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    <title><![CDATA[Discussion on Is there no career opportunity for the Help Desk pro? ]]></title>
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    <lastBuildDate>2013-06-20T02:23:17-07:00</lastBuildDate>
             

    <item>
        <title><![CDATA[You are completely Wrong]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-262221-3391553]]></link>
        <description><![CDATA[The IT field evolves every day especially present day. Do not discourage young people like myself. I have talked to plenty of peers that are very successful. As long as you do your research and keep up to the evolving technology you will be fine. You confined yourself to technologies that died while you  should have been learning a new one while it died. thats what you get yourself into in this field. This is how my personality works i get bored with the same routine i fulfill my needs with a eolving field of work.]]></description>
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        <dc:creator><![CDATA[szlzezezpzzz]]></dc:creator>
        <pubDate>Sun, 28 Nov 2010 21:55:55 -0800</pubDate>
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    <item>
        <title><![CDATA[nice]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-262221-3391552]]></link>
        <description><![CDATA[Smart company! actually has a disaster recovery plan. There is a good place to be. a job in IT Security. That will only get more important as hacking the government servers would destroy us more than a bombing.]]></description>
        <guid><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-262221-3391552]]></guid>
        <dc:creator><![CDATA[szlzezezpzzz]]></dc:creator>
        <pubDate>Sun, 28 Nov 2010 21:37:28 -0800</pubDate>
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    <item>
        <title><![CDATA[That Sucks!]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-262221-3391551]]></link>
        <description><![CDATA[I just got a job as a helpdesk tech for a IT company that other companies outsource their IT work to. In my interview they specifically mention how they understand the Help Desk position is not a life long job. They see this job as a trampoline to other position. This made me fall in love with the company. It was the reason I took the job. They emphasized growth and advancement the very first second of the interview. I have lots of ambitions so this was all I needed to hear. Plus this is a nationwide company strictly in the IT world. They will have any position I would ever want to do. I feel like it is a good company to be a part of.]]></description>
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        <dc:creator><![CDATA[szlzezezpzzz]]></dc:creator>
        <pubDate>Sun, 28 Nov 2010 21:32:25 -0800</pubDate>
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    <item>
        <title><![CDATA[I agree with you, but....]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-262221-2580557]]></link>
        <description><![CDATA[At least over here in the States, that's how I've been treated as a HelpDesk Professional, or as I think it better put: HELLpDesk. I truly believe helpdesk professionals deserve more respect, and have an opportunity for upward mobility.  Again, going by my past experience on helpdesks, if you are any good, you will be *STUCK* there.  No promo, not even a lateral move.  For that very reason, I would never take a helpdesk job with the plan that this is the career for me.  Naturally, I'm speaking for myself, I hope there are others out there that have found a happy niche as an HD Pro.  Just not myself or anybody else I know has had a positive experience being one.]]></description>
        <guid><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-262221-2580557]]></guid>
        <dc:creator><![CDATA[eM DuBYaH]]></dc:creator>
        <pubDate>Wed, 27 Aug 2008 05:44:22 -0700</pubDate>
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    <item>
        <title><![CDATA[Old World Thinking]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-262221-2578252]]></link>
        <description><![CDATA[IT support, this is a professional area within itself; no longer is it a place where you go to live in purgatory until you have suffered enough to be a 'real' IT professional. Look, this job to do well reuires current, wide technical skills; from building a PC/Server from the case up-deploying complex software-training users in how to operate devices/software; negotiation skills that would make a United nations emissary green. You cannot be a 'beginning' help desk person any more, manning the phones for a few months and fobbing folks off with 'the network is down' type responses.People expect real solutions to their problems, and sharp, savvy  support.True IT Support these days is a totally professional IT genre requring specialised skills and wide experience-not a starting point for graduates-those days went in the 90's.]]></description>
        <guid><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-262221-2578252]]></guid>
        <dc:creator><![CDATA[gorman.mi@...]]></dc:creator>
        <pubDate>Sun, 24 Aug 2008 15:49:31 -0700</pubDate>
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    <item>
        <title><![CDATA[Misunderstood]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-262221-2511165]]></link>
        <description><![CDATA[I attempted to send you a note but you have elected to not accept contacts from TR (very understandable) anyways the body of the note was...I was just reviewing old comments and came across your reply to my Helpdesk entry.  At first I was unable to understand what you where getting at about stuck in the box and not listening to the Helpdesk professional.  I think there was a misunderstanding.I was not speaking of HD people that come to the designers and implementers of a system with their concerns.  Rather I was referencing those that would rather talk to the &quot;customers&quot; in a manner that was unprofessional thus &quot;poisoning the well.&quot; It is my belief that the best HD professionals will reap the benefits of working within the system and contributing with their suggestions, concerns and points of view.  We are an IT &quot;team&quot; and those that sow sour grapes with the customers usually reap what they sow.I guess &quot;working within the system&quot; is somewhat stuck in a box but I would hope there is relief built into the box for people that have legitimate concerns.I hope the clarification changes your opinion of the post.]]></description>
        <guid><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-262221-2511165]]></guid>
        <dc:creator><![CDATA[rahammers]]></dc:creator>
        <pubDate>Fri, 30 May 2008 08:17:20 -0700</pubDate>
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    <item>
        <title><![CDATA[Wow]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-262221-2501988]]></link>
        <description><![CDATA[you bought the corporate line fed to you there.  More buzzwords than a hive of words that emit a buzzing noise!But credit to you - you enjoy it so power on kp!]]></description>
        <guid><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-262221-2501988]]></guid>
        <dc:creator><![CDATA[The 'G-Man.']]></dc:creator>
        <pubDate>Tue, 20 May 2008 08:10:06 -0700</pubDate>
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    <item>
        <title><![CDATA[RE: Is there no career opportunity for the Help Desk pro?]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-262221-2501933]]></link>
        <description><![CDATA[I have started my career in small computer shop building PC's, Servers, Troubleshooting Hardwares &amp; Softwares issues, both on sites and on our workshop, then moved to be helpdesk contractor with a government organisation luckily my manager was the kind of managers who encouraged intiative so he used to drow operational plans for the year and send it out, so while we doing our normal helpdesk job we get to put our hands up to participate in infrastructure projects which was very good for my career, then when my contract expired i have found another helpdesk job with another government agency, but that agency had everything segragated, that mean as soon as you show intiative they put you down, and i agree with the statment that state helpdesk is the dead end of IT, you should only do it for a year or two years maximum, try to gain industry certifications while you doing it and then move on, so thats what i did, and now im Data Centre Administrator with large financial provider.So it all depend on how hungry the individual for growth and achievments, the more responsability you take the faster you will grow.]]></description>
        <guid><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-262221-2501933]]></guid>
        <dc:creator><![CDATA[mhamid@...]]></dc:creator>
        <pubDate>Tue, 20 May 2008 07:45:33 -0700</pubDate>
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    <item>
        <title><![CDATA[Hell...]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-262221-2501584]]></link>
        <description><![CDATA[I'd settle for being a help-desk agent in Baja California. ]]></description>
        <guid><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-262221-2501584]]></guid>
        <dc:creator><![CDATA[dcolbert@...]]></dc:creator>
        <pubDate>Mon, 19 May 2008 18:01:50 -0700</pubDate>
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    <item>
        <title><![CDATA[RE: Is there no career opportunity for the Help Desk pro?]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-262221-2500352]]></link>
        <description><![CDATA[I would like to think that the Help Desk can be a profession all its own. Working at a help desk is not rocket science, but there are rocket scientists that can't do what we can do. Now I am not on the front lines anymore, but have been. However I am now in a professional, customer service position and I am proud to be a help professional. I understand many view the help desk as the way in and up or the way out, but I also view it as a &quot;way&quot; of its own. Visit www.thinkhdi.com and see how one can grow and improve themselves as a help professional.I value the help desk experience as a great way for people to move up as well. I have seen people really good at the help desk, but also really good technicians. They move on and then take those great customer services skills and experiences to other areas.]]></description>
        <guid><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-262221-2500352]]></guid>
        <dc:creator><![CDATA[dsnethen@...]]></dc:creator>
        <pubDate>Sun, 18 May 2008 03:51:33 -0700</pubDate>
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    <item>
        <title><![CDATA[Your Preconceived Ideas keep you in the box]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-262221-2496256]]></link>
        <description><![CDATA[Wow!  How could you have come from being a Help Desk person then turn around and berate any other Help Desk person for &quot;Seemingly Innocent Comments&quot; or shun them for it.  Like you did, many of them are just starting their career in IT.  When you become aware of comments like those you pose for example, a better response by you instead of being defensive might be to approach them about what leads them to their beliefs.  You might be surprised by what they have to say if you listen openly.  Frequently, a person that owns the way something is set up is so entertwined with it that they are unable to see other aspects that may actually be an improvement while someone with a fresh perspective can offer something totally different that is truely an improvement.  Even if this is not the case actually listening to someones idea's portrays that this person is valued.  Additionally, mentoring someone is definitely a good career move since many places will not promote an employee if they don't have anyone else that might be able to take over leaving you stuck where you are.  I also have to take offense to your biased concept that experienced Help Desk persons take shortcuts just to get something done without regard to the long term consequences and the senior techs always have to fix what they mess up.  Granted they may be more restricted by time to offer the user either a solution or a temporary work around in a critical situation but they also know that they are members of the IT team which should be working together toward common goals.  If information about those goals and the path for acheiving them is shared amongst the entire department they can act in harmony supporting each other while the cusotmer enjoys great service.]]></description>
        <guid><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-262221-2496256]]></guid>
        <dc:creator><![CDATA[romieship]]></dc:creator>
        <pubDate>Mon, 12 May 2008 12:51:20 -0700</pubDate>
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    <item>
        <title><![CDATA[I Agree]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-262221-2493982]]></link>
        <description><![CDATA[I have been doing Deskside Support at my present company for over 6 years now and while some of the things are repetitive, I am still learning something new almost every day. I am also the person our users want to talk to or see when they are having a problem. I cannot see why I would want to go to development or any job where I don't have the face to face contact.]]></description>
        <guid><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-262221-2493982]]></guid>
        <dc:creator><![CDATA[garey.beach@...]]></dc:creator>
        <pubDate>Fri, 09 May 2008 06:28:14 -0700</pubDate>
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    <item>
        <title><![CDATA[RE: Is there no career opportunity for the Help Desk pro?]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-262221-2491884]]></link>
        <description><![CDATA[I think this is not true. I've been in this field for more than 20years and have learned a lot. We are managing and maintaining some 15 servers with different flavors. And it is really a great fun to work on servers and as the same time providing the users supports to 400 clients in the institution.This institution is not an ordinary company, it is a research centre that gives lot of opportunities to communicate with the scientists, lab tech. and other professional and at the same time to learn new things while troubleshooting their (hardware or software) problems. It is definitely a dead end for those who do not want to learn.ThanksParvez]]></description>
        <guid><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-262221-2491884]]></guid>
        <dc:creator><![CDATA[parvez@...]]></dc:creator>
        <pubDate>Wed, 07 May 2008 00:44:11 -0700</pubDate>
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    <item>
        <title><![CDATA[Think you've misunderstood]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-262221-2491426]]></link>
        <description><![CDATA[&quot;Dead end professionals&quot;. I'm not talking about a person with passion and drive who likes a support role and decides to stick with it. I'm talking about a person who bounces around looking for something other than the entry level alternatives (retail, food industry, labor) and &quot;stumbles into a help desk job&quot; - but just isn't a corporate person or &quot;customer-interfacing person&quot; or is otherwise just a bad fit for the help desk. But, truth be told, there isn't a lot of room for a CAREER in most call center/help desk environments. A single guy content living in a small apartment with a lot of tech toys may be content, but you're unlikely to make a real living family wage in a call center roll. (Probably depends on your measure of success and security as well). Now, some call centers are exceptions to this, some support roles are exceptions to this. I know 2nd tier support agents at EMC making in the high $80ks/year in a total WFH support environment. This is a well compensated support role. But there aren't many like this. And I interface with my supported end users, with my executive management, with our clients and vendors and with my own IT staff. I provide support solutions at all levels in my current role, and I am not isolated in a corner office doing ROI reports, budgets and payroll. Better yet, I would never disqualify a candidate based on their history as a &quot;call center support staff agent&quot;. I'm also a firm believer that business seems to want to push people, often in directions that they don't want to go. If you're content in your position, if it rewards you and you truly enjoy it, then I'd have no problem leaving you there if you performed well in that capacity. If you wanted more &quot;opportunity&quot; or to expand into something different, and you had the aptitude, I'd be happy to help you in that career path, as well. Intel has this silly &quot;continous improvement&quot; philosophy - that says &quot;If you are completely compentent and consistently meet or exceed expectations in your current role, you are stagnant&quot;, and the solution is to &quot;challenge you by expanding your roles and responsibilities outside of your comfort zone&quot;. I guess that is one way of looking at it. Personally, it seems like their philosophy is constantly changing the rules on their employees until they find something that the employee fails at, so that they can give them a &quot;Corrective Action Prgram&quot;... a &quot;CAP&quot;- IR, Improvement Required. Like all things, there must be a balance, and the best intentioned goals can be badly implemented. I understand the idea behinid this philosophy, but I think that you can also find someone who just excels at what they do, is content to do it, and should be left alone outside of being well compensated for the work that they do. If you're a Support staff who fits that description, then congratulations.]]></description>
        <guid><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-262221-2491426]]></guid>
        <dc:creator><![CDATA[dcolbert@...]]></dc:creator>
        <pubDate>Tue, 06 May 2008 08:47:02 -0700</pubDate>
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    <item>
        <title><![CDATA[YEP...]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-262221-2491335]]></link>
        <description><![CDATA[Couldn't agree with this more.  I've been a Help Desk support person for 8 years.  Turned down the next step (Level 2 support) three times and turned down opportunities to move into different departments in my company twice.  I have a great time helping people and making their day better when dealing with that frustrating computer problem they can't get around.  Been told over and over how much help I've been and how much people appreciate me.  I really like my CAREER.....]]></description>
        <guid><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-262221-2491335]]></guid>
        <dc:creator><![CDATA[HelpMeDesk]]></dc:creator>
        <pubDate>Tue, 06 May 2008 07:29:18 -0700</pubDate>
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    <item>
        <title><![CDATA[Depends on what kind of monkey you are!]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-262221-2491299]]></link>
        <description><![CDATA[I started in a ISP help desk doing dialup internet support (bigpond), which is pretty much as low in the food chain as you get.Basically if you the kind of monkey who's happy eating banana's scratching his ass and sniffing it then yeah its a dead-end job, but if you evolve work, study and never listen to people who tell you negative rubbish then you can do what the hell you want.I'm now working in a global media company as a network engineer (cisco). Make your own opportunities, no excuses!]]></description>
        <guid><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-262221-2491299]]></guid>
        <dc:creator><![CDATA[liam_mcd78@...]]></dc:creator>
        <pubDate>Tue, 06 May 2008 07:20:10 -0700</pubDate>
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    <item>
        <title><![CDATA[Strongly Agree]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-262221-2490986]]></link>
        <description><![CDATA[I would have to agree with this statement. I have had a number of jobs in IT help desks where the bigger the company the less opportunity you get. A lot of this is related to the way management treat staff but also the internal promotion culture. A good service desk leader is scared to loss good staff because they have invested large amounts of time into training, and often the quality of incoming staff is not very good or the attitude is why should i be doing this %@#$.Here in Australia we have IT training companies saying new IT students can expect a salary in the $AUS 75K-85K bracket, what a load of bollix, Help desk is lucky to pay 35k to 50k and these new comers don?t want to get paid that.I started in helpdesk, got a gig as a network admin, and then moved back to helpdesk in a mentoring role, I have now progressed to 2IC of a service desk with a strong chance of being the top dog. I enjoy the work (most days).There are opportunities for career growth if you look for them.]]></description>
        <guid><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-262221-2490986]]></guid>
        <dc:creator><![CDATA[guy.elliott@...]]></dc:creator>
        <pubDate>Mon, 05 May 2008 18:00:50 -0700</pubDate>
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    <item>
        <title><![CDATA[Most jobs become deadend jobs in]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-262221-2490720]]></link>
        <description><![CDATA[Big companies.  Think assembly line and you have the work atmosphere in most big companies.  If your programmer, you're only going to program.  In a smaller company, they don't have the resources to specialize a position; so, you end up getting a varied plate of tasks.  If I worked in a large company, I would probably only be developing on the database end writing stored procs or sql scripts since that's my specialty.  However, working for a medium size company, I not only program on the database end, but I also program on the frontend as well as web develop for them.  I end up having to learn and use several different languages instead of just one.]]></description>
        <guid><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-262221-2490720]]></guid>
        <dc:creator><![CDATA[alaniane@...]]></dc:creator>
        <pubDate>Mon, 05 May 2008 10:59:58 -0700</pubDate>
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    <item>
        <title><![CDATA[Not everyone in other IT positions]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-262221-2490684]]></link>
        <description><![CDATA[look down on the help desk personnel.  As a programmer, the help desk helps me to do my job.  If I have to spend hours trying to answer help desk tickets that have little to do with programming then I won't have time to actually work on the bugs in the program or to add the new features that they want.  At least 75% of the helpdesk tickets that we get only require helping the user to use the program or involve a hardware failure.]]></description>
        <guid><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-262221-2490684]]></guid>
        <dc:creator><![CDATA[alaniane@...]]></dc:creator>
        <pubDate>Mon, 05 May 2008 09:57:52 -0700</pubDate>
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    <item>
        <title><![CDATA[Depends On Your Education and Experience]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-262221-2490704]]></link>
        <description><![CDATA[If you got into help desk &quot;off the street&quot;, I can see how one would be estatic about making $40k a year answering phones.  However, if you're straight out of college with a B.S. in Computer Science and were &quot;fortunate&quot; enough to land a 40k help desk position in this dismal market glutted with folks off the street making inflated salaries, Help Desk could seem dead end.Especially in small environments like mine where there's no room for growth.  I'm trying to get a promotion to Sys Admin by having my job title and description changed.  I am the Sys Admin, I just get Desktop Support pay and a Desktop support title.  It's especially frustrating in an environment where the Admins are folks off the street who got started in IT in the '80's and are afraid to teach a young hotshot with a formal degree in fear of losing a job he's lucky to have.  Looking at job descriptions today, even Help Desk guys need experience, a B.S. degree and certifications.  I'm not exagerrating either.  I laughed out loud on some entry level Help Desk positions asking for a degree, experience and certifications.  This is a supply and demand issue.  In IT's heyday, alot of people off the streets found out that there was &quot;money in computers&quot; and now the market's glutted with home-grown IT guys with big salaries. Those guys can't find new jobs because of the heftier requirements of mid-level positions...B.S. required and Masters preferred.  Then on the top of that, there are Help Desk guys on the first floor with degrees and certifications trying to take their jobs.  If  you're trying to get into IT or trying to move up, network, network, network.  If you can't beat the Good 'ol Boy system, join it.  You have friends that work in IT, right?  Use them to get you a good midlevel position or entry level position.  That's how I got my current job.  I knew the old CEO and was hired right out of college.  I'm going to use the same formula to get my next job.  My brother and one of my friends are developers.  They've offered me jobs plenty of times.  Only problem is that I'm not a developer.]]></description>
        <guid><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-262221-2490704]]></guid>
        <dc:creator><![CDATA[jmarkovic32]]></dc:creator>
        <pubDate>Mon, 05 May 2008 09:56:51 -0700</pubDate>
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