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Desktop systems engineer skills for your resume and career

Updated January 8, 2025

5 min read

Quoted experts

Austin McCoy,

Dr. Ariful Azad Ph.D.

Below we've compiled a list of the most critical desktop systems engineer skills. We ranked the top skills for desktop systems engineers based on the percentage of resumes they appeared on. For example, 8.0% of desktop systems engineer resumes contained infrastructure as a skill. Continue reading to find out what skills a desktop systems engineer needs to be successful in the workplace.

15 desktop systems engineer skills for your resume and career

1. Infrastructure

Infrastructure includes the organizational and physical structures needed to run an area or a society smoothly. It is a group of basic facilities required for any society or firm to run sustainably and efficiently. The infrastructural system is a high investing area and helps majorly in flourishing the economy and prosperity of a country. It is an underlying system needed for ensuring the safety and comfort of the public and to run a country smoothly. All the tasks needed to be performed for a flourishing economy and a happy and healthy public are included in infrastructure.

Here's how desktop systems engineers use infrastructure:

Developed solutions for authentication, utilizing existing infrastructure components.
Coordinate with Lead Architect and Business Analyst to ensure that the infrastructure was compatible with the overall technical and business needs.

2. PowerShell

Here's how desktop systems engineers use powershell:

Implement network troubleshooting and configuration using PowerShell 3.0 in order to maintain connectivity, and observe authorization protocols for security.
Developed PowerShell scripts to capture logs and registry settings for broken SCCM clients to investigate problem issues.

3. Mobile Device Management

Here's how desktop systems engineers use mobile device management:

Led Project for migrating 2000 Mobile Devices Black Berry Mobile Device Management Server to Mobile Iron Device Management Server.
Enforced HIPAA security requirements through implementation of Mobile Device Management (XenMobile) for corporate mobile phones and tablets.

4. Troubleshoot

Troubleshooting is the process of analyzing and fixing any kind of problem in a system or a machine. Troubleshooting is the detailed yet quick search in the system for the main source of an issue and solving it.

Here's how desktop systems engineers use troubleshoot:

Detect, diagnose, troubleshoot and resolve software hardware issues for over three thousand users.
Monitor, maintain, and troubleshoot SCCM 2007 and SCCM 2012 Servers.

5. Desktop Systems

Here's how desktop systems engineers use desktop systems:

Support the organization's continuous improvement of Desktop Systems Management solutions.
Lead Desktop Systems Engineer at 450-user corporate executive headquarters.

6. Windows Server

Here's how desktop systems engineers use windows server:

Administrated Windows Server 2008 and Exchange Server 2010 for new user accounts and user access control.
Rebuild user roaming profiles in Windows server 2008 and local profiles on user machine.

7. Technical Support

Technical support or tech support are the services provided by any hardware or software company to users. They help in solving the technical difficulties the customers face with their products or services. Moreover, the tech support employees maintain, manage, and repair the IT faults. They are also responsible for resolving the network problems, installing and configuring hardware and software.

Here's how desktop systems engineers use technical support:

Provided 1st and 2nd tier technical support to doctors and end-users relating to the Windows 95 migration and other software/hardware issues.
Contracted to provide primary remote and on-site technical support for small to medium sized retail, legal and medical organizations.

8. Desktop Hardware

Here's how desktop systems engineers use desktop hardware:

Provide tier-two and tier-three support for desktop hardware, software, network, and printer issues.
Played key role in evaluating and selecting desktop hardware for use with mission-critical trading applications.

9. VPN

A Virtual Private Network, VPN encrypts a device's internet access, activity, and identity through a secure server, making data theft and third-party traceability more difficult, and increasing the privacy and security of public and private networks, the internet, and Wi-Fi hotspots. The VPN is designed to protect one's system and network from being compromised.

Here's how desktop systems engineers use vpn:

Configured TCP/IP addressing, DHCP, DNS, VPN, Exchange administration of new and existing users with updates and moves.
Configured Cisco routers with VPN and Frame Relay.

10. MDT

Here's how desktop systems engineers use mdt:

Developed and maintained a specialized operating system deployment utilizing MDT 2013.
Manage multiple deployment share environments within MDT and updated driver content for all supported IBM, HP and Panasonic models.

11. Linux

Linux is a Unix-like operating system. Just like Windows, Mac OS, and IOS, Linux is an operating system used by millions across the globe. Android itself is powered by the Linux operating system. Linux manages all the hardware resources that are associated with your computer. The software is famous because of the protection it grants from viruses, malware, and crashes. The Linux operating system is entirely free and is an open-source software meaning it can be altered by those equipped with the knowledge to code.

Here's how desktop systems engineers use linux:

Manage ~7800 Mac OSX, Linux and windows Nodes with Altiris CMS 7.5.
Configure dual/boot Windows XP / REDHAT LINUX pc's into and out of the domain Added and configured Space Cruiser meeting.

12. Workstations

Here's how desktop systems engineers use workstations:

Engineered and packaged locally written and COTS products for automatic delivery to connected workstations.
Performed migration of workstations to new operating system.

13. User Accounts

A user account is a relationship established between a user and a computer, network, or information service that includes a user name, password, and all information related to the user. A user account may or may not allow a user to connect to a network, another computer, or other shared resources.

Here's how desktop systems engineers use user accounts:

Create new user accounts using active directory setup email on exchange server and setup Cisco IP phones.
Create user accounts in Active Directory and add/remove security and distribution group memberships as needed.

14. Endpoint Management

Here's how desktop systems engineers use endpoint management:

Implemented Symantec Endpoint management platform deployment solution.
Updated patches using Lumension Endpoint Management and Security Suite.

15. Microsoft Windows

Here's how desktop systems engineers use microsoft windows:

Install and maintain Microsoft Windows 7 and Windows XP operating systems.
Addressed requests regarding software deployments and Microsoft Windows updates using Microsoft's System Center Configuration Manager and Windows Server Update Services.

What skills help Desktop Systems Engineers find jobs?

Tell us what job you are looking for, we’ll show you what skills employers want.

What skills stand out on desktop systems engineer resumes?

Austin McCoy

Director of Javelina Engineering Student Success Center, Texas A&M University - Kingsville

-Internship/co-op experience -Research experience
-Good leadership skills and involvement on campus and in the community and activities where the individual works as part of a team.
-Well written resume can tell a lot about the technical writing skill; a resume needs to be clean and comfortable to read; recruiters can find what they are looking for easily.
-Less is sometimes more because students sometimes will put more information on a resume than is pertinent to the position applying for.

What desktop systems engineer skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?

Dr. Ariful Azad Ph.D.

Director of Graduate Studies for the Dept. of Intelligent Systems Engineering, Assistant Professor of Intelligent Systems Engineering, Indiana University Bloomington

I recommend enhancing skills in data analytics, if a graduate lacks such skills. Revitalizing business practices by analyzing user or inventory data is an integral part of almost all business applications. Hence, skills in data analytics will give a graduate an edge in the changing job market. Data analytics comes in various flavors: from gathering simple statistics to advanced machine learning. Hence, a graduate can always improve their skill from freely available online lectures, online classes such as Coursera, or on-ramp classes offered by many universities.

What type of skills will young desktop systems engineers need?

Vince Bowen

Executive Director, Department Chair Energy Systems Technology & Education Center (ESTEC), Idaho State University

How to learn. How to problem-solve. Emotional Intelligence to work in teams and get along with coworkers/customers. Then they need the tech skills.

What hard/technical skills are most important for desktop systems engineers?

Dr. Thomas Gilbar Ph.D.

Chair and Lecturer, University of West Florida

There are quite a few hard/technical skills that are important for Computer Engineers. We've found a lot of managers are looking for comfort in a variety of programming languages, including C++, C#, Java, Python, etc. Also, try to have a background in a variety of operating systems (certainly windows and mac, but also having experience on Apple iOS, Android, and even Linux will give you a leg up on the competition). Having at least some experience in data/cyber security is also important these days. On the hardware side, programming and applying microcontrollers and VHDL/Verilog programming are extremely important. VLSI design is also a nice addition to skill sets, though in most cases, not a deal-breaker. Circuit and electronic design are also very important skills to supplement your microcontroller skills.

Do you want to know more?

List of desktop systems engineer skills to add to your resume

The most important skills for a desktop systems engineer resume and required skills for a desktop systems engineer to have include:

Infrastructure
PowerShell
Mobile Device Management
Troubleshoot
Desktop Systems
Windows Server
Technical Support
Desktop Hardware
VPN
MDT
Linux
Workstations
User Accounts
Endpoint Management
Microsoft Windows
Asset Management

GPO
SQL
Virtualization
DNS
McAfee
Microsoft System Center
Technical Issues
Remote Support
IOS
SCCM
Desktop Environment
Tcp Ip
PC
Encryption
TCP/IP
Problem Resolution

Group Policies
Remote Desktop
System Software
Network Printers
Level Support
Switches
Patch Management
Security Patches
Vmware Esxi
Mac OS X
Windows XP
LAN
Technical Documentation
Application Packages
Connectivity Issues

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

Updated January 8, 2025

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