Questions about working tier 1 help desk

Just wondering what I should expect, I was just hired into a help desk job. I'm currently in training and the amount of learning material thrown at me is pretty overwhelming. I've never worked a CS or IT related job in my life so I'm starting from the ground up, though I was a few hours short of an associates in Computer Science from community college a few years ago. I have a few questions that probably vary depending on the employer, but I'll ask anyway:

1.) I'm a contractor (in less kind words, temp). The place is super corporate and strict. I'm guessing the possibility of getting hit with the fire-axe is high. Is that the case? Should I be ultra paranoid and watch my back on high alert?

2.) How soon am I expected to be "up to speed" when on the floor and handling everything in smooth manner? One month? One week? Six months?

3.) Some of the guys I talked to during training had been in tier one a long, long time. One guy had been there in tier one nine years. I'm confused because I thought the job was very entry level with the possibilities of moving up in IT. I've heard contradicting stories as to whether help desk was a good opportunity so this is probably a redundant. But, I guess the question is it even worth it? I'm willing to stay in help desk if the pain is worth the time.

I always have the opportunity to go back to my old job and get certs in my off time if that's a better approach than grinding help desk, but I just thought I would run these by.

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Comments

jamesleecoleman

Learn as best as you can, it'll take some time. Set yourself up a goal and make a plan to get there. Don't get stuck in Tier 1 unless you wanna stay there.

NetworkNewb

It will definitely probably take at least a month before you start feeling comfortable. I've worked the help desk at very large corporate IT company and they will have ALOT of specific programs and "their" way of doing things. You will not know alot of things starting. They know this though, and will most likely transition you in slowly. Where I worked they had like 6 or 7 different call types. and starting out they only had people do Password issues. And slowly they would add on more types of calls you get.

The best advice I can give you is don't get frustrated. It is going happen, trust me, you will be thrown ALOT of new stuff at you. But try and stay calm and don't be afraid to try things and make mistakes. Mistakes are when you learn the most! Best of luck!

Edit: Also, they know it takes people time to learn their system and how things are done. So definitely make the mistakes at the beginning! It is expected, as long as you learn from them

VinnyCisco

I would imagine that in the beginning you may shadow a few different people to see what all the departments do. Not definite, but some companies like the help desk see how all the moving parts operate. After that, they will have you sit with someone and watch them in the morning, and then let you answer calls. I would imagine password resets will be the majority in the beginning. Then they will start having you do more troubleshooting stuff. They know you are new, so they will most likely ease you in slow, but then ramp it up a bit in 2 weeks.

I wouldn't be paranoid. Like any job, if you do a great job, you will be fine. In the end, it will be up to you if the axe comes.

Paulieb81

Ausuri wrote: »

Just wondering what I should expect, I was just hired into a help desk job. I'm currently in training and the amount of learning material thrown at me is pretty overwhelming. I've never worked a CS or IT related job in my life so I'm starting from the ground up, though I was a few hours short of an associates in Computer Science from community college a few years ago. I have a few questions that probably vary depending on the employer, but I'll ask anyway:

1.) I'm a contractor (in less kind words, temp). The place is super corporate and strict. I'm guessing the possibility of getting hit with the fire-axe is high. Is that the case? Should I be ultra paranoid and watch my back on high alert?

2.) How soon am I expected to be "up to speed" when on the floor and handling everything in smooth manner? One month? One week? Six months?

3.) Some of the guys I talked to during training had been in tier one a long, long time. One guy had been there in tier one nine years. I'm confused because I thought the job was very entry level with the possibilities of moving up in IT. I've heard contradicting stories as to whether help desk was a good opportunity so this is probably a redundant. But, I guess the question is it even worth it? I'm willing to stay in help desk if the pain is worth the time.

I always have the opportunity to go back to my old job and get certs in my off time if that's a better approach than grinding help desk, but I just thought I would run these by.

1. not sure, depends on where you work i guess

2. Again that really depends, Tier 1 help desk is often expected to know a little about a lot. You should know enough to know where to find the answers to problems. If you are really good with googling problems you may be able to fake it until you make it. You really should study for your A+, that will give you a good ground work for your level you are at and also certify your knowledge for that level. However if you are interested in the IT world and want to move up, don't stop there, which leads me to my next point.

3. Some guys are lazy as sh!t, i have worked in IT for over 15 years professionally, and I have come across all types of IT workers, some super smart and career focused, always gaining knowledge, certs and moving up in the world. Others, lazy and content where they are, and yet others who are just lazy and will complain about their current position but do nothing to better themselves or their job.

A help desk job can teach you A LOT, not only about IT stuff, but also about how to handle people and deadlines. It is often the first step in the IT world as that is where most of us start. Don't give up if this is the path you want, keep your foot in the door and study hard on your off hours. Don't let the 9 year desk jockey slow you down.

mjnk77

Paulie and Nersesian both have great points. I've worked in two HDs early. The phone will never stop ringing, but that can make time go by. Some of the people can be jerks that you deal with. You treat them with respect and resolve their issues, next thing you know you're their buddy and go to guy, which reflects highly on you. But you won't always be able to resolve everyone's issues. That's why their are group managers and the HD manager. They're there to help, especially in the beginning. At first, they should have you listening on calls with an experienced HD tech. Then, you will be doing the calls as they sit there and listen with you. That way, you learn what to ask and say, and you'll get a little more comfortable in the role.

Every company has that person who's been there for 9 years and isn't going anywhere. It can be for a number of reasons. They could be comfortable and don't really want or need to look for anything else. Others, they don't have the drive. Some don't have the people skills to become a leader and move on. Whatever it is, that doesn't mean you need to be them. If you have the drive, discipline, and know what it is you want to do, then you should be able to use the job as a stepping stone.

Be on time. When I worked in the HDs, we had plenty of people that would show up at 8:00, their time to be there. Problem is, you come in at 8:00, you're late. You need time to bootup and get situated so when calls come in at 8:00, you're ready to go. If you have more questions, there are plenty of great people on these forums to help you.

Good luck!

NetworkNewb

Good point mjnk, I always hated and didn't agree with the fact that you needed to come in 10-15 minutes early to be on time. Thats pretty much 15 minutes of my time that I had to spend to setup company equipment. It is what it is though. It doesn't seem like much but it adds up...

I also, had one of those people that worked there forever. They said they loved what they did and didn't want to do anything else.

markulous

I work at a help desk now and started off almost where you did just a year ago. Only difference is I had about 3 months experience imaging PCs and some call center experience.

Since it's your first job, just do your best and try to absorb as much as you can. I got promoted about 8 months in and now manage the people I started with. You put in the effort, have a good attitude, grab some certs, you're going to be head and shoulders above a lot of these guys. Try to always have one project you're working on whether it's working on a MTA cert or building a server or something.

And like others said, don't let it bother you that there are guys there that have been at the same position for 9 years. They are either lazy or just not ambitious. If this is a bad company, then take what you can get and apply somewhere else in 6-12 months and go somewhere better.

mjnk77

Those minutes do add up. But when you're salary, I guess it's part of the job.

Ausuri

Thanks for the responses, I was probably just having some anxiety about the unknown and being kinda harsh on myself. I come from a military background and expect myself to get everything right on the first go (though this obviously doesn't always happen).

But yeah, I'll do my best to learn what I can and stay positive. Thanks a ton.

digdug610

Be a sponge and absorb as much as you can. You are the front line of the IT department, so you'll get hit with every issue big or small, with all sorts of characters, irate and not (people who just wants it fixed, or people who wants to take the time and see how you fixed it). So you really need to be versatile in dealing with end users. Customer service is as much important as your technical skills, in this field. Makes your job much easier and less stressful. I've worked with techs who are very technically savvy, but are complete douches.. and techs who are somewhat good and gets the job done, but everybody likes him just because he's approachable and easy to work with. Guess who they always request for.... exactly! And finally, stay relevant and show you're eager to be the best tech you can!

robS

I've observed that the best helpdesk agents (in addition to being articulate, patient, hardworking etc) made their own knowledge articles, distilled and refined these continuously so never had to be told anything twice. This is in spite of formal KB or knowledge system (you can of course help to update it).

Moving on from helpdesk is possible but depends hugely on the company. In a structured and quite factory environment like tier 1, metrics will be your friend. Continuously be in the top 3 for customer satisfaction, first call closures, #calls logged, #calls resolved/closed, #re-opens (should be low).

Sometime when you're quite new and productivity is not expected to be high, ask to shadow someone in the business for an hour or so (assuming you're in that kind of environment), especially the people that log the most calls to the desk. Getting a business perspective is valuable to advancing in many cases.