Getting an IT Help Desk Job For Dummies

Getting an IT Help Desk Job For Dummies

Released April 2015
Publisher(s): For Dummies
ISBN: 9781119018988

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Book description

Stand out in one of IT's fastest growing job markets

If you're looking for a job in IT, the help desk is the heart and soul of most IT operations, and an excellent starting point for a promising career. With the help of Getting an IT Help Desk Job For Dummies, you'll gain the knowledge and know-how to cut through the confusion of navigating the Information Technology job market. IT can be intimidating to hopeful-yet-inexperienced job candidates, but this guide will help you find and land the job of your dreams. Through easy-to-follow explanations, authoritative information, and a bit of humor, Getting an IT Help Desk Job For Dummies serves as your thorough and approachable guide to maximizing your competitive edge in this booming market.

The IT job market has continued to expand as technology matures and deepens its roots in business operations. This is good news for you! However, it makes it that much harder to get a job in IT, as recent grads and other professionals are practically stampeding to get their feet in the door of this rapidly expanding industry. Luckily, Getting an IT Help Desk Job For Dummies gives you an advantage by providing expert instruction on how to score an interview and secure a job offer, the skills needed to obtain and maintain an IT position, and authoritative information on how to establish a career path in the IT field.

  • Explore careers in the IT Help Desk field and establish the path you want to follow

  • Plan for post-education certifications and training to make yourself more marketable

  • Get expert guidance for creating a winning resume and cover letter

  • Prepare for your IT Help Desk interview

    • Loaded with simple, straight-forward advice, Getting an IT Help Desk Job For Dummies is your all-in-one guide to starting your IT career on the right foot!

    Table of contents

    1. Cover Page
    2. Title Page
    3. Copyright
    4. Contents at a Glance
    5. Contents
    6. Introduction
      1. About This Book
      2. Foolish Assumptions
      3. Icons Used in This Book
      4. Beyond This Book
      5. Where We Go from Here
    7. Part I: So You Want to Be an IT Help Desk Engineer
      1. Chapter 1: Embracing IT Help Desk Jobs
        1. What Is a Help Desk?
        2. Why Technical Support Matters
        3. Heads in the Clouds
        4. Why Companies Care about Technical Support
        5. The IT Help Desk Job Market
        6. Two, Two, Two Career Paths in One!
        7. Deciphering Job Titles
        8. What You'll Need to Get an IT Help Desk Job
        9. Swimming in Acronym Soup
      2. Chapter 2: A Day in the Life of a Help Desk Engineer
        1. So, What's the Plan?
        2. Day 1: The Systems Analyst
        3. Day 2: The Consulting Magician
        4. Day 3: The Help Desk Rep
        5. How's That Sound?
      3. Chapter 3: Why Starting at the Help Desk Is an Awesome Choice
        1. What the Bureau of Labor Statistics Has to Say about All This IT Stuff
        2. As Entry-Level Jobs Go …
        3. Creating Opportunities
        4. Making an Impact
        5. Don't Rock the Boat, But …
        6. Profiling for Technical Support Professionals
        7. Solving Support Desk Scenarios
        8. Branching Outside Your Comfort Zone
        9. Advancing from Zero to CTO
    8. Part II: What You Need to Know
      1. Chapter 4: The Education and the Mindset
        1. Learning Your Way to Success
        2. Applying the Vulcan Mindset
      2. Chapter 5: Education and Certifications
        1. Researching Your Options
        2. Understanding the Cost of Post-Education Programs
        3. Facing the Regional Dilemma
        4. Taking It to the Internet!
        5. To Cert or Not to Cert
      3. Chapter 6: Feeding Your Inner Nerd
        1. Exactly How Awesome Growth Can Be
        2. Stay on Target for Growth!
        3. Online Resources
        4. Use the Force, Luke!
        5. Upward Mobility
    9. Part III: Finding the Right Position for You
      1. Chapter 7: The Consulting Nerd
        1. Traditional Versus Managed Services
        2. There Is a You in Teamwork
        3. Documentation: The Lifeblood of Consulting
        4. Finishing School for the Well-Rounded Consultant
      2. Chapter 8: Working for a Company
        1. Welcome to the Jungle
        2. Understanding the Concepts of Agile
        3. Grin and Bear It: A Pocket Guide to Workplace Personalities
      3. Chapter 9: The Remote Nerd
        1. The Disruptor Called Social Networking
        2. Getting to Know Your Products
    10. Part IV: Landing the Job
      1. Chapter 10: Branding Yourself
        1. Developing Who You Are Online
        2. Don't Forget to Post
        3. Why Do You Need This?
      2. Chapter 11: Creating a Winning Resume and Cover Letter
        1. The Dreaded Resume
        2. The Ultimate Template
        3. The Even More Dreaded Cover Letter
        4. Why You Should Keep Everything
      3. Chapter 12: Surviving the Interview
        1. The Big Day Has Arrived
        2. The Least Comfortable Chair in the World
        3. Ending the Interview
        4. Some Possible Tips and Tricks
      4. Chapter 13: Post-Interview Etiquette
        1. Managing HR Departments
        2. Managing Recruiters and Placement Agencies
    11. Part V: The Part of Tens
      1. Chapter 14: Ten Things Not to Do
        1. Don't Touch Anyone
        2. Don't Yell at Anyone
        3. Don't Try to Teach Customers the Technology
        4. Don't Try to Do Everything Yourself
        5. Don't Ignore the Forest for the Trees
        6. Don't Forget to Say “I Don't Know” When You Really Don't Know
        7. Don't Leave People Hanging
        8. Don't Trash Talk Your Coworkers
        9. Don't Leave Something You've Started Unfinished
        10. Don't Make Customers Feel That They Are the Problem
      2. Chapter 15: Ten Books You Should Own
        1. Raspberry Pi For Dummies, 2nd Edition
        2. Windows 8.1 Bible
        3. On Writing Well: The Classic Guide to Writing Nonfiction, 30th Edition
        4. Cloud Computing and Electronic Discovery
        5. Designing the Internet of Things
        6. The Innovator's Path: How Individuals, Teams, and Organizations Can Make Innovation Business-as-Usual
        7. Agile Project Management For Dummies
        8. How to Deal with Difficult People: Smart Tactics for Overcoming the Problem People in Your Life
        9. The Practice of Professional Consulting
        10. Mindfulness Pocketbook: Little Exercises for a Calmer Life
      3. Chapter 16: Ten Tools You Should Own
        1. Malware Tools
        2. Disk Management Tools
        3. System Cleaning Tools
        4. Networking Tools
        5. Data Recovery Tools
        6. System Imaging Tools
        7. Helpful Hardware Tools
        8. Tool Bag Gadgets and Gear
        9. Random Utilities
        10. Other Useful Tidbits
      4. Chapter 17: Ten Resources You Should Use
        1. Other People
        2. Microsoft's TechNet Community
        3. The Help Desk Institute
        4. Product Documentation
        5. Google and Bing Search
        6. Product Technical Support
        7. Your Own Intuition
        8. Community Support Forums
        9. Error Logs
        10. Error Messages
      5. Chapter 18: Ten Things You Should Learn
        1. Virtual Machine Technology
        2. WordPress
        3. HTML 5 and CSS 3
        4. Cross-Platform Domain Integration
        5. Linux, the Other Operating System
        6. Agile Project Management
        7. Advanced Networking and Administration
        8. Server Administration and Hardware
        9. Database Technologies
        10. The Seeming Impossible: Inbox Zero
      6. Chapter 19: Ten Things You Should Never Say During an Interview
        1. “I Can't Help But Notice That You're Wearing a Pleasant Fragrance Today. Might I Get a Closer Smell So I Might Identify It?”
        2. “I've Been Counting the Ceiling Tiles in This Office, and I'm Pretty Sure That the One in The Back Right Corner Was Placed in the Wrong Position. Would You Like Me to Fix It for You?”
        3. “Do You Ever Get the Feeling You're Being Watched?”
        4. “You Know, I Think We Had a Great Time Today and Was Wondering If You Were Free for Dinner?”
        5. “Are We Done Yet?”
        6. “Yes, I Have Been Fired from a Job. Why? For Hitting a Coworker. Is That a Problem?”
        7. “That's Very Interesting and All, But Tell Me More about the Coffee Maker”
        8. “Yeah, I've Got These Nasty Bunions on My Left Foot. Do You Have Any Remedies ’Cuz I Could Really Use One?”
        9. “I've Got Another Interview in 20 Minutes, So If We Could Wrap This Up, That Would Be Great”
        10. “I'm Not Really Interested in This Job, But I Could Use the Money, and I Have Some Friends Who Work Here, So It Could Be Fun for a While”
    12. Index

    Product information

    • Title: Getting an IT Help Desk Job For Dummies
    • Author(s):
    • Release date: April 2015
    • Publisher(s): For Dummies
    • ISBN: 9781119018988