No business small or big can survive without a proper customer support. Issues do arise due to some technical faults, application issues or due to customer ignorance. For sustaining customers and improving customer satisfaction, support is always necessary. This is where Helpdesk comes into picture.

I have experience in my previous company, where the team was doing a wonderful job producing successful projects and completing them as per the deadlines, but the client was not happy. The reason was that, there were no helpdesk personnel to support them with their issues. The team responded to customers whenever they found time from their busy schedule of development and management. There wasn’t a dedicated team to assist the client with their issues. Management realized that the success of the project not only lies in delivering software projects on time, but also in supporting the client, when required, to maintain the relationship. Without customer support, you cannot retain a client.

IT sector is booming and most of the individuals want a career in the IT industry and Helpdesk is considered as the entry level for such a rewarding career. Most of the individuals, who have progressed to Project Managers started as helpdesk technicians. Even experienced candidates, when they form a part of the new project or industry which they are not aware of, they are initially put into support team as they can understand the functionality quickly. Even a Business analyst can understand the problems faced in a business by looking at the defects log raised by the helpdesk team and analyze on the priority of the issues based on the frequency of the occurrence.

There are a variety of Helpdesk jobs such as hardware support or technical support, software or application support.  Few jobs are Call center representative, Helpdesk personnel, Application support specialist, Level L1 and L2 support to name a few. Their skills range from knowledge about the technology they are working in apart from the soft skills.

Companies provide training to helpdesk personnel in many fields such as

• ·         Call handling process
• ·         Tools specific to that industry
• ·         Dealing with frustrated customers
• ·         Communication skills over phone
• ·         Email communication
• ·         Support process of handling tickets

These are few skills that organizations train personnel in.  Helpdesk specialists still need the ability to solve problems and handle situations based on the customer response and so on.

 While these are the soft skills that a helpdesk personnel is expected to have, there are few technical skills which will increase your chances of landing a job.  Some courses which prepares an individual to handle issues faced in helpdesk support include:

  

• Ø  Configuration of software
•   Ø  Network fundamentals
•   Ø  Troubleshooting
•   Ø  Installing upgrades

There are also certifications which helps a helpdesk professional to grow in their career. Few of them are CompTIA A+ , CompTIA Network+ and Microsoft Certified IT professionals. To build your career as a new employee or as an experienced professional these certifications add value to your resume and will improve your skills and knowledge. You can also connect with a lot of Microsoft Certified professionals once you have completed the certificate which will help you enhance your knowledge about the subject.  Few colleges have mandated the CompTIA A+ certification in their course which is a computer troubleshooting certificate. Many companies prefer people with such certifications which are globally recognized and are considered as a basis for entry level of a helpdesk job.

After few years of experience, helpdesk personnel can move into any other role in the organization as he would have gained knowledge about the domain in which the company works and has knowledge on how the processes are handled and how to handle customers.