 18th, until the 3rd of January I think...

I am ordering the MCDST book, I will be reading that on my own over the winter break , but I think a lot of it is covered by A+/Net+, so I think it will be pretty easy.... again, think... could be waaaaaay wrong...

on Jan 3rd I will begin a 12 week course covering Windows 7/Server 2008. Usually about half the time on each. So it would be mid Feb before I was testing for Win 7.

I will be reading MCDST over the break, and hoping it will help me get a jump on Win 7.

so... I have no official job offers or interviews yet, just some phone calls and e-mails from people... but the TE board seems to be leaning towards help desk, but like Bl8ckr0uter said, i don't think a lot of people know what Geek Squad City is...

here are a few links...

official site: Geek Squad City - Geek Squad

tour of the GSC: Geek Squad City Tour

CNET article: Computer sprawl at Geek Squad City | Geek Gestalt - CNET News

Devilsbane

To an average person, Geek Squad guys seem like rocket scientists. Now I don't like to classify large groups of people based on a few people I know, but many of them are dumber than a box of rocks.

Take the help desk and get yourself into corporate America. Figuring out that lingo is often better than any technical knowledge you can get. But of course, if you can get geek squad experience on your resume, then that is better than nothing.

Mike-Mike

yeah, at this point I think whoever is going to pay the most and/or pay me first is the one that gets the gift of Mike-Mike on their staff

Devilsbane

Mike-Mike wrote: »

yeah, at this point I think whoever is going to pay the most and/or pay me first is the one that gets the gift of Mike-Mike on their staff

The gift?? Not from what I hear...

Just kidding!

Agent6376

If you decide to go with GSC, don't stay for more than 2 years (if even that). Learn hardware repair, and keep getting your certs to keep you up to date on systems administration, then find your way into the field. Unless your career goal is to replace hard drives, motherboards, optical drives, etc. just get your experience and bounce.

Mike-Mike

GSC may not be an option, their day shift starts at 7 am, and I couldnt drop my son off at school until 7. So they are checking to see if they can make an exception, start at 7:30 or 8....

side note: I know Dice.com is supposed to be the IT job board, but I have found way more stuff on Careerbuilder.com than monster or dice or anyone for that matter...

N2IT

Devilsbane wrote: »

To an average person, Geek Squad guys seem like rocket scientists. Now I don't like to classify large groups of people based on a few people I know, but many of them are dumber than a box of rocks.

Take the help desk and get yourself into corporate America. Figuring out that lingo is often better than any technical knowledge you can get. But of course, if you can get geek squad experience on your resume, then that is better than nothing.

Cool man good luck! Hope you find a solid gig.

RobertKaucher

Devilsbane wrote: »

To an average person, Geek Squad guys seem like rocket scientists. Now I don't like to classify large groups of people based on a few people I know, but many of them are dumber than a box of rocks.

Take the help desk and get yourself into corporate America. Figuring out that lingo is often better than any technical knowledge you can get. But of course, if you can get geek squad experience on your resume, then that is better than nothing.

This deppends a lot on where you go. Many of them are guys like me working part time for the discount and extra cash. The core agents at the Best Buy I used to work at - I'd put them up against anyone on this forum for troubleshooting skills. Many of the part timers are software developers and sys admins in their full time jobs.

Hypntick

RobertKaucher wrote: »

This deppends a lot on where you go. Many of them are guys like me working part time for the discount and extra cash. The core agents at the Best Buy I used to work at - I'd put them up against anyone on this forum for troubleshooting skills. Many of the part timers are software developers and sys admins in their full time jobs.

On the other end of the spectrum you get guys that don't know how to reset a modem......or know what an IP address is or where to find it.

Of course that guy started off the call with "Well I know what i'm doing I work for the geek squad.", I find if you start off a help desk call bragging then it's going to be silly.