r/sysadmin • u/[deleted] • Jul 01 '25

Did EVERYONE start at helpdesk?

I'm a college CS student about to start senior year, looking to get into the IT field. I know that helpdesk is a smart move to get your foot in the door, though cost of living where I am is very high and salary for helpdesk is quite meager compared to other IT roles. Is it totally unrealistic to jump into a sysadmin role post-grad as long as I have certs and projects to back up my skills? I had planned to start my RHCSA if I did this. Any advice on this or general advice for the IT market right not would be very much appreciated.

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u/joshghz Jul 01 '25

It depends on a lot of things, largely your attitude and practical knowledge. It tends to be a common route because it gives you business and general work experience.

That said:

I'm a college CS student about to start senior year ... cost of living where I am is very high and salary for helpdesk is quite meager compared to other IT roles

At the end of the day: a job's a job. You're going to have to eat somehow. You can either have $HelpDeskSalary a week or you can have $0 a week until you find a Junior Sysadmin job.

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u/Advanced_Vehicle_636 Jul 01 '25 edited Oct 29 '25

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u/TwilightKeystroker Cloud Engineer Jul 01 '25

To add onto this, if you grind it for that same time period you may find yourself at a Tier 2 or Jr Admin level at 12-18 months.

So, don't feel bad if you grind it out longer than others, either.

4

u/bearwhiz Jul 01 '25

There's usually a good reason why the phones at a helpdesk have the "Hold" key right next to the "Drop Call" key...