Also known as customer service or technical support, a help desk worker provides the answers to a customer’s problem or question. Most of the customer contact is through the telephone, though some jobs utilize email. Most major companies and government offices have a help desk.
This person spends a lot of time on the telephone with consumers. They diagnose and troubleshoot specific technical problems with a product, then determine the best action to solve the problem. Other duties include preparing reports, compiling data, updating systems and directing difficult problems to management.
Much of this kind of work is done as IT support, keeping customers’ computer software and hardware systems up and running. Although many of these positions do not require a college degree, there is extensive training involved through specialized certification programs.
Help desk employees work during regular business hours so that they are available during companies’ regular office hours. The average pay is between C
$25,000 and C
$36,000 annually.