Help-desk jobs Once you get a job as a support person for a help desk, you should start thinking about working towards a certification.

Dear Molly: I am working as a customer service representative and am looking for a way to break into the computer field. I don't really want to become a programmer or network technician. I like working with people and helping solve their problems. A friend of mine said something about becoming a help-desk person. What does a help-desk person do? How can I find out more about it?

Molly says: Your work aptitudes fit right into the qualifications for a help-desk person. Someone who works a help desk helps end users sort out their computer problems, usually by telephone. Your caller may just need you to listen to a description of symptoms and respond with step-by-step guidance on how to fix a common problem, or they may need your expertise to help sort out much more complicated problems.

With your background in customer service, you will have a much better shot at getting a help-desk job than you might think. You may have to learn more about how computers operate, but much of what you need to know you can learn during on-the-job training. Once you get a job in the field, you should start thinking about working towards a certification.

Visit the Help Desk Institute to learn more about the profession. Browse through the job openings listed on the site to get an idea of the kinds of jobs that come under the help-desk umbrella. Visit the STI Knowledge site, too, and look for information about Help Desk 2000 and related certification programs for people who like to help people with their computer problems.

Molly Joss also writes the monthly Career Advisor column for ComputerUser magazine. Ask a career-related question at askmolly@computeruser.com.