Career memes of the week: help desk support

29 Jul 2014

This week’s career memes turn the spotlight on help desk support professionals, the individuals who help keep computers systems up and running. Just don’t forget to file a ticket if you need their help.

When customers contact the help desk with a computer issue, the support staff may guide the customers over the phone through several steps in order to diagnose the cause of the problem, to correct the problem, or to refer a particular issue to an expert.

Help desk support professionals are usually required to log each ticket, may install new software or hardware, and may determine and order any components for a computer.

Their educational background may include an associate’s or bachelor’s degree in a computer-related discipline, although individuals who have technical knowledge or experience may also find work.

Help desk support professionals need good analytical and troubleshooting skills, as well as good communication skills, particularly when it comes to relaying technical information in non-technical terms to a non-technical audience.

In Ireland, a help desk support professional (Tier 1) can expect to earn an average annual salary of up to €34,850, according to PayScale.com.

Tina Costanza
By Tina Costanza

Tina Costanza was a journalist and sub-editor at Silicon Republic. She came to Ireland from Canada, where she had held senior editorial positions at daily newspapers in Ottawa and Toronto. When she wasn’t saving dangling participles, she was training for 10K races or satisfying a craving for scones.

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