How To Become a Desktop Support Technician
Summary. We reviewed real candidate profiles to learn the best path to become a desktop support technician. We'll guide you through the education, experiences, and skills hiring managers look for in a desktop support technician.
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Most companies require a desktop support technician to have a bachelor's degree degree in a related field, such as computer information systems or computer science.
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It's important to have relevant work experience, with typical job requirements ranging from 1-2 years in related fields.
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Common job titles before becoming a desktop support technician include computer technician, technical support specialist, and help desk analyst.
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Hiring managers expect a desktop support technician to have soft skills such as customer-service skills, listening skills, and problem-solving skills.
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Once you have all the required skills and experience, it takes an average of 3-6 months of job training to become a desktop support technician.
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Getting a certification as a Certified Network Computer Technician (CNCT) will help you to earn more as a desktop support technician.
We found that 45.5% of desktop support technicians have graduated with a bachelor's degree and 3.3% of people in this position have earned their master's degrees. While some desktop support technicians have a college degree, you may find it's also true that generally it's possible to be successful in this career with only a high school degree. In fact, our research shows that one out of every five desktop support technicians were not college graduates.
The desktop support technicians who went onto college to earn a more in-depth education generally studied computer information systems and computer science, while a small population of desktop support technicians studied information technology and computer networking.
How to become a Desktop Support Technician in 6 steps:
- Step 1: Explore desktop support technician education
- Step 2: Develop desktop support technician skills
- Step 3: Complete relevent training/internship
- Step 4: Get desktop support technician certifications
- Step 5: Research desktop support technician duties
- Step 6: Prepare your resume
Key Steps To Become a Desktop Support Technician
Explore Desktop Support Technician Education
If you're interested in becoming a desktop support technician, one of the first things to consider is how much education you need. We've determined that 45.5% of desktop support technicians have a bachelor's degree. In terms of higher education levels, we found that 3.3% of desktop support technicians have master's degrees. Even though some desktop support technicians have a college degree, it's possible to become one with only a high school degree or GED.
Choosing the right major is always an important step when researching how to become a desktop support technician. When we researched the most common majors for a desktop support technician, we found that they most commonly have computer information systems, computer science and information technology.
Desktop Support Technician Major Percentages Computer Information Systems 15.40% Computer Science 15.40% Information Technology 14.80% Computer Networking 10.70% Other Degrees 43.60% Develop Desktop Support Technician Skills
It'll be a good idea to develop desktop support technician skills before applying for a job. Here are some skills commonly requested in desktop support technician job descriptions:
Skills Percentages Customer Service 11.51% Desktop Support 10.46% Troubleshoot 8.39% Technical Support 6.11% Remote Desktop 3.42% Complete Relevent Training/Internship
Desktop support technicians spend an average of 3-6 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. During this time, new desktop support technicians learn the skills and techniques required for their specific job and employer. The chart below shows how much time it takes to gain competency as a desktop support technician based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real desktop support technician resumes.
Average Amount Of Time At Training
Get Desktop Support Technician Certifications
Certifications can show employers you have a baseline of knowledge expected for this position. They can also make you a more competitive candidate. Even if employers don't require a certification, having one may help you stand out in an application. Plus, the process of getting a certification can teach you new skills that you can bring to your work. We determined the most common certifications for desktop support technicians. The most common certification is Certified Network Computer Technician (CNCT), but Security 5 Certification is also frequently seen in desktop support technicians resumes.
- Certified Network Computer Technician (CNCT)
- Security 5 Certification
- Microsoft Certified Desktop Support Technician (MCDST)
- Dell Certified Systems Expert (DCSE)
- Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA)
- Master Certified Electronics Technician (CETma)
- HDI Desktop Support Technician (HDI)
- Computer Service Technician (CST)
Research Desktop Support Technician Duties
When you decide to become a desktop support technician, It's important to know what duties and responsibilities are required for this position. Some common responsibilities are a part of most desktop support technician jobs. Here is a list of the main duties that define the role:
- Manage and troubleshoot network connectivity with TCP/IP
- Coordinate and manage a large-scale VOIP phone system conversion project for high-profile corporate customer.
- Manage backups, replications and disaster recovery plans of company mission critical servers and database files to ensure redundancy.
- Deploy WINTERMS on CITRIX platform.
- Blackberry and android setup and activation.
- Support a legacy system which requires a client certificate and a specific Java version and configuration.
Prepare Your Resume
Finally, when you already have checked the skills and responsibilities for this role, you can start creating your resume. Everything that goes into creating a perfect resume can take hours, days, or even weeks. No worries, we created a resume builder to make this process as easy as possible with tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and a summary.
Choose From 10+ Customizable Desktop Support Technician Resume templates
Build a professional Desktop Support Technician resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your Desktop Support Technician resume.Apply For a Desktop Support Technician Job
Desktop Support Technician Jobs
