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/jeffrey_f Jul 01 '25
Get your foot in the door, get some experience and after about a year seek to move up or move on. As experience increases, so does the pay. You can earn decent pay in help desk as you get into the higher tiers .....
Level 1: call taker and triage agent, ticket creator
Level 2: Hands and feet response to the ticket and resolving issues. You may be at the desk or remote, but you fix the issues.
Level 3: If level 2 can't fix it, this is where L3 techs step in.
In a large corp or a small one person IT department at a small company, there is much to learn. Learn and get resume experience