Computers, laptops, and tablets have become mainstays in organizations and homes. The first-ever PCs hit the market in 1974, and by 2000, more than half of U.S. households had a computer. Data from various industry reports suggest that computer ownership is rapidly approaching saturation among American homes, with 95.2% owning at least one computer.
Computers perform a wide range of functions, making them integral to everyday life. While most people can carry out basic functions using these digital electronic machines, they will likely need technical support occasionally when things get a little complicated. This is where desktop support professionals come into the picture. These are usually IT professionals with above-average technical knowledge of software systems and computer hardware. Desktop support chiefly deals with desktop or laptop issues. Their roles and responsibilities mainly fall into:
The minimum academic requirement for desktop support roles is a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science or a related field. In some cases, a high school diploma or an Associate’s degree may be acceptable, especially for candidates with solid backgrounds in technical systems and hands-on knowledge. Top in-demand certifications in 2023 include:
Overall employment of desktop supports is projected to grow by 9% from 2020 to 2030. This translates to an average of 70,400 jobs every year. So, this is undoubtedly a vibrant industry with good job security.
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This professional is also a customer service representative. They are mainly responsible for customer and client queries, complaints and inquiries. They are usually the first contact point with customers whenever an issue crops up and for introductory information. In some cases, they can perform proactive maintenance and other technical assistance.
This desktop support representative resume example highlights the applicant’s core duties and responsibilities throughout their career. Being a highly technical field, the resume has a separate skills section that showcases the applicant’s skill set. All of these are built on a solid Computer Information Technology educational background.
Hiring managers do not have enough time to go through entire resumes. So they mostly skim through in under 8 seconds as they look for the ideal candidate. Therefore, condense your key achievements and strengths in the resume summary where they can’t be missed. Keep it short and precise, 3-4 sentences. Notice how this applicant captures their expertise in Windows OS in the resume summary.
Numbers Don’t Lie – show the hiring manager that you’re results-oriented by quantifying your accomplishments. Use numbers and percentages when highlighting what you’ve done and achieved. For example, simply saying “Enhanced customer satisfaction and reduced costs” isn’t as impactful as “Enhanced customer satisfaction by 48% and reduced costs by an average of 37% by….”
Support analysts analyze, repair and maintain computer software and hardware systems. They can also communicate directly with clients while responding to tickets, troubleshooting or resolving problems. In larger organizations, they may be tasked with developing and enforcing IT policies that promote the organization’s overall objectives.
This desktop support analyst resume template solely focuses on the applicant’s relevant job experience. This is useful if an applicant targets a specific role and wants to match their skill set to those in the job description. Moreover, a solid academic background in Information Technology demonstrates the applicant’s foundational knowledge and ties to their career.
So you might have worked in several different desktop support roles, and it may be impractical to list everything you’ve done in your career. The standard practice is to structure your resume to focus more on the new role you’re applying for. You could feature other responsibilities that match those of the job you’re applying for. This resume effectively captures this concept.
Using technical language effectively demonstrates your expertise in the job position you’re applying for. So terms and phrases like “laptop rollout deployment,” “load sets for Windows,” “software version tracking,” “troubleshooting,” and so on makes your resume sound professional and prove you’re familiar with such concepts.
A desktop support specialist is an upper-tier role. The holder of this office essentially performs the functions of a desktop support analyst but on a broader scope. In addition to technical support, a desktop support specialist also offers administrative support. These professionals typically have extensive knowledge of an organization’s IT infrastructure and, therefore, oversee its maintenance.
As this desktop support specialist resume template indicates, applicants for such top-tier desktop support roles must demonstrate a wealth of experience and an expansive skill set. So, the resume focuses more on these two components. The resume shows the applicant’s broader knowledge (Master’s degree in Psychology), which can be handy when working with other people and teams on projects.
At this level, hiring managers are more interested in applicants with people, coordination and organizational skills. These are important for cooperative teamwork, mentoring, supervision, and project management. This resume showcases the applicant’s ability to train other employees, cooperate/work with different teams, and lead projects.
Notice how this resume template highlights many of the applicant’s technical skills. Desktop support roles are typically skill-intensive, so if you have the skills, flaunt them. For such senior positions, more skills show you have the baseline abilities to fill the position. It also shows you’re an ambitious person.
This professional carries out various duties, including fixing software and hardware issues, security and server problems, and customer queries and inquiries. Apart from a strong educational background, proven work experience and advanced knowledge of computers, chipsets, hardware and software systems, and peripherals are major requirements for applicants.
This desktop support engineer resume example shows an applicant with extensive industry experience and an equally impressive skill set. The resume zeroes in on the recent roles and responsibilities the applicant performed in the capacity of a support engineer in other workstations. A strong educational background in Network Engineering coupled with a CompTIA A+ certification strengthens this resume significantly.
One of the top-selling points for applicants seeking high-profile roles like these is the ability to impact the company’s bottom line, i.e., costs and revenues. So, demonstrate how your contributions directly or indirectly led to increased revenue, reduced costs, or improved work efficiency. For example, this applicant indicates they “designed a training course that increased efficiency by 25%.” This shows they possess the expertise to identify and eradicate deadweights to boost efficiency.
For top-tier roles like this one, it’s vital to prove that you can handle the demands of the position. This means showing the hiring manager you have the proper academic credentials, experience, and certifications. Notice the emphasis on ‘proper.’ For example, highly valued degrees are Information Technology, Computer Networking and Computer Science. Similarly, top in-demand certifications include Citrix Certified Administrator, Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer (MCSE), etc.
We spoke with hiring managers at companies like Intel, Dell, and IBM to understand what they look for in desktop support resumes. Based on their feedback and our own expertise, we've put together the following tips to help your resume stand out. By focusing on the specific skills and experiences that matter most in this field, you can create a resume that will catch the attention of top employers.
Employers want to see that you have the specific technical skills needed for the job. Be sure to include:
Don't just list the skills though. Provide specific examples of how you've used them, such as:
Resolved 50+ user tickets per week, troubleshooting issues with Windows 10, Microsoft Office, and HP printers
A resume summary for a desktop support role is optional, but it can be a great way to provide additional context about your experience and skills that may not be immediately obvious from the rest of your resume. It's especially useful if you're changing careers or have a lot of experience to summarize. However, avoid using an objective statement, as it's outdated and doesn't provide value to the hiring manager.
When writing your summary, focus on highlighting your most relevant qualifications for the desktop support position. Avoid repeating information that's already covered in other sections of your resume. Instead, use the summary to give a high-level overview of your skills and experience, and incorporate keywords from the job description to help your resume perform better in applicant tracking systems (ATS).
When applying for desktop support roles, your work experience section needs to show that you have the technical skills and customer service abilities to excel in the role. Hiring managers want to see that you can troubleshoot and resolve technical issues, communicate effectively with non-technical users, and have experience with the specific hardware and software used in their environment.
In this section, we'll break down how to write a compelling work experience section for desktop support roles, including what to highlight and what to avoid.
The education section of your resume is important to showcase your academic background and training. When applying for desktop support jobs, highlight your relevant education and certifications. Follow these tips to write an effective education section that will impress hiring managers.
These are also referred to as power verbs. We recommend using them at the beginning of your sentences, where you highlight your accomplishments and experience. Try not to overuse these verbs. The rule of thumb is to use a different one for every sentence. Actions verbs add power and poise to your delivery, so use them accordingly.
For resumes for desktop support positions, you can use the following actions verbs:
For a full list of effective resume action verbs, visit Resume Action Verbs.
The rule of thumb when presenting your skills is to start with what the employer is looking for. So name-drop the critical skills from the job description and tailor your resume accordingly. Most organizations use keyword finders (ATS) in their resume-screening process. So ensure you don’t leave out relevant skills to help your resume pass the review stage.
Look for the most in-demand certifications and add them to your resume (if you have them!). For example, Certified Network Computer Technician (CNCT), CCNP Service Provider Operations, and Microsoft Certified Desktop Support Technician (MCDST) are among the most sought-after.
Here are other skills that you can add:
You can include the above skills in a dedicated Skills section on your resume, or weave them in your experience. Here's how you might create your dedicated skills section:
This word cloud highlights the important keywords that appear on Desktop Support job descriptions and resumes. The bigger the word, the more frequently it appears on job postings, and the more 'important' it is.
Thank you for the checklist! I realized I was making so many mistakes on my resume that I've now fixed. I'm much more confident in my resume now.
