Introduction

Service desk opportunities provide the foundational skills required to deliver top-tier support.

Most importantly, you’ll understand the business impact of IT—providing support so the business can operate with minimal interruption and efficiency. You’ll be part of the team that keeps the “lights on.”

The best part about this post is being able to give back to the community. One of the best ways to retain knowledge is by teaching. For beginners, there’s a common misconception that IT is all about knowing how to code. Which is not true. Coding is a specialty on its own and something you can pursue, but it’s not for everyone. If you’re interested in IT, I recommend building your foundational technical and soft skills for a help desk role. This guide will cover how to start developing those skills.

Before continuing, I recommend reading my one-minute blog on what it takes to work in IT and whether it’s something that may interest you.

We all have different learning styles. In this blog, I’ll cover theory and how to pair it with practical, hands-on learning. Everything can be done at your own pace and fully online. If you struggle with online learning and prefer a classroom environment, consider checking your local community college for IT support classes.

Certifications and Degrees

IT is one of those fields where you don’t necessarily need a degree to break in. As long as you can show your effort and obtain certifications to get past HR screening, you can land an interview—and from there, it’s about being confident in what you know and being honest in what you don’t know. Never be afraid to ask for help and talk about how you would get the answer with your troubleshooting thought process. That’s why having both technical knowledge and strong soft skills is important. Networking with others can also help you land interviews, but you still need to perform when it counts.

Not in order:

You can start with theory (CompTIA A+) or combine theory with hands-on learning (TCM Security).

  1. CompTIA A+ (Theory)

  2. TCM Security Academy (Hands-On)

Studying

Go at your own pace—it’s never too late, whether you’re a student or working full-time.

  • Study at least 1–2 hours daily
  • Take short breaks in between
  • Your brain needs time to rest and process information

Most importantly, get plenty of sleep and take care of yourself. It’s a journey. You’ll have days where you feel unmotivated—and that’s okay. Take a break or reduce your study time to recover. It will be worth it in the end. Focus on becoming a better version of yourself each day—that applies to life in general. Make sure you truly understand the content and take your own notes for reflection. Try explaining topics in simple terms. If you struggle, go back and review—that’s part of the process.

Staying Focused

There are plenty of Discord communities and free resources available, but don’t overwhelm yourself. It’s easy to get lost.

Pick one path and stick with it.

Online Communities

I’ll update my resources post to include Discord communities and other IT content creators you can follow and connect with. There are many like-minded individuals starting out, as well as experienced professionals who genuinely want to help.

That’s one thing I appreciate about the IT community—it exists to support you.

How to Stand Out Without “Experience” (and Resume Tips)

  • For small to medium businesses in your area, you can take a more direct approach, visit their office and ask to speak with the IT manager about open roles.
  • Obtain the necessary requirements based on the job posting—whether that’s CompTIA A+ or practical, hands-on experience. Some employers value real-world labs just as much as certifications.
  • Start building virtual home labs. You can check out my blog post on creating a virtual machine with VMware. TCM Security’s help desk course also covers this and provides guided, hands-on labs.
  • Create a LinkedIn profile and start posting what you’re learning. Treat it as a free portfolio. Connect with like-minded individuals in your area and build genuine relationships. Attend local IT meetups when possible.
  • Sometimes it’s not just what you know, but who you know. Connections can help get your application noticed and increase your chances of landing an interview.
  • Apply even if you don’t meet every requirement. If you meet most of the qualifications, you can speak to how you’re working toward the rest.

Resume Tips

  • I’ve provided a resume template to help you get started.
    • File: Resume Template
    • SHA256 hash: This is a way to verify that the file you downloaded hasn’t been changed or tampered with. You compare the SHA256 value provided by the source (me) with the one generated on your system.
8dd07264a0093144d3b76e3fe5a926a727e37ec3ec32431aa84d0c68c3e2efcc
  • If both values match, the file is safe and hasn’t been altered.

Verify on Linux/macOS

Open a terminal run the following commands

cd Downloads/
sha256sum resume-template.docx

linux

Verify on Windows (PowerShell)

Search for PowerShell and run the following commands

cd .\Downloads\
Get-FileHash .\resume-template.docx -Algorithm SHA256

windows

  • Use AI tools to refine and tailor your resume based on the job posting and your experience.
  • Don’t rely on AI to create your resume from scratch—build a rough draft yourself (redacted if needed), then use AI as a tool to improve it.

How to Apply

  • Apply within 48 hours of the job posting
  • Apply directly on the company’s career page when possible, or via Indeed/LinkedIn
  • Applying for jobs is a job on its own and can be exhausting. Apply passively, 1-2 jobs per week.

Job Roles / Keywords to Search

  • Help Desk Technician
  • Help Desk Analyst
  • IT Technician
  • IT Support Desk
  • Help Desk Associate
  • IT Support Analyst
  • IT Service Desk

Final Thoughts

  • Use A+ to help get past HR screening for entry-level roles
  • Take TCM Security’s free help desk course
  • When ready, consider their PHDA certification to simulate real-world scenarios

TCM Security has gained recognition in the industry, and more employers are starting to include their certifications in job postings because of their practical value.

I hope this helps you land an entry-level help desk role and get your foot in the door.

Feel free to connect with me on LinkedIn.