What is a Help Desk Analyst and How to Become One
Help desk analysts are one of the most popular and in-demand fields in information technology. Candidates new to IT often start in a help desk position while more experienced consultants turn it into a lucrative and rewarding career.
As a generalized technology role, the specific systems and daily responsibilities will change depending on the organization and experience of the analyst, but some similarities remain across all levels.
What is a Help Desk Analyst?
A help desk analyst is usually the person, or persons, an organization relies on first for technical support. When a computer freezes, a user can’t log in to an account, or the internet suddenly stops working, it’s the responsibility of the help desk analyst to either solve the problem or escalate it to someone who can.
Much of the help desk analyst’s job is customer or client-facing. When an internal employee, or external customer, needs IT help, they call the analyst. This makes soft skills like communication, empathy, and patience a must-have for anyone in the role, especially those looking to make it into leadership.
Help desk analysts, especially in larger organizations, are typically organized in tiers.
- Tier 1 help desk analysts are the first to respond to a request for assistance and they handle somewhat simple problems that can be fixed on the spot. If the problem can’t be resolved immediately, it’s escalated into a support ticket.
- Tier 2 typically manages support tickets and are responsible for more advanced troubleshooting. If the issue is still too complex it’s escalated to Tier 3.
- Tier 3 help desk analysts typically have the most knowledge and experience. They handle the most complex concerns, monitor trends, and find ways to prevent them from occurring in the future.
