Getting an IT Help Desk Job For Dummies

Chapter 7

The Consulting Nerd

In This Chapter

• Delving into the unique differences between traditional consultation agencies and the newer managed services movement
• Exploring different kinds of consulting
• Packing your gear bag for consultation success

This chapter reveals the life of a nerd for hire. Many IT help desk candidates have previously worked in some form of consultative capacity, from helping friends and family to working for a local computer consultancy. These experiences are foundational in developing the basic skills of the IT help desk engineer.

Traditional Versus Managed Services

Consulting is an old game that's been around for ages. In ancient times, elders were consulted on a wide range of topics based on expertise and knowledge gained from a lifetime of experiences. As the technological age took hold, consultants became a field in which experts could work to assist others with their technical needs. In the beginning, it was computer experts helping those who were not experts. These were simply known as consultants. As time passed, new technologies were introduced that reduced the amount of time consultants had to spend on site fixing broken systems. These new technologies collectively became called managed services.

As the personal computer market began to take shape in the late ‘70s and early ’80s, it became necessary for companies to form that offered help designing and maintaining computer networks for other companies, small and large. The scope of services ...