Help Me Transition Into Computer Help Desk Work?

Post date: 2021-04-18 23:24:28

I am a talented amateur at computer help desk work, but I am looking for guidance on how to transition to the field formally, a sense of average job security, and accurate statistics as to how the salary might differ from my current one. Much more details after the fold.

I've worked for 20 years in legal admin. But during my life I've accumulated a lot of computer and Office expertise (Windows, Mac, bash, zsh, etc.), and usually can grok the ins and outs of new software pretty quickly.

In addition to my existing knowledge I'm a good problem-solver and know how to Google answers and adapt them to the problem at hand, and already have done a lot of informal help desk at every job I've been at. The help desk at my current employer know I'm a good liaison.

I really get an enjoyable kick out of helping people with their problems one-on-one, and I like making computers work and figuring out what weirdness is causing the bug.

In short I feel I'm a talented amateur who has the above inclinations and the skills, but I'm at a total loss as to how to take that and transition it to a paying job opening in the field. Ideal location: help desk at a law firm. (Not a possibility at my current field.)

Do I need formal certifications, and if so, from which entities (I see Microsoft and Google both have certificates)?

Are there ways to discover where the gaps in my knowledge lay (which I probably don't know exist) for a typical help desk technician?

How is average job security in such a job?

Is there a way to learn what an average help desk tech salary in my metropolitan area would be?

This and any other advice would be appreciated.

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