Re-Training Course Recommendations?

[dspsyssts]

Back on the bench from Friday and looking to see what courses are about that can satisfy the current demand.

1st line helpdesk jobs abound on Jobserve but they all ask for you to have Active directory and Microsoft exchange skills.

This probably will be more on the lines of password resets than configuring AD in depth but I have no knowledge of these things.

Does anyone know of a good course I can pay to go on that will give an overview and some practical experience of what's required/expected of a help desk employee?

[cojak]

Sorry to put a dampner on your question but are you sure you want to go for a Service Desk Analyst role (that's what they're called these days)?

SDA are not usually skilled at all, they work to scripts and if anything unusual is called in they'll be expected to pass it to 2nd line support (who earn more because of their knowledge and skills).

What are you doing at the moment?

[dspsyssts]

10 years of ops mostly with AS400 for which there no longer is any demand.

Last two years in security administration at a big bank.

Unfortunately my skill set is negligible and how I have managed to keep myself to the comfortable manner to which I have become accustomed never fails to amaze me.

But with the current economic situation being what it is I can no longer bluff my way into a position on the basis of minimal knowledge and it seems I should plough some of my ill gotten gains into a training program.

Am also toying with an introduction to Unix?

There are lots of 1st line support jobs on Jobserve and I doubt it's rocket science but as is not unusual in IT that Catch 22 situation exists that unless you have the knowledge/experience your not going to get the job.

The plan thus is to get some training and bluff it at the interview.

[Mr.Whippy]

it seems I should plough some of my ill gotten gains into a training program.

I was told by my accountant that while your Ltd Co can pay for your training as a business expense this was only if it was "expanding on current skills" and not to retrain to a new one.

Not really sure how that can be measured at all, I mean if you read a guide about a skill online or a book then you already have a bit of knowledge to "expand on".

The plan thus is to get some training and bluff it at the interview.

With plenty of already skilled and experienced people on the bench you may still struggle to get anything though.

Good luck with whatever new skill(s) you look to pick up.

[northernladuk]

I was told by my accountant that while your Ltd Co can pay for your training as a business expense this was only if it was "expanding on current skills" and not to retrain to a new one.

Not really sure how that can be measured at all, I mean if you read a guide about a skill online or a book then you already have a bit of knowledge to "expand on".
With plenty of already skilled and experienced people on the bench you may still struggle to get anything though.

Good luck with whatever new skill(s) you look to pick up.

That is right and in some areas it is pretty black and white, a developer doing an MBA for example. This is an odd one. The OP's core still is Service Desk Analyst, his supporting skills are knowledge of the tech. Doing a Microsoft course as a SDA role could be argued to be supporting the mail role he does? To do a Microsoft course to become a 2nd line or somethine not SDA would not be supporting his new role so could be argued to be not claimable.

I would also warn against blagging experience, your CV will give you away the fact you don't have that keyword in your CV. To add it in when you haven't used it would be a lie and that is most definately not recommended.

I don't know much about SDA's but the level of knowledge you need and the level a course offers are distinctly different. Might be spending a lot of money for a useful set of learning? Just a thought

Might be better trying to go back fulltime somewhere and get the experience rather than spending a lot of money getting incompatible training with the role and still be no better off?

[cojak]

10 years of ops mostly with AS400 for which there no longer is any demand.

Last two years in security administration at a big bank.

DOH!

Well there's your answer - go the Info Security route!

You'll be better paid at a lower grade if you take that route, I wouldn't suggest helpdesk as it's a bit of a dead-end unless you look at going into Service Management.

What I can say is that both are rather expensive to get into certification wise, but my gut-feeling is that you'll go further in Info Sec courses (ISO27000) than ITIL/ITSM because fewer people take them and they're in demand.

[The Agents View]

10 years of ops mostly with AS400 for which there no longer is any demand.

Have you tried Comet group? It's been a while since I worked with them, but at the time they were using AS400's and had no plans to change them......

Lord only knows why I remember that.....

[northernladuk]

Have you tried Comet group? It's been a while since I worked with them, but at the time they were using AS400's and had no plans to change them......

Lord only knows why I remember that.....

I believe they are unhappy with a new solution cause the vendors they have approached try and sell them extended warranties with the kit and throw in a load of tulip they don't want.

[Gentile]

AS400. Blimey, there's a blast from the past. I was using them in the shipyards 22 years ago.

Sorry I can't help with your actual question, OP: network admin's not my area.

[lukemg]

I would go down the security route and big up your last role. Still seem to be jobs in this and a qualification will defo help. Go anywhere you need to to get more experience.
After that, consider the ITIL route, few appropriate modules.
FORGET doing any helpdesk stuff, maccies pays better and what isn't offshore will be going soon.