This may seem like a triviality, but having the privilege to rely on a supportive community can make a gigantic difference in your career. In a way, being part of a badass community of IT people can be like having a world-class mentor (or many) that can give you their two cents every time you’re stepping into unknown waters or need some sort of reassurance. Here’s what you need to do to avoid getting stuck in your entry-level role and move up the industry faster than what most people would say is possible. However, when you break into an entry-level role (whether it’s the helpdesk or something along the same lines), you need to figure out how to move up ASAP.

Watch this free, on-demand webinar featuring a panel discussion on cloud careers, including insights from the ACG challenge that helped dozens get their first cloud job. While some people took up skating, baking, or Pokémon over the last year, Thad comes out of 2020–2021 with one heck of an accomplishment. Over the course of a few months, he made the jump from a help desk job to a cloud role — and basically doubled his salary along the way. Patience, friendliness, and clear, non-technical communication are necessary to ensure customers don’t feel frustrated or talked down to.

What are the necessary skills to go from software engineer to manager?

We see 41% of help desks and service desks are called something else. Plus, there’s no guarantee that the service desks and help desks reported in this HDI survey align to our descriptions above. A few years later, I moved to product development and got into leadership in a smaller company called METER Group. This gave me freedom to explore a wider range of skills I hadn’t had the chance to test before.

Thad is from Miami, where he worked in a help desk role for about two years. We also offer free resources to allow you to practice or pursue any of your ideas in the virtual workspace. Even if you’re remote and taking classes alone, rest assured we’re prepared to set you up for career success as a software developer. Learning the full stack of technologies will also give you a broader perspective on the industry.

Product guide

“It advances the technician past end-user support into the management of servers, vendor software, large swaths of desktops and/or networks,” Sheehy says. He notes that many system administrators still have a support role to fill, but it’s typically on a larger scale rather than troubleshooting with a single user. This is important because, most likely, you are supporting a SaaS product and these products run on the web. https://remotemode.net/become-a-help-desk-engineer/ A service desk is a centralized support center that provides help and assistance to users in an organization for IT-related products or services. The service desk is typically the first point of contact for users who need technical guidance or help related to IT-related products and services. It is responsible for managing requests from users, assessing their needs, and providing support or solutions accordingly.

Larson also recommends relevant certifications for catalyzing the journey from the service desk to sysadmin. He points to two, in particular, that will help less-experienced IT pros learn the basic proficiencies necessary to advance. Technical skills aren’t the only thing that matters in more advanced tech roles.

Information security analyst

But in this talent-short market, many firms are willing to take a chance on an adaptable, resilient worker and a quick learner. Let’s take a look at this role so you can understand it, whether you’re applying to be one or you’re hiring for your business. The best part is that if you’re feeling down or maybe even lost, you can get plenty of support. For instance, someone struggling to prepare for a certification or having a bad time at work can simply share part of their story with their community and be flooded with tons of positive messages.

It’s essential for someone transitioning from developer to manager to take the time and ask themselves if they really want to do this. You don’t need to have all the answers and be 100% ready, but make sure you have the capacity to grow into it. It’s a measure of a person’s willingness to learn, grow and develop leadership abilities. The best training in the world isn’t going to help if you don’t feel like you’re ready to take it on.

What are examples of job titles that are related to a Service Desk Analyst?

Speaking of automation, you’ll also serve your sysadmin aspirations well by learning a relevant programming language. A good reading list is also key; Larson says he recently sent Taz Brown’s Enable Sysadmin article, “Learn the technical ropes and become a sysadmin,” to someone who was looking to break into the systems administration field. Here, they might be especially useful if your transition from the help desk to a sysadmin job requires moving to a new employer. One of the best ways to get the attention of supervisors is to go above and beyond in your help desk role. If you have the freedom, put in the extra effort to solve tough problems without escalating them too quickly,” Sheehy says. If you like to code, design and create, put that passion to use as a web administrator.