Job Profile

People turn to Help Desk Technicians when they need computer help. Whether you are helping someone log on to a computer for the first time, troubleshooting a virus-infected PC, or explaining a computer concept in non-technical language, you'll need to listen to the problem being described, take methodical steps to solve the problem, and always be ready to change course as new facts become available. Your goal is to ensure proper computer operation so users can accomplish their business tasks.

A Help Desk Technician does more than answer calls and solve problems. As the first person end users contact about the problem, you need to quickly establish a rapport with them. Whether the end users are novices or experts, you need to make them feel comfortable with describing the problem and the actions, if any, that led to the problem situation. Good people skills-including listening and questioning skills-enable you to resolve problems more effectively and quickly, especially as most of your contact will be over the phone.

Good writing skills are also a must. As a Help Desk Technician, you must document the interaction with users from the first contact to the resolution. This documentation provides a record of each call as well as a resource for a knowledge base of known resolutions. In addition, you may perform a variety of tasks, such as installing and updating software, implementing file back ups, and other preventative maintenance. Help Desk Technicians are knowledgeable in the basics of computer hardware, operating systems, applications, programming languages, and even networks. You'll find that certification in particular software applications is often required. You need to continually update your knowledge and skills to be ready for the next call.

General Technical Skills

The following are some of the skills possessed by a Help Desk Technician:

• Operating systems basics-DOS, Windows, NT, Linux, etc.
• Operation and interaction of computer components
• Application fundamentals
• Computer hardware (understanding of individual components as well as underlying technologies)
• Networking principles and performance
• Diagnostic utilities and other research tools for troubleshooting and issue resolution
• Internet knowledge for accessing software updates, drivers, knowledge bases, FAQs, etc.

General Business Skills

The following are suggested skills you can develop as you expand your knowledge and are promoted within your career path:

• Management training
• Communication skills
• Coordinating projects and leading teams

Responsibilities

Help Desk Technicians are generally accountable for duties in the following areas:

Problem Identification and Solution

• Answer the phone in a courteous manner
• Establish the identity of the caller
• Elicit problem details from the caller
• Work through potential solutions with the caller in a respectful and courteous manner
• Identify when the problem needs to be sent to a more experienced technician
• Test the selected solution with the caller
• Place follow-up calls to users about ongoing issues

Documentation

• Begin the documentation when the call begins
• Enter caller identification information
• Document the entire problem-solving process, including potential resolutions that did not work
• Document the final solution
• Evaluate documented resolutions for ways to prevent future problems

Maintenance

• Identify and learn the software and hardware used and supported by the organization
• Check and clean hardware, including workstations, printers, peripherals, and perform other preventative maintenance as needed
• Purchase and install hardware systems as needed
• Purchase and install software upgrades and fixes
• Implement virus protections
• Back up important files
• Configure and administer computer systems and applications
• Perform system updates

Administration

• Implement the problem and request management processes
• Schedule and prioritize issues
• Produce and maintain documentation of hardware, software, and problem resolutions
• Understand the problems often encountered by new or untrained end users
• Plan for future needs of end users
• Assemble, install, and configure new computing resources, including hardware, software, and applications
• Analyze users' computing needs and recommend solutions
• Read documentation about existing problems and identify common threads in the documentation

Client Services

• Provide daily support to users
• Know the common tasks performed by end users
• Determine users' needs
• Plan and deliver user training
• Identify additional and future requirements of end users

New Horizons Courses

New Horizons offers a variety of technical training courses - taken either in a classroom or online - to help a Help Desk Technician succeed in that challenging and rewarding job role. To find the course that's right for you, contact the learning center nearest you.