STEM · Full roadmap · ~90 min read · 28 steps
🎧IT Support Level 1: Help Desk
Take tickets, fix everyday problems, and handle 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
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"
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
Malware and phishing awareness
Spot the threat, contain it, and report it up immediately
Remote support tools
Most help desk work happens by remoting into the user's screen
Software installs, updates, and backups
Install safely, keep things patched, and never lose a user's data
Documentation and the knowledge base
Write the fix down so it's solved once for everyone
Unit 6
Incidents vs requests, and security habits
Something is broken (incident) versus someone wants something (request)
Professional habits and growing toward L2
Reliability and curiosity are what get you promoted
Where to go next
Where to go next