Working helpdesk...good starting point?

[wasssup]

How good of a starting point is this for recent college grads? I graduated with a B.S. in Computer Science 1.5 years ago, I've only had crappy "customer service" type jobs so far.

Thinking of taking this job, getting certs, and getting the fvck out.

 

[Spineshank]

Thats what i do currently. Most of the upper people at my company started at helpdesk and worked their way up.

 

[rmrf]

our CIO worked in operations not more than 7 years ago, iirc.

 

[LuckyTaxi]

i went straight to network admin, I dont think I can field phone calls all day.

 

[Ameesh]

Originally posted by: wasssup
How good of a starting point is this for recent college grads? I graduated with a B.S. in Computer Science 1.5 years ago, I've only had crappy "customer service" type jobs so far.

Thinking of taking this job, getting certs, and getting the fvck out.

NO NO NO NO NO!!!!!


this is exactly like getting a degree in architecture and deciding to put up drywall in a construction job.

WTF are you thinking?! No one gives a ****** about your certs once you have a proper degree and once you start off in support, it will be very hard for you to climb out, people will instictivly pigeonhole you into a similar position whenever you start looking.

 

[talyn00]

Originally posted by: Ameesh

Originally posted by: wasssup
How good of a starting point is this for recent college grads? I graduated with a B.S. in Computer Science 1.5 years ago, I've only had crappy "customer service" type jobs so far.

Thinking of taking this job, getting certs, and getting the fvck out.

NO NO NO NO NO!!!!!


this is exactly like getting a degree in architecture and deciding to put up drywall in a construction job.

WTF are you thinking?! No one gives a ****** about your certs once you have a proper degree and once you start off in support, it will be very hard for you to climb out, people will instictivly pigeonhole you into a similar position whenever you start looking.

My thoughts exactly. I worked a helpdesk job for less than 6 months. I could easily tell it would take a long time to move up from that position. Unless you want to work in systems administration this probably isn't the right career move. You will get pigeon-holed into more of these positions.

 

[vi edit]

Originally posted by: Ameesh

Originally posted by: wasssup
How good of a starting point is this for recent college grads? I graduated with a B.S. in Computer Science 1.5 years ago, I've only had crappy "customer service" type jobs so far.

Thinking of taking this job, getting certs, and getting the fvck out.

NO NO NO NO NO!!!!!


this is exactly like getting a degree in architecture and deciding to put up drywall in a construction job.

WTF are you thinking?! No one gives a ****** about your certs once you have a proper degree and once you start off in support, it will be very hard for you to climb out, people will instictivly pigeonhole you into a similar position whenever you start looking.

I don't think he ever mentioned what he wanted to eventually do.

If you want to get on with the network/server admins, you don't just magically jump into that role in most companies. You have to put your time in work your way up.

If he wanted to do programming, yeh it's not a good move. But he never said that was what he was going to do.

 

[DaShen]

Not the best job, but if you can't find anything else to do and it is a good company with a lot of growth, then take it.

And Certifications are good in your case, since you haven't had a very technical job and your only have a B.S. in C.S.

Go for Oracle or Cisco certs. If you want a smaller company MS Certs are good. Easy ones to get before all this are A+ and Network+

But I never got certs, too much $$, but go to the bookstore and read the books.

 

[farmercal]

I don't have a four year degree and I am well above a help desk position. If I had a BS, then I could easily ask for 60+ in salary which would be very good for this area I live in here in West Florida. Does a help desk job pay as much at 57K a year?

 

[crownjules]

If you're going into the network admin/system side of things, then you are on the correct path. Most people in this field started out in a helpdesk position or similar. If you're looking to do programming, then you need to leave and find the equivalent entry level programming job.

I don't know why people are saying you'll get pigeonholed. The complete opposite is true. I work for a large corporation but thankfully skipped the helpdesk job and went straight to desktop support. However, we get emails every so often saying "congratulate so and so on his recent promotion to xyz job" which can be any number of technology departments, from access operations to networking. Helpdesk is where you get your feet wet with technology (not that your necessarily unfamiliar with it, but unfamiliar with it in the business environment).

A note to OP: Be a good Helpdesk guy, for the love of god! I'm guessing your company has a similar setup to mine where the helpdesk is the first line of support and if you can't fix the problem over the phone, you forward it on to the appropriate desktop support group. I'm the desktop support group and all to often I get the helpdesk stuff and all it says for the problem is "User has an error in blah program". Well gee, thanks. You could have told me what the error was and what steps you took to try and solve it so that I don't spend 10 minutes going over those same steps again.

I'm just saying to go a little above and beyond. Numbers are the name of the game unfortunately and people get so preoccupied with those that they forget their real job - helping the customer. Doing this will also get you noticed and we desktop techs will appreciate it.

 

[ATLien247]

Starting at the HD level is okay, but I would try to land a desktop support position instead and work up from there...