SYNOPSIS
A Help Desk Support Analyst,
also known as a technical support analyst, user support specialist, or help desk
technician, is an IT professional who mentors and improves the efficiency of
computer users in an organization. This role requires having an in depth
knowledge of one or more applications and systems so as to be able to quickly
and effectively help users, whether internal (users) or external (customer),
with their problems.
Duties of a help desk
support analyst include providing answers to computer users’ problems,
supplying training and feedback to those users to lessen the occurrence of
future problems, troubleshooting difficult or unusual situations, and
suggesting workflow improvements to management. Help desk support is generally
an introductory technical role. A good understanding of PCs, operating systems,
networking and applications, whether in-house or shrink-wrapped, is necessary. Equally
important, however, are strong interpersonal skills such as effective
listening, empathy, patience, and the ability to careful walk a user through
problem resolution steps either remotely or in person. In terms of remote
support, the capacity to visualize what’s taking place on the user’s desktop is
hugely beneficial.
A person may consider
entering this field after attaining a non-technical university degree or a one
or two year computer diploma from a local technical institute. However, a
person with a Computer Science or Computer Engineering university degree won’t
regret the solid hands on experience that a help desk support job will provide
at the start of a technical career. Also, some formal training in particular
products or technical areas is highly recommended. The aptitude to troubleshoot
problems under pressure, and the ability to defuse excited and sometimes irate
users or customers, are also valuable traits.
A help desk support analyst
will, in time, move on to more advanced technical roles, such as system or
network administrator, application developer, or database administrator. In doing
so, this person should also move up the salary ladder.
Salary information is so
dependent on an IT professional’s particular skill set, experience and geographic
location. However, diligent help desk support personnel may be remunerated with
salaries around $35,000 to $45,000 USD.
 |
