STEM · Full roadmap · ~90 min read · 29 steps
🎧IT Support Level 1: Help Desk (Aotearoa NZ)
Take tickets, fix everyday problems, and handle Kiwi users like a pro on day one
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Unit 1
Start here
Course overview
What a help desk actually does
L1 is the first point of contact for every IT problem
The tiered support model: L1, L2, L3
Support is layered so the right skill handles the right problem
When to escalate (and when not to)
Escalate when it is beyond your access, skill, or time
The ticketing system
Every request becomes a tracked ticket, no exceptions
Unit 2
Writing a good ticket
A clear ticket saves everyone time, including future you
The support workflow start to finish
Greet, log, diagnose, fix or escalate, verify, close
Customer service is the actual job
Users remember how you made them feel, not the registry key you edited
Active listening and cultural awareness
Let the user finish, then play it back to confirm
Handling a frustrated user
Acknowledge the feeling first, fix the problem second
Unit 3
Setting expectations
Tell the user what happens next and when, then keep them updated
The troubleshooting method: the 6 steps
A repeatable method beats guessing every time
Step one in practice: identify the problem
"What changed?" is the most powerful question in IT
Theory, test, plan, verify, document
Guess, then check the guess, then act, then prove it worked
The everyday fixes you'll use daily
A handful of basic fixes solve a huge share of tickets
Unit 4
Computer hardware basics
Know the parts so you can talk about them and swap the easy ones
Operating system basics
The OS is the layer between the user and the hardware
Passwords, lockouts, and Active Directory
Password resets are the most common L1 ticket, and you should be fast at them
Basic networking for L1
You don't run the network, but you must speak its language
Fixing "I can't connect to wifi" and NZ home setups
Work outward from the user's device to the network
Unit 5
Printers, email, and other daily tickets
The boring tickets have boring, reliable fixes
Phishing, scams, and reporting to the NCSC
Spot the threat, contain it, and report it through the right NZ channel
The Privacy Act 2020 and privacy breaches
Personal information has legal protection, and you must report a serious breach
What to do when a user reports a breach or scam
Capture the facts, contain the damage, escalate without sitting on it
Remote support tools
Most help desk work happens by remoting into the user's screen
Unit 6
Software installs, updates, and backups
Install safely, keep things patched, and never lose a user's data
Incidents vs requests, documentation, and security habits
Sort the ticket, write the fix down, and lock your screen
Getting hired and growing toward L2 in NZ
Reliability, the right cert, and curiosity are what get you in and get you up
Where to go next
Where to go next