What is a help desk position?

 remote help desk jobs

Offer support and technical assistance to customers who are using software, hardware, or other computer systems and need help completing tasks or troubleshooting problems through diagnostic tests and remote access to their computers.

Help Desk Job Description Sample

This help desk sample job description can be used to help you create a job advert that will attract candidates who are qualified for the job. Feel free to revise this job description to meet your specific job duties and job requirements.

Job Title: Help Desk

Help Desk Job Purpose

Offer support and technical assistance to customers who are using software, hardware, or other computer systems and need help completing tasks or troubleshooting problems through diagnostic tests and remote access to their computers.

Help Desk Job Duties

• Responding to queries via chat, email, or phone
• Training other staff members on troubleshooting and diagnosing problems
• Writing, editing, and revising training manuals for new and updated software and hardware
• Providing technical assistance for questions and problems
• Resolving problems with networks and other computer systems
• Diagnosing system errors and other issues
• Following up with customers to ensure full resolution of issues
• Requesting feedback and/or monitoring calls and other methods of correspondence to improve training methods
• Running reports to analyse common complaints and problems
• Installing or changing software to fix issues
• Remotely accessing hardware or software for clients to make changes and fix problems

Help Desk Skills and Qualifications

Strong Computer Skills and the Ability to Troubleshoot and Diagnose Problems, Familiarity with both PC and Mac Hardware and Software, Experience with Network Repairs and Analysis, Good Customer Service Skills, Ability to Communicate Effectively to help customers fix their issues and feel satisfied with the experience, Writing and Editing Skills to aid in writing and updating manuals, Education in Computer Repairs and how to Troubleshoot Problems (some jobs may require a degree from a university or technical school), and Specific Knowledge of other required Computer Systems for different work environments.

Is help desk a dead end job?

  help desk job

"Some people use it as a launch pad, and other people make it a dead-end job," he says. The greatest opportunity for help desk technicians lies in their ability to learn about different facets of the business, "which makes them more valuable than a pure IT guy," says Rosen.

When Anthony McCloud graduated from Graceland University in 2000, he didn't have a smidgen of business experience. He didn't know the first thing about business processes, customer service, or the quirks and habits of business workers. https://www.fieldengineer.com/blogs/what-does-a-help-desk-technician-do

Now he knows all that and much more. McCloud has spent the past seven years working in help desk-related roles at four companies, including stints for a high-tech equipment maker and a small restaurant chain.

The experience he has gained from learning about different businesses and "intermixing" with various types and levels of business workers has been priceless in terms of strengthening his communication and relationship skills, McCloud says.

India’s highest paying tech jobs and the skills that rake in the big bucks

"From my experience, being on an IT help desk has been a huge, huge opportunity," says McCloud, who was hired by Mac Equipment Inc. in Kansas City in June 2007. In addition to his role as the company's lone help desk technician, McCloud has also helped out as a server analyst and has done application development work in SQL, Visual C Sharp and PHP.

On the money front, McCloud doubled his salary when he first left a two-person business to take a help desk job at Mac Equipment, and since then, he has watched his compensation steadily increase at each subsequent position.

As McCloud and others are discovering, many help desks have evolved beyond their ticket-taking roots -- offering expanded opportunities for help desk employees (see "What's in it for you?" for details).

But that doesn't stop some IT professionals from hewing to the "old school" party line that says a career stop on the help desk is a one-way ticket to Palookaville.

"If you're hired just to work on a help desk, that's all you will ever do," says Fred Wagner, a FileNet and Kofax systems specialist for the city of Long Beach, Calif.

In particular, help desk technicians who work in "stovepiped" IT organizations -- that is, companies where systems analysts, network managers and other IT professionals are segregated from one another -- can go 10 to 15 years without being promoted into IT infrastructure, business analyst, systems administrator or other types of roles, he says.

A new breed of IT pros begs to differ, maintaining that a job on an IT help desk can open doors to other IT career opportunities. Help desk technicians, these proponents say, gain valuable experience working with end users throughout the enterprise and learning what makes the business tick.

What is the highest paying job with no experience?

 average it help desk salary

If you’re a new college graduate, or you’re looking to try a totally different career, you may be feeling a mixture of excitement and fear. Getting your feet wet in a brand new field is a big step. Unfortunately, it can be difficult to get your foot — or even a toe — in the door. A common dilemma faced by many recent graduates or career changers is the fact that it’s hard to get a job without experience. But how do you get the skills if no one will hire you? Since many employers are reluctant to train new hires on the job, it can be an uphill battle.

If you find yourself in this predicament, don’t give up. There are some careers that pay handsomely even if you don’t have years of related work experience and advanced education under your belt. Rather, you can gain expertise on the job through an apprenticeship and other on-the-job training programs. Sound too good to be true? It’s not. Here are nine high-paying jobs that require little or no experience.

• Mean annual salary: $67,850
• Typical entry-level education: High school diploma or equivalent
• Work experience in a related occupation: None
• On-the-job training: Moderate-term

Transit and railroad police are responsible for the safety of commuters, employees, and property. Those in the 90th percentile of earners can make $96,670 a year. Six-figure salaries are more likely to be earned by transit and railroad police who work in the states of New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Illinois, and Tennessee.

How to become one: If you want to become part of the transit or railroad police, you will usually be required to graduate from the agency’s training academy. You’ll also need to complete on-the-job training. If you have any felony convictions or fail the drug test, your application could be rejected.

2. Claims adjuster

How important are IT help desk services skills?

 

entry level help desk job How Long Should You Stay on the Help Desk? We all have to start somewhere, and helpdesk work is as good a place as any for tech professionals to dive in. Helpdesk teaches important communication skills, technical troubleshooting techniques, and how SLAs and call escalations work. If you aren’t much of a conversationalist, then working on the phone all day can help draw you out of your shell. These are all great foundational skills to learn early on in your career and can help you to understand how support roles generally work. How long you should be looking to work in such a position depends on you. You need to consider the important details — career development and room to grow are big ones. Becoming a Lifer Different people generally have their own long and short term plans, and not everyone wants to move on from working in a helpdesk role to one like customer support technician or customer service professional. However, if you are someone that really needs to get their hands dirty with practical work, then moving on is essential. The general rule of thumb is that two to three years is probably the longest you want to be in a helpdesk role if you plan on moving up into a more specialized field. That is assuming that you are using such a position as a stepping stone. Staying any longer and you risk becoming a ‘lifer’ and breaking out of that mold is tough. Signs of Stagnation on the Helpdesk There is nothing “wrong” with working in a helpdesk position. Things are good if you are employed at a nice company and you are satisfied with your hours and pay. Some people really enjoy the predictability and security of scripted work. The problem with any entry level role is that it suffocates your potential in the long run if there is no room to grow. If you have any aspirations beyond repetitive tasks, then you are wasting your potential.

How do I become a help desk technician?

 technician desk

To become a help desk technician, you first must complete a high school diploma or equivalent. Though some jobs require a bachelor's degree in computer science or a related field, some help desk tech jobs only require an associate degree and on the job training.

Help Desk Technicians provide technical support for IT end-users.

Help desk technicians are vital to the IT workforce, as they keep the technologies that organizations rely on to do business up-to-date and running smoothly.

IT help desk technicians provide technical support and troubleshooting services to end-users who need assistance with their computer hardware or software. There are two chief types of help desk technician: In-house and Remote. Remote help desk technicians support technology customers via phone, online and occasionally on-site. In-house technicians only provide support for internal employees.

Help desk technicians need a deep understanding of computer hardware and software. Strong communication skills are also essential, as help desk specialists must effectively communicate solutions to both technical and non-technical individuals. The IT help desk career path is ideal for methodical problem-solvers with an aptitude for learning and quickly adapting new skills. Patience, resourcefulness and a desire to help others are desirable virtues in technical support and help desk roles.

Many IT pros begin their career as help desk technicians because of the low experience and education requirements, then as they're exposed to new IT disciplines and technologies they discover their niche and branch out into other IT careers, such as network administrator, DBA or IT security specialist. Other technicians will remain at the help desk and leverage their experience to become a help desk technician manager.

a.k.a. Desktop Support Technician | Technical Support Specialist | Computer Support Engineer | IT Support Specialist | Field Service Technician | Desktop Support Analyst

How long should I stay in help desk?

 help desk support salary

We all have to start somewhere, and helpdesk work is as good a place as any for tech professionals to dive in. Helpdesk teaches important communication skills, technical troubleshooting techniques, and how SLAs and call escalations work. If you aren’t much of a conversationalist, then working on the phone all day can help draw you out of your shell. These are all great foundational skills to learn early on in your career and can help you to understand how support roles generally work. How long you should be looking to work in such a position depends on you. You need to consider the important details — career development and room to grow are big ones.

Becoming a Lifer

Different people generally have their own long and short term plans, and not everyone wants to move on from working in a helpdesk role to one like customer support technician or customer service professional.

However, if you are someone that really needs to get their hands dirty with practical work, then moving on is essential. The general rule of thumb is that two to three years is probably the longest you want to be in a helpdesk role if you plan on moving up into a more specialized field. That is assuming that you are using such a position as a stepping stone. Staying any longer and you risk becoming a ‘lifer’ and breaking out of that mold is tough.

Signs of Stagnation on the Helpdesk

There is nothing “wrong” with working in a helpdesk position. Things are good if you are employed at a nice company and you are satisfied with your hours and pay. Some people really enjoy the predictability and security of scripted work. The problem with any entry level role is that it suffocates your potential in the long run if there is no room to grow. If you have any aspirations beyond repetitive tasks, then you are wasting your potential.

CompTIA A+ (900 series)

How much does a help desk make?

  help desk pay

Help desk professionals manage customer service requests and address support tickets. Often, they also use specific software which, when used properly, can save time, effort, and money. Creating a help desk service consists of assessing your needs, training staff, and giving them tools to help them respond to customer concerns before the competition does.

We recommend Freshdesk for any small business that is looking for a help desk service. Freshdesk makes it easy for agents to organize and manage all customer tickets, and the system comes in different pricing tiers to meet the needs of most companies. Click the button below to get started with Freshdesk for free.

What Is a Help Desk?

In basic terms, a help desk is a central online hub where your customers can talk to customer support staff. It can be a physical desk but is more commonly a virtual space where your customers can reach out to you when they need help. Depending on the size of your company, a help desk can be staffed either by one individual employee or a specialized team dedicated specifically to support.

In some way, all companies have a help desk of sorts as part of their customer or account management system. If a customer has a problem with your product or service, they will probably call your organization to get the issue sorted out. A help desk management software solution is designed to make customer support easier thanks to ticket management, communications, automation, and other features.

How to Set Up Your Help Desk in 5 Steps

When setting up your own help desk operations, it is important to decide how you want to use your help desk. From there, you should identify any gaps between your goals and your current support operations. These five steps will give you the knowledge to map out a process that can adhere to at any level within your management structure so that your help desk can easily scale with your company’s growth.

Here are the five steps to take when setting up your help desk.

1. Decide What Support Your Desk will Deliver

Traditionally help or support desks are a place for receiving basic customer tickets and fixing customer issues as they’re reported. However, they can also serve a more strategic function by acting as a centralized location for managing customer service workflows, centralizing customer data, and building a self-service knowledge base.

Help desks can also be expanded to include company-wide service requests. This means the help desk assists both internal and external customers and can act as a central hub for a customer relationship management (CRM) process.

What makes a successful office manager?

 it help desk jobs near me

Leadership Qualities: Office managers should be able to supervise others and have a willingness to use but not misuse power. A Good Work Ethic: Showing up on time and staying until the work is complete is also important. Team-Playing Skills: The ability to share information where relevant and help make improvements.

An office manager is responsible for anything and everything that can affect the quality of life in the office,” says Jase Bergen, office manager for an entertainment company in New York City. “If it's broken, you better fix it -- no excuses. You just do it. And when six things break at once, you have to keep your cool and have the presence of mind to figure out what has to be fixed first.” 

Few roles are as integral to an office as that of the office manager. Responsible for circulating information throughout an organization, as well as coordinating the efforts of vendors, management and support, office managers ensure everyone is working in tandem toward the company's overall success. Could you be up for the task?

The description of an office manager job often includes pricing office supplies, managing payroll, controlling petty cash, supervising support staff and interviewing job applicants. An office manager must exercise sound judgment every day, and any lapse may mean termination.

Consider the People

Equipment isn't the only thing that needs regular maintenance and support in an organization. A large part of an office manager's job is motivating and coordinating others to ensure everyone is working together productively toward a common goal.

“The trick to being a good office manager is to earn people's respect,” says Bergen. This means your staff and managers should know that they can count on you in a pinch to do the right thing for everybody, time after time. Sometimes this translates into standing up for what you know is right, even if a fellow employee -- or your boss -- disagrees with your decision.

“Your reputation is everything,” Bergen explains.

Immediate Gratification

While an office manager often works under great pressure because her responsibilities are so great in scope, her satisfaction level is high, too. In a 2004 survey conducted by the International Association of Administrative Professionals (IAAP), office managers reported that being able to see the results of their labor reflected in increased productivity and office efficiency immediately is what they liked best about their job.

The Ideal Of

How to Climb the IT Job Ladder: From Help Desk Support to Systems Engineer

help desk jobs 

The Information Technology field is one of the most rewarding and challenging career fields in the world today. It is one of the only career fields that changes almost on a daily basis, and requires you to be up on the latest trends in order to keep pace and stay relevant. I’ve been in the IT career field for 20 years and it has been an amazing experience to say the least. What I experience in my work now is not what I experienced when I first started 20 years ago, and it’s not just about the technology I was using, either. Everyone has to start somewhere, and since I’ve experienced the highs and lows of climbing the IT ladder, I want to share some tips with you. My hope is you can feel good about kick-starting a career in IT, or get an understanding of what you need to do to keep climbing and have success.

YOU HAVE TO START SOMEWHERE

A wise old man once told me, a journey of 10,000 miles begins with one step…Okay, no one actually told me that – but it’s a good adage to think of as you approach a career in IT. How do you take that first step?  Let’s focus on a couple of different jobs you can do to get off to a good start in your IT career.

Bottom of the Ladder:  Help Desk Technician

The help desk technician is the first stop for almost anyone that is having trouble with their IT assets, printers, laptops, desktops, email, passwords, printers, printers, printers (ok, you get the gist). In most organizations, when there is an issue with an employee’s IT, they are either going to open a help desk ticket through their web interface or they are going to pick up a phone and call the help desk.  As a help desk tech, you are on the other end of that ticket, and you are answering the phone. Like a first responder in an emergency (hey, email is an emergency!) the help desk technician is tasked with triaging the issue. If it’s a password reset, it’s likely the tech can do it. If the issue involves a user needing a copy of their Exchange .pst file, you will send the ticket to the Exchange Admin queue. You are a traffic cop, keeping things moving and fixing small things where you can.

Disclaimer, this job generally doesn’t pay too well. But if you are just starting out, this is the job you want. You will learn if you pay attention to what goes on around you and ask plenty of questions. This is also a job where you might have some down time, which if utilized productively can prove to be a great time to study for certifications or read up on what you don’t quite understand.  This is exactly what I did 20 years ago, and it helped me get to the next step.  Don’t think of it as a dead end, it’s more of a stepping stone.

Entry Level Certifications:

CompTIA A+, CompTIA Network+, CompTIA IT Fundamentals, Microsoft Certified Professional, CompTIA

The 16 highest-paying jobs

service desk salary

alyst Job Description. A service desk analyst is an information technology (IT) professional who helps users resolve issues with computer hardware or software. They respond to user inquiries, assess problems and issues with IT equipment and applications, and help resolve these issues for users.

Here are 16 jobs that pay more than $100,000 a year and earned a sitting score of 75 or higher:

• Compensation and benefits manager. ...
• Lawyer. ...
• Air traffic controller. ...
• Judge, magistrate judge, or magistrate. ...
• Airline pilot, copilot, or flight engineer. ...
• Petroleum engineer. ...
• Computer- and information-systems manager.

• ome people can't stand the thought of spendi ..
  
  

  Read more at: https://www.fieldengineer.com/blogs/what-does-a-help-desk-technician-do

What is a help desk specialist?

 

 help desk specialist salaries

The average Full Specialist salary in USA is $29,832 per year or $15.30 per hour. Entry level positions start at $23,400 per year while most experienced workers make up to $50,714 per year.

Popular Employer Salaries for Help Desk Technician

General Dynamics Information Technology Inc

$23

Planned Parenthood

$19

General Dynamics Corp.

$18

Lithia Motors, Inc.

$16

National Lumber Company

$15

TEKsystems, Inc

$19

Stefanini IT Solutions

$15

Maximus, Inc.

$21

The top respondents for the job title Help Desk Technician are from the companies General Dynamics Information Technology Inc, Planned Parenthood and General Dynamics Corp.. Reported salaries are highest at General Dynamics Information Technology Inc where the average pay is $23.05. Other companies that offer high salaries for this role include Planned Parenthood and TEKsystems, Inc, earning around $19.00 and $19.00, respectively. National Lumber Company pays the lowest at around $14.61. Stefanini IT Solutions and Lithia Motors, Inc. also pay on the lower end of the scale, paying $15.12 and $16.00, respectively.

Why do I want to be an office manager?

 help desk job salary

"My key areas of strength as they relate to this position include wide experience in all areas of office operations, exceptional planning and organizational skills, strong problem-solving, and decision-making skills, outstanding communication skills and a passion for excellent customer service.

Office Manager
Interview Questions and Answers

Office manager interview questions that explore the competencies, skills and experience required for successful job performance in the majority of office management positions.

You can expect:

• interview questions that determine your understanding and experience of the office manager role
• interview questions that determine your skills as they relate directly to the job opportunity
• behavioral intervieUse the excellent sample interview answers as a guide to developing your own winning responses.

  10 Top Office Manager Interview Questions

  1. Describe a typical day in your previous job.

  This question is trying to determine your general experience of this type of position.

  In your interview answer focus on the tasks and responsibilities that are most critical to the job opportunity. Carefully review the job description in the job posting to highlight the essential task requirements. Describe your day in terms of these requirements. This will ensure your interview answer is focused and relevant.w questions that assess the competencies needed in the role
• 
  

What do IT help desk do?

 service desk technician salary

IT Service Desk is intended to be a primary point of engagement between users and an IT organization. According to the ITIL, the service desk is the single point of contact (SPOC) between the service provider (IT) and users for day-to-day activities. A typical service desk manages incidents (service disruptions) and service requests (routine service related tasks) along with handling user communications for things like outages and planned changes to services. A service desk typically has a broad scope and is designed to provide the user with a single place to go for all their IT needs. This results in the service desk playing a pivotal role in facilitating the integration of business processes with the technology ecosystem and broader service management infrastructure.

• What is a Service Desk?
• Service Desk vs Help Desk
• Benefits

• Best Practices
• Service Desk Software

Where did IT Service Desks Come From?

The IT helpdesk function was born in the late 1980s as a support capability to fix IT issues. It was a highly technical function focused on the technology rather than the end users. Early IT helpdesks didn’t have the concept of SLAs or time-based targets for resolving issues. It wasn’t until ITIL came onto the scene in the 1990s, capturing IT Service Management best practices, that the concept of the user-centric IT service desk began to emerge. The service desk was seen as an essential part of “managing IT like a service”.https://www.fieldengineer.com/blogs/what-does-a-help-desk-technician-do
 

In the mid-1990s, research by Iain Middleton of Robert Gordon University found that value was derived not only from a reactive response to user issues, but also from the help desk's unique position of communicating daily with numerous customers or employees. Information gained about technical problems, user preferences, and what satisfies users can be valuable for the planning and development work of IT services.
 

With the publishing of ITIL v2 in 2001, the Service Desk function and its role in incident and request management became one of the core components of IT service operations in many organizations. As the decade continued, globalization along with increasing pressures to reduce IT operational costs led many organizations to centralize IT Service Desk functions with many engaging 3rd party support partners to staff them. Outsourcing of IT service desk functions led to further standardization of processes and a growth in the market for of help desk ticketing software.
 

Help Desk Technicians provide technical support for IT end-users.

 helpdesk technician

Help Desk Technicians provide technical support for IT end-users.

Help desk technicians are vital to the IT workforce, as they keep the technologies that organizations rely on to do business up-to-date and running smoothly.

IT help desk technicians provide technical support and troubleshooting services to end-users who need assistance with their computer hardware or software. There are two chief types of help desk technician: In-house and Remote. Remote help desk technicians support technology customers via phone, online and occasionally on-site. In-house technicians only provide support for internal employees.

Help desk technicians need a deep understanding of computer hardware and software. Strong communication skills are also essential, as help desk specialists must effectively communicate solutions to both technical and non-technical individuals. The IT help desk career path is ideal for methodical problem-solvers with an aptitude for learning and quickly adapting new skills. Patience, resourcefulness and a desire to help others are desirable virtues in technical support and help desk roles.

Many IT pros begin their career as help desk technicians because of the low experience and education requirements, then as they're exposed to new IT disciplines and technologies they discover their niche and branch out into other IT careers, such as network administrator, DBA or IT security specialist. Other technicians will remain at the help desk and leverage their experience to become a help desk technician manager.

a.k.a. Desktop Support Technician | Technical Support Specialist | Computer Support Engineer | IT Support Specialist | Field Service Technician | Desktop Support Analyst

esk level 1 salary

 help desk level 1 salary

Technical support (often shortened to tech support) refers to services that entities provide to users of technology products or services. In general, technical support provides help regarding specific problems with a product or service, rather than providing training, provision or customization of product, or other support services. Most companies offer technical support for the services or products they sell, either included in the cost or for an additional fee. Technical support may be delivered by phone, e-mail, live support software on a website, or other tools where users can log an incident. Larger organizations frequently have internal technical support available to their staff for computer-related problems. The Internet can also be a good source for freely available tech support, where experienced users help users find solutions to their problems In addition, some fee-based service companies charge for premium technical support services.

Coverage of suppor

Technical support may be delivered by different technologies depending on the situation. For example, direct questions can be addressed using telephone calls, SMS, Online chat, Support Forums, E-mail or Fax; basic software problems can be addressed over the telephone or, increasingly, by using remote access repair services; more complicated problems with hardware may need to be dealt with in person.

Categories of technical suppor

Call in

This type of technical support has been very common in the services industry. It is also known as "Time and Materials" (T&M) IT support.he customer pays for the materials (hard drive, memory, computer, digital devices, etc.) and also pays the technician based on the pre-negotiated rate when a problem occurs.

Block hours

Block hours allow the client to purchase a number of hours upfront at an agreed price. While it is commonly used to offer a reduced hourly rate, it can also simply be a standard non-reduced rate, or represent a minimum fee charged to a client before providing service. The premise behind this type of support is that the customer has purchased a fixed number of hours to use either per month or year. This allows them the flexibility to use the hours as they please without doing the paperwork and the hassle of paying multiple bills.

Managed services

Managed services means a company will receive a list of well-defined services on an ongoing basis, with well-defined "response and resolution times" for a fixed rate or a flat fee. This can include things like 24/7 monitoring of servers, 24/7 help desk support for daily computer issues, and on-site visits by a technician when issues cannot be resolved remotely.^[ Some companies also offer additional services like project management, backup and disaster recovery, and vendor management in the monthly price. The companies that offer this type of tech support are known as managed services providers.

IS IT help desk a good job?

help desk salary

Those looking to break into the IT industry -- whether they are recent college graduates or entry-level professionals, or are transitioning from another profession -- often have the same initial question: Where do I start?

The concern is legitimate. The first steps you take as you launch your career in the technology field play a role in establishing the professional path you ultimately take. It’s also necessary to build a solid foundation of skills and experience early on so you can prepare yourself for additional responsibilities and advancement opportunities down the road.

> So, what’s a good first job? Quite frequently, rewarding IT careers start on the help desk. The support field is booming as companies continue to expand their operations and invest in technology to fuel this growth. In addition, the release of new systems and products rarely slows -- the new Windows Vista and accompanying Office updates are good examples -- meaning there is a steady need for specialists to help end users troubleshoot the applications and hardware they rely on.

India’s highest paying tech jobs and the skills that rake in the big bucks

> But more important, a help desk job can put you in a good position for future growth. Here are a few reasons why:

Hard skills development. Help desk technicians work with nearly every system a company uses or sells. That includes operating systems -- applications, networks, the Internet, hardware and peripherals. In a help desk role, you can gain in-depth, real-world knowledge of these technologies, an especially valuable commodity for workers with little or no job experience. This wide-ranging exposure allows you to not only build your hard skills, but also determine which technologies you have the greatest passion for.

Soft skills development. There’s no doubt well-developed technical skills are essential for any IT professional, but that doesn’t mean they’re all you need to build a successful career. Increasingly, managers are looking for employees who also have strong interpersonal skills, such as communication, problem-solving and leadership abilities. These so-called soft skills can be learned on the help desk. Think about it: Performing step-by-step troubleshooting of a proxy server configuration with a person unfamiliar with the workings of the e-mail system allows you to build your communication skills. And keeping your cool when helping a stressed caller resolve his problem can improve your tact and diplomacy.

Advancement potential. Perhaps the best part about a help desk role is that it’s often possible to leverage the skills and experience gained there to secure a higher-level position. Many network, Web and e-mail administrators, for example, got their starts on the help desk. In addition, many advancement opportunities exist within the help desk itself. In large companies, Tier 2 and Tier 3 professionals are needed to supervise, train and assist junior help desk technicians. Another potential career path is to pursue a position as a help desk manager. According to the Robert Half Technology 2007 Salary Guide, the national average starting salary for help desk managers is $62,500 to $88,250 this year.