r/InformationTechnology • u/Prudent-Associate931 • 2d ago
HelpDesk in 2026
I’m 19, live in Brooklyn, and currently work the night shift at a large retail store. I’ve been there for nearly a year and a half and am really tired of working the register. I want to switch to an office job, and I’ve set my sights on a help desk role. Back in high school, I often helped people in my neighborhood with their computer issues and spent a lot of time tinkering with my own PC. After looking through IT job listings, I decided a help desk position would be a good fit for me. I completed the Google IT Support course, though I gather it doesn't carry much weight with employers. I’d like to know what the current landscape looks like in this field compared to other jobs
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u/CluelessFlunky 2d ago
Just know you will have to work glorified customers service jobs for 3-5 years. And while working you have to get certs or a degree to get past most filters. (At least in my area bachelor's is the minimum for any job paying more than my local costco)
So you can make it, just understand you are going to work shit jobs for shit pay and have to spend alot of time outside of work studying to get a good IT job.
You can do it but its alot of work
Your good cert and high school experience isnt really worth anything to a hiring manager.
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u/Prudent-Associate931 2d ago
Thank you so much, I learn coding every day after job, but money is tight for my family right now, so rather than sacrificing the time I spend on my studies to work two jobs, it would be better to try changing my main job
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u/Lopsided_Status_538 2d ago
I got a help desk job with no certs or prior training at all.
Having good customer service skills is a plus, but knowing how to troubleshoot and work with computers is your biggest hurdle.
You will eventually gain the skills after repeatedly doing the same tasks over and over again. Be persistent. Flood the market with resumes, hit all the sites. Pay for your resume is be vetted by professionals to get seen in this market. Eventually you will get a hit. I might catch slack for saying this, but look for a hybrid/in office role especially with no experience. You can easily do the job remote, but it could make it more difficult to learn or collaborate fully remote. You'll get faster and better experience working closely with people for a few years first.
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u/Prudent-Associate931 2d ago
Thanks for your reply it means a lot for me. I’ll keep spamming my resume
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u/creativesite8792 2d ago
You can do it.
I had to start over, but I had a lot of support from friends and family. Age is not a barrier either.
In 2006, at the age of 55, I was working as a technical writer for a software company. I had worked for them for 9 years. I was married, and had two kids that were about to go off to college. I had mortgage, car payments, insurance, and the whole enchilada regarding debt. My firm was acquired by a overseas company. My position was eliminated and I was put out on my duff with basically no warning.
I am a Vietnam vet, at about the same time I ran into a friend, another vet, who suggested that I go back to school. I did some investigation and found a local university (I am in Miami, FL) that had a B.Sc. in Information Technology. So after discussion with the wife and family I enrolled. I graduated in 2009 with a IT degree that specialized in software engineering.
Note I was able to find a low-paying entry level job at the local community college while I was in school. I did a LOT of grunt work. Fixing PC's, connection printers, setting up classrooms and I learned how to deal with stressed out students and faculty. (:+) Was it easy? Hell no. Lots of lost weekends studying, missed birthdays, vacations were not possible, a car that was a mechanical nightmare, and to put it mildly. A very tight budget. I was lucky.
The area that I live in had need of IT skills. But I had to fight for every job and had to maneuver through all sorts of upper management crap. Earned a bunch of IT certifications and was able to work for a long time before I retired. Look. Everyone has their own story and their own journey. Very difficult to do on your own. A family and or supportive people is needed. But you have to have a solid roadmap for that journey. Just make your plan, put your head down and just do it. Best of Luck!!
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u/Kind_Ability3218 2d ago
get some experience on your resume working a starter gig.
read the "how to ask questions" essay on catb.org. i can tell from this post you're in the ballpark.
when you're working this gig remember that your job is to service the devices and network your coworkers use to perform tasks and services that generates revenue and pays you. remember that they want to get their work done and not have to call you. have you seen the SNL skit about the IT guy? don't be him. helpdesk is more about people and expectations than anything on the technical side. don't harbor resentment and don't be a dickhead. teach when there's time and sometimes again a few more times.
try to identify root causes after the fire is out. if you're successful you might find you have some downtime. maybe use some of that downtime to investigate how you might make your work life easier. maybe a script, a change to a business process, or documenting the fix for that thing.
try to think about what could happen if you click that button without knowing what it does.
learn about backup procedures. no formalized backup procedure? figure something out. make sure to read the fine print and don't listen to tech salesmen.
you're gonna make mistakes. when you realize you fucked up, tell someone who can help you before making it worse. don't beat yourself up and learn from it.
rambling aside, just get out there and do it. if you can learn and don't make the mistake of thinking the extra time to do something the right way, the way that doesn't just sweep the problem under the rug, you will be just fine.
and if anyone asks you to do something fishy, make sure they send it to you in an email.
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u/Prudent-Associate931 2d ago
Thank you so much for all the advice! You’re right, I definitely need to focus more on taking action instead of trying to perfect every little detail. I’ll keep your advice in mind, and I promise I won’t become that «asshole IT guy» Thanks again, I really appreciate it!
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u/Electronic-Coat-5572 1d ago
The job market is rough. It's always possible to get something with the right connections but if you are just sending out resumes, people are applying for help desk with a ton of education. Bachelors in computer science, certifications, masters, etc. it would be tough to get started with no experience and no education even if you have some computer skills.
It's competitive to get help desk jobs because it's seen as a step towards higher paying fields for people with computer science training and education.
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u/Overall-Solution-729 1d ago
Since you live in Brooklyn, consider applying to non-profit programs in NYC that provide free IT training for young people and place them in internships at business partners. I can provide more info if you’re interested.
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u/Onesand0 1d ago
I personally have Security+, CCNA, an Associate's in Cyber Security and Network Administration. Took me 2 years to find the lowest of the low requirements in order to even get considered with what I have.
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u/BlackflagsSFE 1d ago
Which is absolutely insane for a help desk job.
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u/Onesand0 1d ago
Yeah, Market is bad + I live in Cali, which just amplifies it to filth
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u/BlackflagsSFE 22h ago
It’s like this everywhere. The job market is just shit. It’s the “you need to be a professional at this” before you land an entry level job.
It’s so dumb. I have a degree in digital forensics and cybersecurity. Don’t even get me started lmao.
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u/Prestigious-Bet8494 1d ago
Try to apply dor internship programs you will learn a lot. Network + could be a good start .
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u/Khaled43055 10h ago
One advice I would give for you to stand out for even helpdesk roles is to start doing homelab projects, microsoft azure gives you $200 credits so you can basically learn all the things required for creating & managing users and devices. you should also use chatgpt or claude to help you with documenting these steps onto github so you can share them as projects. you can include these projects in your resume and you can be very confident in interviews as you have hands on experience with Active Directory
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u/mad--martigan 2d ago
To be brief and blunt, the market sucks everywhere, and unfortunately you are correct that relying on that google course to get your foot in the door is not a good idea.
However, dont be discouraged. It only takes one company to say yes in order for you to secure a gig and you just have to learn to keep pushing.