Any Desktop Support Analysts here?

[Shoei]

the most common fault is the person using the desktop..simple as that

the good old "nut loose on the keyboard".
And for AD, it either makes life very easy for easy or it becomes your worst night mare, but can also provoke the some amazing arguments when you post questions to comp.os.bind newsgroup and start asking about intergrating a mixed DNS setup with AD running on Window DNS and users using bind for lookups.
I asked a simple question and WW III nigh on errupted

 

[Andybtsn]

If you have to ask that, you WON'T get the role. You should know what AD is if you want to support at a corporate level.

Not all private or public sectors used AD. The place I work do not highlight you need to know anything about AD to be on desktop support.

 

[paradigm]

Its a hierachial based structure of a corporate network environment, it contains everything from your userbase, to their contact details, your servers, printers, security groupings, literally everything to do with a domain environment in Windows Server 2000, 2003 and "Longhorn".

The reason I haven't given a description before this point is that if you are looking to get a job supporting it (obv not yourself Fox, more to the OP), its something you should research/study yourself.

Not all private or public sectors used AD. The place I work do not highlight you need to know anything about AD to be on desktop support.

No, AD isn't necessarily in all corporate environments, but i'm sure that even a novell/groupwise based environment will have technicians that know what AD is even if they don't know it inside out.

 

[Andybtsn]

No, AD isn't necessarily in all corporate environments, but i'm sure that even a novell/groupwise based environment will have technicians that know what AD is even if they don't know it inside out.

Aye, thats what we use here. Would prefer AD tbh when I was on our helpdesk, doesn't really matter either way for me now anyway.

 

[Shoei]

In its simplist(sp) terms, Active Directory is a Database, utilising M$'s good old JET engine. nothing fancy, just a flat file system.

 

[Buttons]

this is what the advert in the paper said:

"Desktop support Analyst

To provide end user support for office-based, remote staff and visitors. Duties include day-to-day support of desktop pc's, laptops, printers, phones and applications. You will be required to build and deploy pcs, laptops and configure desktop applications and telephones. You must communicate well with the abilty to identify and diagnose faults. Other criteria include Windows2000, XP, MSOffice and Active Directory"

What is active directory and what are likely to be "day-to-day support" activities?

Cheers,

G

That sounds like the lower end of our 2nd line support staff rather than helpdesk so you at least won't have to talk to morons too often.

As someone said, you could do a lot lot worse even if it's 12 months just for your CV. Don't expect the opportunity to sort many problems, if it's a large company you'll probably start being the PC imager, by build they frequently mean the box comes in the door from HP or whoever, you use Ghost to blast an image onto it, do a little config like lock the bios etc and go and plug it in on a desk.

You don't need to know Active Directory but a general background of MS products would go a long way in an interview. Go on the Microsoft.com site and work your way through the products making a note of the name and roughly what it does.

Do a search on Exchange, SQL Server, IIS, Windows Server, Active Directory, Office, Oracle, ODBC, MDAC, (Outlook you know about no doubt)

Hope that helps.

Being keen to work hard and not going into the interview too big for your boots goes a long way as one of the big problems is staff turnover as people get trained and live. Just make them think you love that sort of work and no intention of doing it just for 6 months even if it's the truth.

 

[Guru]

A friend of mine who uses active directory every day has offered to let me go over and look at it and he can teach me enough to be familiar with it. I think I should take him up on that reading your responses

I'd really like this job and I wouldn't only stay for 6months, its 3k more a year than I'm on now and I'm trying to support my new family. This is for the long haul hopefully. I've written a covering letter and I'm going to send it when a few people have read it and let me know what they think

 

[Gilly]

AD is an easy thing to get used to on a very basic level, but to become familiar with everything within it would take years. Make sure your friend doesn't get too intensive with what he shows you else it could throw you off unnecessarily.

You'll want to know the MS Management Console and how to open snap-ins in there, AD Users and Computers is one of them and thats where the User and Machine accounts sit, amongst other things.

 

[Andri]

if your determined enough you can learn AD in less than a day. theres even 2 week crash courses to get you an MCSE.

to be honest i don't mean to be rude or anything but you would be better off starting in a computer repair shop or something similar.

Learning AD is one thing... learning how a company's network works is a completly different thing. When i joined the firm i'm at now everything was in pieces... TS server crashing... SQL server with no raid or any kind, both our DC's had an attendcy to reboot when trying to connect to them. Also had a very very bad piece of backup software, hell even the drivers for the sony AIT2 tape drive was not installed. it took 15 hours to back up 50GB of data.

Although it didn't say any of this on the job advert. it was almost identicle to the description you posted.

Just a friendly warning. by all means go for it.. and if you get the job Grats but also be prepaired.

 

[paradigm]

What Gilly says is correct, at a basic support level, getting to grips with AD Users & Computers (and possibly the GPMC) is probably about as in-depth as you'll need to be to begin with.

Perhaps learn the basics of DNS, DHCP and WINS whilst your at it however.

if your determined enough you can learn AD in less than a day. theres even 2 week crash courses to get you an MCSE.

Not a chance in hell you can learn even the basics of every feature of AD in one day.

 

[Andri]

Not a chance in hell you can learn even the basics of every feature of AD in one day.

not every feature is covered in most of the MS tests.

you can learn AD in a day... but only basics.

i believe these courses cost in the region of 6k (no gaurantee of passing anything though)

theres still tons i'm learning about AD... but as i said... if your determined enough you can learn enough AD in a day to get past a first interview stage.

 

[Gilly]

theres still tons i'm learning about AD... but as i said... if your determined enough you can learn enough AD in a day to get past a first interview stage.

You can learn it in 5 mins if the interviewer isn't technical.

You'll fall flat on your face with me though

 

[M0KUJ1N]

<gross oversimplification>It's just LDAP and Kerberos </gross oversimplification>

AD is a funny beast tbh, on the surface it's actually fairly simple and you can do day-to-day admin tasks using AD without even knowing much about the nuts and bolts of it.

However you can have a lot of fun with it, especially if you get involved with scripting it.
I'd have a gander at the "Active Directory Cookbook" for some interesting examples of how to use it outside the sterile MSCE lab routines.

 

[Guru]

I've written this nice letter and sent my cv with it:

I am writing to you because I am extremely interested in applying for the role of Desktop Support Analyst.

This is the type of opportunity that I have been looking for and I have absolute confidence in my ability to be successful in this role.

I have been building and enhancing computer systems for 15 years. I have built computers and installed a number of computer networks in a variety of settings, including most recently wireless networks. I have provided troubleshooting support for these environments and have also been responsible for recovering a number of machines after component failure. This work has been done in a domestic setting for family members and friends and in a business setting for local schools and small businesses.

I enjoy doing the research and learning about advances in the technology so that I can keep my knowledge up to date and can anticipate future trends.

I have worked in a software support environment and although I made a success of this, I am much more interested in operating systems, hardware and Microsoft application support than programming or supporting specific bespoke software applications.

Throughout my working life the majority of the jobs that I have undertaken, whether IT related or not, have involved a large element of customer contact and support. I have a very good way with people and I am able to explain problems easily either face to face or over email or the telephone. I have also had experience of providing remote support using interfaces such as Microsoft’s remote desktop to provide support.

My time spent working in business support environments has given me a very strong appreciation of the need to provide quick and accurate solutions, sometimes under considerable pressure, to avoid any adverse impact on the business users and their business processes.

I hope you will appreciate from the above information and from my attached CV that I have a lot to offer to the advertised position and I look forward to being able to demonstrate the skills that I can bring to this role.

Please acknowledge receipt of this email as soon as possible, I would be delighted to hear from you with regards to this position.

Yours Sincerely,

Hope it comes across ok

 

[paradigm]

I'd have left this out:

I have worked in a software support environment and although I made a success of this, I am much more interested in operating systems, hardware and Microsoft application support than programming or supporting specific bespoke software applications.

But apart from that it looks "ok", perhaps not the most professional cover letter ever, but honest and shows that you are interested for the long-term.

 

[Guru]

I'd have left this out:



But apart from that it looks "ok", perhaps not the most professional cover letter ever, but honest and shows that you are interested for the long-term.

Cool

I just put that as it accounts for me leaving a potentially long term career I had programming on mainframes.

 

[Oblivious]

Companies that use job titles like that, and over the top wording, make me laugh.

What a load of rubbish. Whats wrong with Desktop Support Analyst?

They do desktop support and they are an analyst. Hardly rocket science? A network support analyst would be called a.... network support analyst, a security analyst a Security Analyst.

Its like saying bread isnt bread.

 

[pyro]

pc's

 

[Worthy]

All these over the top answers, don't scare the guy!

All you'll be expected to do in AD matey is create user accounts in the correct places and configure remote access (ticking a box in the user properties!). That's probably about it.

The role sounds pretty much exactly what it will be, day to say support of whatever might crop up. You'll love it at first, but it becomes boring very quickly. Good foot on the ladder though.

 

[Guru]

I didn't say that

I was quoting THEM lol

All these over the top answers, don't scare the guy!

All you'll be expected to do in AD matey is create user accounts in the correct places and configure remote access (ticking a box in the user properties!). That's probably about it.

The role sounds pretty much exactly what it will be, day to say support of whatever might crop up. You'll love it at first, but it becomes boring very quickly. Good foot on the ladder though.

Thanks I really hoope I get it! I'm sure I could do well at it.