How to Become a Help Desk Engineer
The role of the help desk engineer has become a vital component in the organizational structure of many companies. Aside from needing a pleasant personality and a keen awareness of the importance of excellent customer service, specialized training is usually necessary to become a help desk engineer. Find out what you need to know to help you become a help desk engineer.
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Things You'll Need
- Degree or certification in information technology
- Industry standard certifications
Instructions
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Place importance on your academic training in order to become a help desk engineer. Ideally, you should obtain a bachelor's degree in information technology or computer science. However, many employers will consider applicants with 1 to 2 years of college study if they also possess previous customer-service experience and proficiency in most computer applications.
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Get your industry-standard certifications to help you to become a help desk engineer. These include A+ certification from the Computer Technology Industry Association, an MCDST (Microsoft Certified Desktop Support Technician) and an HDI certification from the Help Desk Institute. One place to train for all three certifications (online or on-site) is NewHorizons.com (see Resources below).
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Be familiar with a company's line of products before you apply to become a help desk engineer. The help desk is where all kinds of questions--from the unusual to the common--come in from customers, vendors and even support staff within the company. By demonstrating a thorough understanding of the product(s), you'll increase your chances of landing a job with the company as a help desk engineer.
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Be prepared to undergo a pre-hiring examination to show that you have a clear understanding of the role of the help desk engineer, both in terms of providing effective customer support and knowledge of the products in question. Tests of this kind usually include some basic how-to questions, as well as the opportunity to provide practical solutions to "what if" scenarios.
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Locate a help desk engineer position in your area by searching the online database at JustHelpDeskJobs.com (see Resources below).
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Tips & Warnings
Prepare for work-related stress. Being a help desk engineer can sometimes be stressful, as you may work in a call center where the volume of incoming calls can be heavy and the environment noisy. In addition, help desk engineers are sometimes required to be on-call during off hours in case of unusually heavy call volume or troubleshooting emergencies.
