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Help desk associate skills for your resume and career

Updated January 8, 2025
6 min read
Quoted experts
Anthony Baron,
Anthony Baron
Below we've compiled a list of the most critical help desk associate skills. We ranked the top skills for help desk associates based on the percentage of resumes they appeared on. For example, 19.4% of help desk associate resumes contained customer service as a skill. Continue reading to find out what skills a help desk associate needs to be successful in the workplace.

15 help desk associate skills for your resume and career

1. Customer Service

Customer service is the process of offering assistance to all the current and potential customers -- answering questions, fixing problems, and providing excellent service. The main goal of customer service is to build a strong relationship with the customers so that they keep coming back for more business.

Here's how help desk associates use customer service:
  • Promoted to Priority Customer Service Team responsible for resolving escalated problem resolution for key account loan portfolios.
  • Maintain quality control/satisfaction records, constantly seeking new ways to improve customer service and effectiveness of team.

2. 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 help desk associates use troubleshoot:
  • Utilized Ghost software to remotely access user's PC to troubleshoot issues with bank software and Windows applications.
  • Carried out installations of intranet, * Solved user issues, * Troubleshoot the networks.

3. Escalate

Escalation occurs when a client's requests cannot be met by a general assistant or clerk and must be passed on to a manager. However, escalation could also come about within a larger corporation involving smaller team groups; if a serious error was made by one of these groups, the error may immediately be brought to the group manager's attention to ensure the project is completed.

Here's how help desk associates use escalate:
  • Escalate issues to the proper department and follow up with all tasks until completed.
  • Support network security management, including the reporting of identified security breaches and escalate as appropriate through EOP Computer Security.

4. 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 help desk associates use technical support:
  • Provided technical support via telephone and face-to-face communications for more than 9k end-users.
  • Provided technical support to end-users and resolved technical issue.

5. Phone Calls

Phone calls are a wireless or wired connection made over a telephone or a mobile phone between two people. Two parties are involved in a phone call, the caller and the receiver. A caller dials the number of the one he wants to call, and the recipient hears a bell or a tune to which he picks up the call. The call establishes a connection between them through which they can communicate. The voice is converted into signals and is transmitted through wired or wireless technology.

Here's how help desk associates use phone calls:
  • Placed follow-up phone calls to clients requesting project work for clarification and information enhancement.
  • Answer and screen telephone calls in the absence of supervisor and transfer telephone calls to appropriate personnel or record appropriate message.

6. Help Desk

Here's how help desk associates use help desk:
  • Help desk support consultant assisting Physicians and Medical facilities with access to Medicare and Medicaid applications.
  • Administer Lotus Notes Network Operations/Help Desk documentation database including creating and reviewing documentation.

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7. Level Support

Here's how help desk associates use level support:
  • Provided first level support for basic IT related issues and set priorities for incoming issues and requests to assure task completion.
  • Provide first and second level support to end users in office and Sales Force working in the field.

8. Computer System

Here's how help desk associates use computer system:
  • Provided technical assistance and support for incoming queries and issues related to computer systems in person or over the phone.
  • Assisted and directed customers / business owners how to rid and keep computer systems free from virus.

9. Remedy

Here's how help desk associates use remedy:
  • Recorded and tracked customer information on inquiries and requests utilizing remedy ticketing systems.
  • Utilized Remedy database to manage customers.

10. Mac

A media access control or simply MAC is a network policy that identifies or determines how the data is being transferred in two particular servers through a network cable. The purpose of a MAC protocol is to prevent network or technical issues and simplify transferring the information or data.

Here's how help desk associates use mac:
  • Served as IT support staff in the installation, configuration, and maintenance of PC and MAC workstations.
  • Advised clients about system optimization and best practice methods for working within the Mac Operating System.

11. Customer Satisfaction

Here's how help desk associates use customer satisfaction:
  • Exercised professionalism with a variety challenging end user issues and achieving customer satisfaction.
  • Ensured customer satisfaction from beginning of call to the end.

12. LAN

A Local Area Network (LAN) is a collection of devices that are connected in the same building, office, or network to facilitate the transmission of information among devices. The area of LAN depends upon the number of devices connected which vary according to the size of a building or an office. It includes cables, computers, switches, routers, access points, and other networking components.

Here's how help desk associates use lan:
  • Supported entire software network for 25-employee Company, including LAN technologies and internet.
  • Installed and troubleshot PC, LAN, and WAN applications and hardware.

13. Technical Assistance

Technical assistance is the non-financial assistance provided by local or international specialists. The purpose of technical assistance is to maximize the project's implementation and quality of the final product. Technical assistance consists of sharing information, the transmission of working knowledge, and other transfer of technical data which would aid the administration, management team and help build the project. The technical assistance focuses on particular needs identified by the beneficiary country and is delivered in the form of missions.

Here's how help desk associates use technical assistance:
  • Responded to requests for technical assistance via telephone, email and remote connectivity software.
  • Responded to requests for technical assistance in person, via phone or electronically.

14. OS

In technical terms, OS stands for "Operating System". It is a software that is used to run programs on the computer. An operating system acts as a link between the user and the hardware components. Windows, macOS, iOS, Linux are examples of an operating system.

Here's how help desk associates use os:
  • Provide support for Windows OS, peripherals, custom LOB applications, and commercial off the shelf (COTS) issues.
  • Supported hundreds of programs across multiple OS platforms.

15. Software Issues

Software issues are challenges related to the software installed in a computer that can be resolved by troubleshooting, bug fixes, and in extreme cases by a programmer. Software issues can cause the software to lag in the system, malfunction, or affect the entire function of the computer system in general.

Here's how help desk associates use software issues:
  • Provided phone, email and walk-in support to students and staff members on a variety of computer hardware and software issues.
  • Network Monitoring and reporting for several companies as well as ticket management for ISP and third party software issues.
top-skills

What skills help Help Desk Associates find jobs?

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

What skills stand out on help desk associate resumes?

Anthony Baron

Teaching Assistant, Associate Software Engineer, American University

For new graduates, the main skills that stand would definitely include which programming languages (Java, JavaScript, Python, etc.) have been used along with a depth of knowledge, which frameworks and libraries (React, Django, Flask, etc.) were used throughout projects and internships, and showing work experience. Most introductory and required courses will teach programming languages but do not always teach frameworks, which is why I would always recommend people to do personal projects and internships throughout college. Many positions at the entry-level are often very general. However, positions that are looking for specifics will look for certain skills and experience. For example, positions looking more towards web development would be more interested in whether a user used frameworks used to build websites. Showing leadership and trustworthiness is also a helpful skill to stand out via work experience and university clubs.

What soft skills should all help desk associates possess?

Anthony Baron

Teaching Assistant, Associate Software Engineer, American University

The main soft skills I would say are needed for Computer Science software engineering are patience, perseverance, creativity, respect, teamwork, and openness to learning and teaching. Programming involves a lot of trial and error, researching, and learning better techniques for solving a problem. Due to this, patience and perseverance to reach the final goal in mind are crucial. When it comes to the learning aspect, there are many languages, frameworks, and libraries, and working with them involves a steeper learning curve than others. On top of this, there are often more elegant ways to program a solution, and many new frameworks and libraries are released throughout the industry. This is where patience and perseverance is also a virtue. Lastly, programming and creating a product are often done in teams, where working together and learning from each other is important.

What hard/technical skills are most important for help desk associates?

Anthony Baron

Teaching Assistant, Associate Software Engineer, American University

The main technical/ hard skills, I would say, are mainly the same as in part 1. Another hard skill that will come through with experience in programming is learning how to Google, more specifically knowing exactly what to search to solve an issue in the code.

What help desk associate skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?

Kate Marek Ph.D.Kate Marek Ph.D. LinkedIn profile

Director and Professor, Dominican University

If possible, find a paid internship in your area of interest, which will help expand your professional network and build your skillset. Use this time to keep scanning job ads to identify skill sets in demand; look for online mini-courses to make those skill sets.

What type of skills will young help desk associates need?

Joshua Davis Ph.D.Joshua Davis Ph.D. LinkedIn profile

Lecturer, Carleton College

Studying mathematics is good practice for rigorous thinking and problem solving, which are valued across the workforce. For science and engineering applications, it is often also helpful to have R, Python, Matlab, or another popular programming language. But technical abilities get the graduate-only so far. They need interpersonal communication skills so that they can understand the needs of stakeholders and cooperate with colleagues. For this reason, many faculty at my school emphasize writing, speaking, listening, and teamwork skills.

What technical skills for a help desk associate stand out to employers?

Chirag Parikh Ph.D.Chirag Parikh Ph.D. LinkedIn profile

Computer Engineering Chair, Grand Valley State University

If you ask me, I consider valuable experience over good paycheck. Once you have gained that experience the paycheck will follow. As soon as you are out of college, the knowledge gained is very fresh and raring to go. If put into the right place can enhance your technical skills and you can do wonders.
As a Computer Engineering professor, I would say the job opportunities are tremendous for students out of college as they can venture into hardware field (technical support, hardware engineer, test engineer and much more) as well as software field (software engineer, software developer, software tester and much more). The possibilities are endless.
With COVID and employees working remotely there is still ample opportunity to enhance your technical and interpersonal skills as I believe remote working might stay for a while till things get back to normal.

List of help desk associate skills to add to your resume

Help desk associate skills

The most important skills for a help desk associate resume and required skills for a help desk associate to have include:

  • Customer Service
  • Troubleshoot
  • Escalate
  • Technical Support
  • Phone Calls
  • Help Desk
  • Level Support
  • Computer System
  • Remedy
  • Mac
  • Customer Satisfaction
  • LAN
  • Technical Assistance
  • OS
  • Software Issues
  • Desk Support
  • Help-Desk Support
  • Remote Desktop
  • Problem Resolution
  • SharePoint
  • User Accounts
  • Unix
  • Video Conferencing
  • Call Tracking
  • Windows XP
  • Customer Support
  • Email Accounts
  • Technical Issues
  • POS
  • VPN
  • Network Printers
  • Telephone Calls
  • Software Problems
  • IP
  • Workstations
  • Connectivity Issues
  • Network Connectivity
  • PCS
  • Network Issues
  • Level Troubleshooting
  • Network Troubleshooting
  • Citrix
  • Technical Problems
  • Linux
  • Trouble Tickets
  • Software Applications
  • Blackberry
  • VoIP
  • Windows Server

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
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.

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