Working at the Helpdesk might feel fun to you as long as you are not doing it for too long. Working at the Helpdesk for too long can make you feel frustrated with your job and will make you think to gather ways of getting out of it right away.
The 11 ways that would help you figure out that it’s time to move out of your job include severe boredom, procrastination, wasting time during job hours, sleepiness and fatigue, sense of dread, no rise in salary, not exceeding expectations, if you keep getting passed up for promotion and such like.
In this article, we will help you with the ways of knowing that you are at the Helpdesk for too long and suggest to you some amazing jobs you can enter into instead. So, here we go!
How long is too long at the Helpdesk?
Working in IT is all about passion and motivation: whatever the job is, if you are there for too long, this indicates a lack of motivation to move ahead. Working on a single job for too long means that you are too comfortable learning new things and getting ahead to be familiar with new job experiences.
Likewise, if you are working at the Helpdesk for more than than 4-5 years, this means that you are there for too long and are not motivated enough to move ahead to experience new things in a new job. Working on the Helpdesk for two years is most preferred by the high population of IT experts.
What are the 11 ways to know you’re at the Helpdesk for too long?
If you started your helpdesk career with a mind to get ahead to a new and better job like IT consultant, System Administrator, or Network Administrator and alike but feel yourself too comfortable where you are, it is a big sign that you need to think about moving out of your job at once.
Following are the 11 red flags that help you figure out whether you have been working on the Helpdesk for too long or not.
1. Severe Boredom
The first sign indicating you have been working for too long on the Helpdesk is that you feel severe boredom at work even though your tasks are all up to date. Completing all the tasks on time is something to be satisfied at the moment, but you never feel any satisfaction from it. Instead, you are subjected to severe boredom all the time at work.
2. Procrastination
The other way to know that you have been working at the Helpdesk for too long is that you delay your tasks every time. This means you delay your objectives to finish them at the very end of your shift.
3. Wasting time during job hours
When you tend to waste your job hours by watching YouTube or playing games, this is a huge sign that you need to get out of your helpdesk job and get some new ones. Wasting your time on other things is a sign that you are not much interested in your job.
4. Sleepiness and Fatigue
If you are feeling too sleepy or tired during your work hours despite the fact you are doing the regular amount of work, this is a huge sign that you are on the Helpdesk for too long, and it’s time that you look out for some other job in the field.
5. A sense of dread
Have you ever felt a sense of dread while thinking about your next shift? If so, this is the time when you reconsider your job’s continual decision. Changing your job type might help you get back at the same enthusiasm as you had for the first time you joined the Helpdesk.
6. No Rise in salary for a long time
Another thing you must notice about your job is whether you’ve seen any raise in your salary for over two years or not. If not, then figure out why it is so: it might be because you haven’t asked for it, or also your employee doesn’t value you. It might also be because you haven’t developed your skills and expertise during this time.
However, if you feel the reasons, your salary has flatlined down to you, this is the time to be honest with yourself and make a decision. If your salary hasn’t been raised for the past two years, this means you have been working on the Helpdesk for too long, and you need a change for sure.
7. You are not exceeding expectations
If you are getting feedback from your employer that you are “meeting expectations” but not exceeding them, this is the point to ponder in your financial career.
Meeting expectations might introduce satisfaction to your career but if you have become too lazy or comfortable plodding along, then taking some time to introduce some change in your job is the right choice.
This is because working in the right type of environment is important for you to excel as you don’t move jobs only to find yourself plodding along there.
8. You keep getting passed up for promotion
It is highly likely that if your salary is not being raised and you are not exceeding your employers’ expectations, you would probably not have a promotion for a long time. Getting the promotion based more on efficient performance than on time you’ve spent on doing the job.
9. You are not able to showcase your skills and expertise
If you feel yourself overqualified for the helpdesk job you are currently working at as you do not find any chance to showcase your expertise and skills, then it is a sign that you have been working on the Helpdesk for too long and need to change your job type.
If you feel your skills are superseded by the new developments in the company and your skills and expertise are redundant as you’ve failed to keep up-to-date with these new developments, changing jobs might not change your situation. To polish your skills and make the most out of them, you should upskill your qualifications to progress.
So, getting into a new job that will provide you both the right opportunities and needs your specialization can help you feel more confident in yourself.
10. Lack of Opportunities for Professional development
IT field requires continual professional development; however, employer support is extensively important to help you do this. You must be provided with up-to-date professional qualifications in the job if you want to feel learning and succeeding.
Also, you need to gain new qualifications and skills to progress in your job field. This will help not only your employer but also yourself and the company you are working in.
So, if you are feeling a lack of opportunities in your helpdesk job, changing it for good is the best thing you can do. If you feel your employer isn’t supportive or providing learning opportunities and you have been facing the situation for more than two years, then it’s time to leave.
How to progress in the IT profession?
Helpdesk roles are jobs in the IT field for people; there is always room for promotion and growth. However, some companies provide very little room for progress for helpdesk professionals, but you need to make a way out to get at the top.
If you are working in a company that provides better chances of career development, then you might be fine with the helpdesk job at the company. However, if your company lacks any such opportunity, you need to take a step further to look out for some other options to succeed.
If you are working in a company that nurtures the helpdesk employees and sees value in developing them, it’s great, but you need to try out some things to get the ball rolling if the case is otherwise.
1. Evaluate and Act
The first thing you need to do when you are stuck in such a situation is figuring out the problem and acting accordingly. You can easily move up the ladder from Helpdesk to another department within the same company through rope act.
Nevertheless, it depends highly upon the strategies of companies they use to empower their employees. Some companies do not prefer putting time, effort, and resources into an employee that is not reliable to perform duties for a longer time.
So, they feel better hiring already qualified staff than developing them in-house or investing resources and time in them.
So, it would be best if you talked directly to your manager about your concerns so that you might get help in getting a kick start in a new direction. However, if you feel your manager is not interested in your concerns and does not help you out correctly, you should look for opportunities otherwise.
2. Increase your worth
Getting some basic-level certifications related to your job might help you increase your worth in the company. Also, you must showcase some most intimidating skills, expertise, and experience in another field if you are entering into a helpdesk role to want to change and move up.
There are many entry-level certifications that you can get and show your employer, and it will help you get ahead with the role with greater confidence and security. Also, you can get some Network+ and CompTIA’s A+ certifications to showcase yourself as worthy of any job role in the IT field.
3. Improve Your Technical Knowledge
This argument is straightforward: there is little prospect of succeeding in any IT profession without establishing a sound technical foundation. So, if you want to advance beyond the help desk job, now is the time to decide what type of expertise you want to focus on.
Information security is one of the few fields where there are more job openings than qualified candidates. For years, organizations wanting to employ have faced a cyber skills shortage. This is a wonderful opportunity, and there is a lot about cybersecurity that you can learn and apply while working at a help desk.
Cloud computing and blockchain are two more information security-related topics in the limelight in the next years. It is only natural that when businesses migrate to the cloud, security controls should follow suit.
As a result, experts with the ability to maintain data security on the cloud are in great demand. Of course, blockchain is generally linked with cryptocurrencies, but the technology is also becoming an essential element of numerous security solutions that are currently being developed.
Other conventional information security fields will continue to provide a plethora of job possibilities. Professionals with experience in digital forensics, security audits, risk analysis, vulnerability assessments, and penetration testing, for example, will be in high demand.
With such a diverse range of possibilities, it’s simply a question of identifying an area of interest and focusing on honing your technical abilities. The outcomes will be considerably faster than you think!
4. Build Your Contacts Network
This is a useful suggestion for everyone who works on the help desk. Typically, your major activity will be to assist others, either by answering inquiries or resolving issues. The fact that this is your work does not exclude people from being thankful.
Developing a strong network of connections may begin immediately away, even on your first day at work. And, as previously said, the help desk role allows you to communicate with employees from various levels of the organization.
Soft skills will be quite beneficial, but a few fundamental principles such as being polite, kind, and helpful and having a good attitude in the face of adversity will be beneficial.
Conclusion
Building a career is a struggle that every successful professional must overcome, and success does not come easily. Remember that you must first learn to walk before you can run; therefore, if you are anxious to expand your horizons, take it slowly, plan every step, and set clear professional goals. Also, allow enough room for adjustment to not lose out on a fantastic but unexpected opportunity.
