Help Desk Job Description

Organizational Position

This position will likely work as part of a team of others with the same clients, responsibilities and processes. The role will connect with others in the process and technical areas and be managed by a team leader or help desk manager.

Figure 1. Help Desk in the Organization

Skills, Knowledge & Experience

(Popularity Indicator (PI): The PI variable indicates the percentage of jobs researched that requested that skill, knowledge or experience. For example PI=50% indicates 1/2 of all jobs researched requested that skill.

(PI=83%) Previous Experience

(PI=54%) Excellent Communication, written and verbal

(PI=46%) Customer Service Skills

(PI=46%) Windows 7/Windows XP OS

(PI=46%) Proficient in Active Directory

(PI=45%) Knowledge of network basics

(PI=42%) Word processing and spreadsheet applications (MS Office)

(PI=29%) Email clients (Microsoft Outlook)

(PI=13%) Provide Mainframe support

(PI=13%) Problem Solving

(PI=13%) Knowledge of VPN basics

(PI=8%) Knowledge of Blackberry phone and Blackberry applications

(PI=4%) Typing Speed

(Popularity Indicator (PI) of 0 % indicates skills, knowledge or experience that was expected for this role but not seen (or specifically requested) in the researched jobs.

(0%) Time management

(0%) Great telephone manner

(0%) Linux, Apple Operating System

(0%) Common IT applications and computer hardware knowledge

Qualifications & Certifications

29% of jobs requested an IT certification in general but were not specific as to which certification.

(PI=21%) ITIL

(PI=13%) Comptia A+ or Network+

(PI=4%) High School Diploma or GED

(PI=4%) Microsoft Office Specialist

(Popularity Indicator (PI) of 0 % indicates education or certifications that were expected for this role but not seen (or specifically requested) in the researched jobs.

(PI=0%) Microsoft MCSA.

Attributes of an Excellent Help Desk Officer

Very good help desk staff not only close jobs quickly, but they leave a perception with the client of an organized, professional, friendly and competent IT department. For this reason, personal traits such as a friendly demeanor, attention to detail and communication skills are important characteristics of good help desk staff.

Key Competencies

Customer Service

Planning & organizing

Problem Solving

Time management

Attraction to the position and job retention strategies for employers

Entry level job candidates may be attracted to this position because it is less technically intimidating than other Information Technology positions. This strength, however, can be a double edged sword because more experienced staff may begin to find the job boring as they seek to progress their skills and experience with new challenges.

Employers may reduce staff turnover in this role by providing clear and distinct career paths within the organization, the department or the team. This gives help desk staff something to work towards and variation that will help to reduce the monotony of the role.

Industry Analysis

The following data was derived by analyzing the common characteristics of advertised jobs. This data may be used to help job seekers to highlight, progress or develop skills that will be more attractive to a wider number of employers.

Database Analysis Results:

83% of researched help desk jobs requested previous experience - students and graduates may consider work experience for a broader selection of the job market.

54% or researched jobs mentioned "communication" skills. These skills can be highlighted by way of a good cover letter, a well written resume and slick interview skills.

46% of researched jobs mentioned "Windows" skills or experience, however less than 4% requested an MCSE certification. This suggests that certified candidates may exceed most employers expectations.

What You Know

Knowledge of computer operating systems

Competence with common applications such as email and word.

Understanding of hardware components such as disk, memory and cpu

What You Do

Log trouble tickets for clients

Diagnose computer and application faults

Help users to get the most out of their applications

Escalate issues to specialist teams

What You Are

Friendly and approachable

A problem solver

Great at time management

A great communicator

Help Desk Job Description

Page PRL: Level 4

Most Recent Research: Updated 9 December, 2011

Job Description

The Help desk role connects the customer and IT department. Frequently the first point of access for IT queries by customers, providing answers and simple solutions to enable continued use of their IT systems.

Tasks and Activities