IT Career Path

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What is the I.T. career path? Does everyone start at the helpdesk? (helping people over the phone).
Why do you have to help someone over the phone anyways? If they have an Internet connection why can't one login to their computer and just fix their problems? I do that for family members all the time.

I picture the helpdesk being a ton of phone time (with angry and frustrated people). I don't know if I could handle that environment. I wouldn't mind fixing a problem but troubleshooting over the phone sounds miserable.

Comments?

The helpdesk part is only one element of IT. There are different sectors of IT. For example, at my college, there are a few different IT programs one can go for. One is for designing websites, one is for networking (which is what I'm in), and there is one for help desk. I would recommend networking because it's more hands on. In networking, you as an individual are setting up things. From physically wiring the networks to reinstalling operating systems and software. I don't know if I can speak for all autistics but I have the tendency to be a more visual thinker. I like to physically see what I'm doing and what's going on, which is why I'm going into that field. I definitely wouldn't recommend a help desk job.

It depends on the job openings. You can start with programming, data management, or hardware maintenance, besides help desk. Phone support is a pain in the butt and not time effective for corporate use. Much of help desk is going to the persons computer or using remote access to their machine. Taking computer courses in school is the biggest part. Learning to manage routers or database management or software programming are good paths.

I thought I would like programming (I initially started the CS track when I started college). I don't think I was a "natural" or possibly smart enough for that.....or maybe I didn't have enough practice or whatever.

So if you pick the networking track, then you have to start out by just running networking cables? What do you pick MS Certification or Cisco Certification? A lot of people scoff at MS Certification because it's easier but is it just as needed as Cisco certification?

A lot of what helpdesk [or helldesk], in companies and government departments at least, do is go remote onto someone's computer and see what's wrong, mainly because there's a lot of people with just basic computer skills [i.e. they know how to turn it on, they know how to surf the web and they can use some word processing programs, but that's about it]. The reason why there's lots of phone contact as well is because it's usually quicker for people to call up and explain their problem, instead of writing an email and waiting for a response. It's also quicker for the helldesk person because they can discuss and deal with the problem directly. Although there are people who email their issues, if their issues aren't pressing.

I used to visit the helldesk people regularly at the last place I was working at, because I was to train them in doing a certain task...didn't envy their job in the slightest.

Web design and web development can be quite interesting, although unless you are working for a company where someone else is supposed to handle client requests, then you'll also be making lots of client contact. It's mainly because you need to make sure your work is progressing in the way that your client wants. There's no point making a website that's deemed unsuitable by a client, and having to rework everything.

I think nowadays, to be a web designer, you'd need good graphics skills as well as knowledge in HTML, CSS, PHP, Javascript and maybe ASP. Apparently they're not hard languages to learn, although I never really got past Javascript myself When I was doing it, it was okay just to get by with HTML and CSS knowledge.

I was supposed to be in
networking.

They missed me.

I wouldnt recommend starting out in a Helpdesk, while it is true that there is money to be made helping other people, it is also severely frustrating and it require lots and lots of patience.

While it is true that i prefer to talk about things reductio ad absurdum, the following video is unfortunately not so far from the truth:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1LLTsSnGWMI[/youtube]

I worked on help desk for almost 3 years for HP Pavilion then Compaq, only to be outsourced to the 3rd world, anyhow, I wouldn't recommend IT as a career, I am a
computer network admin and was never hired to work anywhere else other then for some outsourcing companies that sets up shop in a city with several technical schools.