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Job opportunity, is helpdesk IT career suicide?

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If you don't have any other opportunities, then definitely take it. You never know where one opportunity might lead you in the future. I started working Tier II Helpdesk when I was about ~17, and at the time they were only paying $32k. It's that Helpdesk job where I was first able to flex my development muscle acquired over the years, and that led to many great things for me. $37k is a great salary for Tier I, imo, and if you show ambition there is most certainly growth opportunity available if you want it.

Good luck!
 
Take the job, keep searching for something better. Career suicide? Maybe, I've been stuck here for 3 years doing deskside support, but I'm currently doing projects with our WAN team and they've urged me to apply for the next open position. Growth is possible if you apply yourself. Besides, 70K a year aint bad for rebooting PCs..

My goal is to leave IT completely. No stability in this sector.
 
Originally posted by: y2kc
Take the job, keep searching for something better. Career suicide? Maybe, I've been stuck here for 3 years doing deskside support, but I'm currently doing projects with our WAN team and they've urged me to apply for the next open position. Growth is possible if you apply yourself. Besides, 70K a year aint bad for rebooting PCs..

My goal is to leave IT completely. No stability in this sector.
Click to expand...

:thumbsup:
 
Dude,
I live in indiana and make around 40k
I have a house and three cars.
My wife is a stay at home mom.
You can retire on 37K in indiana.......
 
Originally posted by: woowoo
Dude,
I live in indiana and make around 40k
I have a house and three cars.
My wife is a stay at home mom.
You can retire on 37K in indiana.......
Click to expand...

Uhh, I think that's stretching it unless you want to live a seriously parsiminious lifestyle.
 
Originally posted by: edro13
Eat your pride and take the job. It is experience, and money. Do you have any idea how many CS majors are out there searching for jobs. If you are waiting for a development job, good luck... you may be waiting a long time.

And no, a career in ANY field is not career suicide. Just because you worked somewhere, doesn't mean you have to put it on your resume. If you did work at a place, you can always put a spin on your actual job duties.
Click to expand...

being that I'm 25 and out of school for 2.5 years (with two bachelor's degrees no less) and JUST landed my first real position, I'd say go for it. The market is still pretty tight (at least it has been for me) and you might regret passing this up in a year when you can't find anything...

Like several others have said, it's experience and a foot in the door. Work your ass off and prove yourself - you'll get promoted in no time.

good luck.
 
coming from a similar predicament several years ago. graduated with comp engineering degree and couldnt find a job. Had about 4 years of helpdesk exp as a part time student working for the university. Got offered a part time help desk spot in the university hospital system. Got in and damn well tried to fix everything i could over the phone/vnc. moved to full time in a few months and continued to do all i could and learn as much as possible. position for deskside support opened up and i applied and got the position. I did posess A+/Net+/MCP 2k pro as supplemental certs. Same thing as before, did the best i could and fixed everything i could, whether it was printers, network, whatever the problem was. Then a position for a department opened up and through contacts i had made in that department I applied. Got the job and am now happily doing my own thing as a 1 man IT team. I guess the key thing to remember is to use the helpdesk as a stepping stone. If you forget that, you'll very quickly end up being a fixed part of the help desk and labeled as such. Get in, learn the role, then show that you are capable of much more. You'll attract attention from other departments if you have ticket system especially if you make thier job easier. That impression helps out alot if you try to move to the "other side" fixing tickets instead of taking them. You mentioned pc coordinator, that sounds like deskside support. If that is an option, i'd opt for that. It is not full time but if you do a good job, it will turn into one soon enough. One more thing to think about. deskside support is not going to be outsourced. There is always going to be a need for someone to fix pcs or the network. programming and phone support can be sent elsewhere much much easier than the guy who fixes the equipment they use on a daily basis.
 
Originally posted by: Elbryn
...
One more thing to think about. deskside support is not going to be outsourced. There is always going to be a need for someone to fix pcs or the network. programming and phone support can be sent elsewhere much much easier than the guy who fixes the equipment they use on a daily basis.
Click to expand...

very good point

 
Go For IT ! iI've been doing it for 3 years and I've been promoted to Cisco Admin / Linux Admin


I'd suggest you do it for a year and then start to move on to bigger and better things . IT Managers tend to have a hard on for people with a year or so experience
 
shrugs, money is money, and you can leave when a better opportunity comes up, but you gotta be seeking those opportunities.
 
Originally posted by: whoiswes
Originally posted by: Elbryn
...
One more thing to think about. deskside support is not going to be outsourced. There is always going to be a need for someone to fix pcs or the network. programming and phone support can be sent elsewhere much much easier than the guy who fixes the equipment they use on a daily basis.
Click to expand...

very good point
Click to expand...
Hmm correct me if I'm wrong, but I thought these were the exact type of jobs that are being outsourced since they are the bottom rung IT jobs? 😉

 
i start my associate support analyst (call center for siemens) job on thursday

excited and i can use the experience

graduating with MIS BSBA in may
 
Originally posted by: SP33Demon
Originally posted by: whoiswes
Originally posted by: Elbryn
...
One more thing to think about. deskside support is not going to be outsourced. There is always going to be a need for someone to fix pcs or the network. programming and phone support can be sent elsewhere much much easier than the guy who fixes the equipment they use on a daily basis.
Click to expand...

very good point
Click to expand...
Hmm correct me if I'm wrong, but I thought these were the exact type of jobs that are being outsourced since they are the bottom rung IT jobs? 😉
Click to expand...


how can you outsource on-site in-person support? i suppose you could outsource to a separate company, but they'd still have to be local...
 
Originally posted by: whoiswes
Originally posted by: SP33Demon
Originally posted by: whoiswes
Originally posted by: Elbryn
...
One more thing to think about. deskside support is not going to be outsourced. There is always going to be a need for someone to fix pcs or the network. programming and phone support can be sent elsewhere much much easier than the guy who fixes the equipment they use on a daily basis.
Click to expand...

very good point
Click to expand...
Hmm correct me if I'm wrong, but I thought these were the exact type of jobs that are being outsourced since they are the bottom rung IT jobs? 😉
Click to expand...


how can you outsource on-site in-person support? i suppose you could outsource to a separate company, but they'd still have to be local...
Click to expand...
Ah, missed the onsite in person part. I guess that's true if the company hasn't standardized their hardware/software...

 
I'd do it without a second thought. Then again...I've still got entirely to long to get my CS. 37k a year would probably make me sh!t myself (coming from one who'll maybe clear 10 grand this year). As everyone else says, this doesn't have to be the be-all/end-all of your career. It's pretty much up to you how you'd like to do it. Work your ass off and get good contacts and you'll be higher up in no time.
 
you folks describing 'helpdesk'.... these are all phone support is that right, as opposed to desktop support, where you face users in person? I believe there is a difference.
 
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