Help Desk Remains Popular Entry-level IT Job
As information technology positions are continually shipped overseas to places like India and the Pacific Rim, many in staffing/recruiting analysis positions note that difficulty facing U.S. IT candidates. And while outsourcing is hitting the IT industry employment situation harder than most, there remains a steady need for qualified candidates in the field. The best (read: most talented) candidates will always tend to find jobs, even if they launch into freelance careers or start their own small businesses. But for others, especially those trying to get into the IT realm to begin their careers, where do they turn?
A good starting point – and we’ve confirmed this by speaking with a number of staffing agency execs and recruiters – is the basic help desk position. While help desk jobs represent an entry level IT position, though trying to break into the market will certainly want to take note of this type of position. The average salary of help desk jobs, as of February, 2009, was just $37,000, down from over $40,000 last Spring.
That said, the position of help desk specialist is still one that serves as a springboard for advancement in the IT industry and, unlike some IT positions, is one that is ubiquitous in technical and non-technical businesses alike. There also is a natural hierarchy to the help desk role, so that help desk managers often make in excess of $70,000 and intermediary steps, such as “senior help desk tech” can see salaries in excess of $50,000 in some instances. From there, help desk specialists can work on coding and business development skills to move their careers along still further. At face value, then, the help desk position is one that would appear to be a very basic step but, in the long run, it is one that can lead to a successful IT career.
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Everyone has to start somewhere and these days that philosophy is going to have a whole new meaning.
Learning how to deal with customers is often an overlooked skill in IT. But in order for you to advance up the ladder, you’ll need this skill. Help desk positions are decent for giving you that skill.