A day in the life of: Helpdesk Support

The Helpdesk

Group Role:
The helpdesk is THE face of IT. Users look to the helpdesk for answers to their problems as well as to help improve their productivity by installing new software or getting a new computer/laptop. As a helpdesk technician, you need to appear as always having the right answer and be completely trustworthy. After all, a user who hands over their laptop with all of their critical and confidential data needs to be confident you wont lose their files or look at the contents.

• Hardware support:
• Desktops and laptops from multiple vendors such as HP, Dell, IBM, and Apple. Replace failed components and issue new systems. 
• Printers, scanners and sometimes basic mobile device support depending on the environment. Typically hardware support is minimal triage before calling a 3rd party for more advanced support (IE setup a new printer on the network, change toner and rollers but not take the thing apart)
• Software support:
• Microsoft Windows or Mac OS: Install, troubleshoot, patch, upgrade
• Microsoft Office, Adobe, print devices: install, troubleshoot, patch, upgrade
• Install and Other 3rd party software the user may require
• Troubleshoot errors the user may see
• Internet Explorer alerts or pages not loading
• No network available (wired/wireless)
• Unexpected crashes of an application or OS
• Account support
• Account creation and removal
• May be the responsibility of the helpdesk or as organizations get larger, there is more segregation of duties. The task may be assigned to the security team or even be delegated to HR and created when someone is on boarded or off boarded.
• Password resets, Unlock accounts
• Add/Remove groups to Active Directory or update memberships to a group
• Sometimes this is delegated to the Helpdesk or managed by the Wintel (server) team.
• Computer accounts in Active Directory
• New PCs are joined to the domain when issued to a user
• Old PCs are removed from the domain when decommissioned.

Start of Day:

1. Arrive early.
• Coming in every day 15 minutes early shows your manager you are dependable and committed. It also helps you get the jump on any critical ticket that came in. Most executives come in early and leave late. Being the first one in translates into your becoming the go-to person for executives. This goes a long way.
2. Check the helpdesk ticket system for any open tickets that are critical.
• Pay close attention to not only the ticket request/problem but also to WHO put in the request. A medium request by your CFO warrants more than just a medium response.
• Many managers allow their support teams to self assign tickets. If so, don't cherry pick the easy tickets. Be sure to take on the more difficult tickets if you are capable and become more valuable to the team.
• If there are a number of tickets with the same issue, talk to the associated engineering team or application team if this is a broader issue occurring. [IE 20 people not able to login to Sharepoint]
3. Check with the NOC and other teams on any open issues such as outages or planned maintenance.
4. Phone support / Deskside Support
• Some helpdesk groups assign specific technicians for phone support and others to deskside support. Often its a combination of both. Depending on how your department is setup, at this point of the day begin manning the phones and responding to ticket requests.
5. Tickets
• Most small to medium groups utilize some helpdesk system while large enterprises its a must for managers and support teams.
• Follow your departments procedures on creating, assigning and updating tickets.
• Always enter detailed information when updating a ticket. When your manager reviews your work, he/she can fully understand how well you are doing and what is going on.

End of day

• IT positions never end on time so don't count on running out at exactly 5PM. Very often you may be in the middle of installing some software for a user or transferring their data to a new PC.
• Not watching the clock and staying late are good ways to get noticed by your manager and builds their confidence in you.  (Note: CIOs and business leaders users also notice)

Common tickets to expect to be assigned:

• Account is locked out
• Issue (load) a computer or laptop for a new hire
• Need software installed
• Computer wont boot or computer crashed 
• Cant access/send an email (Outlook)
• Not connected to the wireless network
• Office relocation - setup the user's PC in their new office or cube

Supplemental:
Deskside positions can lead to other opportunities such as Helpdesk manager, Server engineer, Network Engineer, Systems administrator, Active Directory Admin, and others.

Certifications often held by a support technician:

• MCSA - Microsoft Certified Solutions Associate
• CompTIA A+ 
• MOS - Microsoft Office Specialist
• Often considered a pluss as Outlook and Excel is used heavily by business users
• CCNA - Cisco Certified Network Associate
• not often required but provides a great technical skills foundation

 Qualities as a hiring manager that I look for:

1. Integrity
• I must be able to trust the candidate to a certain ethical and professional level. IT positions come with a lot of responsibility and access to sensitive information. This trust must be earned not only from the manager, but the end users that IT supports.
2. Diagnostics
• No matter how much experience someone has, if they cant instinctively troubleshoot than fixing an executives laptop while he/she is pressing you for answers and immediate resolution.. lets just say it just wont end well.
• Be aware of how to research issues and weed out the false or damaging resolution suggestions.
3. Commitment
• As an IT professional, problems will come up that you dont have the answer to...yet. There are those types of folks who hit the first obstacle and look to someone else to give them the answer. Others folks dont give up so easily and are committed to finding the solution. Note that there is a point where you should ask for help.Never asking for help is almost as bad as always asking for it.
• Commitment also includes staying ahead of the curve on technology. Businesses look to IT for answers. If the business users know more about a new gadget or IT solution coming out than you do, it is a good indication your skills and knowledge are behind the curve.
4. Interpersonal skills
• Members of the department or team must get along. Personality conflicts causes friction which leads to bigger problems.
• Having a group of people who always has each others back and are very collaborative leads to success for IT as a whole.
• A person who can effectively communicate via email, phone or in-person with IT and non-IT personell is a plus. For the helpdesk technicians, this is critical.