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Some help desk pros work remotely.Help desk workers are generally responsible for diagnosing and solving any technical problems (both hardware and software) that arise. Though many issues require an immediate response, others can be non-urgent (configuring a PC for a new employee, for example). -
Help desk workers deal with many types of problems.Some help desk workers spend their workday in call centers, and are tasked to solve problems over the telephone or via email, while others are strictly hands-on. While the job description varies from company to company, there are some classifications of help desk employees that are fairly universal. These are:
Level One: Phone support. General PC and networking skills are required. Level One initially handles all tech requests, and those that aren't resolved are escalated to Level Two.
Level Two: Desktop support. More IT experience than a Level One tech is required, and issues are often solved hands-on. Any issues that aren't solved by Level Two are escalated to Level Three.
Level Three: Advanced support. Generally handled by experts (networking and connectivity and data recovery, among others). Requests are routed to the technician with expertise in that particular field. -
Sometimes help desk careers require travel.Besides dealing with users on-site, there is often a need for IT pros at other company locations, or even at client sites. While the rate of pay varies depending on experience, geographical location and the company that employs them, overall salaries for the IT industry generally tend to increase annually. -
Careers in IT can be lucrative.Virtually every IT professional has spent some time in his or her career working at a help desk, dealing with end users, so it's certainly a good environment to gain experience. While most workers outgrow the position eventually, help desk experience can be a solid launching pad for many higher-end jobs in the technology and business worlds, including documentation management, network security expert, server administration and project management, among many others. -
Be prepared to deal with upset end users.Besides being good at dealing with computer problems, help desk workers need to employ a professional manner along with the ability to effectively communicate with non-technical end users. Having good people skills is also helpful, as many users often get extremely angry and/or defensive when faced with technical issues.
