IT Help Desk Resume: Examples and Guide [10+ Tips]

You can’t afford a failed connection in your job search. But without a Cisco-worthy IT help desk resume, denial of service is almost guaranteed. That’s because the hiring manager has a packed calendar this week, and she won’t take a second look at you if your resume is as generic as a CAT-5 cable.

Don’t panic.

You can write a Juniper-level resume for IT help desk jobs if you do a few things differently than other job seekers. First and foremost? Don’t focus on your job duties from past jobs. That’s yawn-provoking. Instead, show how you’ve made the needle jump with your accomplishments. We’ve got a template and the right steps below.

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Want more IT resume examples? You’re in the right place:

• Computer Technician Resume Examples & Guide
• Desktop Support Resume Examples & Guide
• Entry Level IT Resume Examples & Guide
• Help Desk Resume Examples & Guide
• IT (Information Technology) Resume Examples & Guide
• IT Director Resume Examples & Guide
• IT Manager Resume Examples & Guide
• IT Project Manager Resume Examples & Guide
• IT Specialist Resume Examples & Guide
• IT Support Resume Examples & Guide
• IT Technician Resume Examples & Guide
• Agile Project Manager Resume Examples & Guide
• Data Center Technician Resume Examples & Guide
• System Administrator Resume Examples & Guide
• System Analyst Resume Examples & Guide
• Technical Support Resume Examples & Guide
• Scrum Master Resume Examples & Guide
• Job Resume Examples for All Professions

Sample IT Help Desk Resume Template

Here’s how to write your own job-getting IT help desk resume:

1. Format Your IT Help Desk Resume Correctly

Here’s the bad news—the company won’t hire an IT help desk specialist with a sloppy resume. With the wrong formatting, margins, fonts, and resume layout, they’ll assume you’re Dennis Nedry. Don’t be that job applicant. Turn in a sharp-looking IT help desk resume to show you know your stuff.

The perfect resume should prove you know a switch from a router at first glance. Here’s how to nail the right resume format for a job:

• Use the chronological resume layout. It’s the best of the three resume types in most cases.
• Start with a clean resume template so you won’t spend hours messing around with formatting.
• Set your resume font size between 10 and 12 points, and choose a respected font like Calibri or Arial.
• You can adjust your resume margins a little to make everything fit, but don’t stray too far from one inch all around. 
• The length of a resume should be a single page for IT help desk jobs. Make sure your resume fills the page, but don’t stretch it to two pages.
• The name of a resume file should be “Name - Job Title - Resume.pdf”

Read more: What's the Difference Between a Resume and a Cover Letter

2. Catch Their Eye With a Resume Profile Statement

You need a resume introduction.as the TL;DR version of your resume. It goes at the top, and it should grab them like a secure connection request.

If you’re new to help desk work, write a career objective statement. Back before Wi-Fi, those were a way to explain your career goals. That’s job search suicide today. Employers want to hear about your goal to help them make their IT situation better.

If you’ve got more experience than Larry Ellison, write a career summary statement. It’s the elevator pitch for your resume. Pick the best parts of your resume and shine a floodlight on them. Your summary should make the hiring team say, “Okay, I need to read this carefully.”

Read more: Ways to Make a Resume Stand Out

3. Target Your IT Help Desk Resume Job Description

Oh-oh. You’ve been making a big mistake. Your past resumes have talked about your duties and responsibilities. You know: “I provided technical support, resolved trouble tickets, and installed hardware and software.” What’s wrong with that? Everything. We have no idea if you shined or fizzled.

You can’t just say you were an IT help desk specialist. You have to show you were the Sheldon Cooper of the company.

Here’s how to add relevant experience in a resume so it blows their suits off:

• Right after your resume summary, list your newest job.
• Add its job title, the company you worked for, its location, and the dates you started and stopped working there.
• Create a tailored resume by adding up to six bullet points that show your most praiseworthy key achievements. Add numbers to make them shine.
• Don’t start your sentences with “handled” or “responsible for.” Instead, use power words for resumes like increased, solved, resolved, or installed.

Read more: Should You Include Irrelevant Experience on a Resume

4. Write an Engaging IT Help Desk Resume Education Section 

Do you need to show education in a resume for IT help desk jobs? Absolutely. You don’t need a computer science degree to get the job. But—you have to show your schooling. The trick? Don’t just list your degree. Add a couple of accomplishments that show you weren’t just playing beer pong.

• You can add lists of relevant coursework or school projects in an IT help desk resume.
• Did you win any academic awards? Belong to any school clubs or groups? You can add those to show extra skills.
• Don’t overdo the educational accomplishments. If you’ve been in the workforce for a while, one or two is plenty. You’re just trying to show you did something in school.
• What about GPA on a resume for IT help desk jobs? If you got a 3.8 or higher, go ahead and list it. Otherwise, delete it.

Pro Tip: According to US Government data, computer support jobs will grow at 10% in the next 10 years. That’s faster than the average job. But your resume needs to sizzle if you want a good one.

5. Prove Your IT Help Desk Skills

So many job applicants get the resume skills section wrong. They treat it as a laundry list. The more the merrier, right? Nope. The key is to list only a sampling of your skills. But—make them the perfect IT help desk skills the company is jonesing for. This is really powerful if you get it right.

Here's how to prove your IT help desk skills are Cisco-ready:

• Look closely at the job ad online. It’s got the best computer skills for the job in it, as plain as day. Write them down in your skills list.
• Make sure you combine both hard and soft skills in your list. You’ll also want a few technical skills like router installation or JavaScript.
• Next, make sure you prove those help desk skills with the achievements in your bullet points. Just saying you have a skill is unconvincing.

IT Help Desk Resume Skills

• Troubleshooting
• Debugging
• Network Architecture
• Trouble Ticket Systems
• Phone Support
• Network Security
• Programming Languages
• Zendesk
• Time Management Skills
• Critical Thinking Skills
• Verbal and Written Communication Skills
• Decision Making Skills
• Teamwork Skills
• Organizational Skills
• Interpersonal Skills
• Problem Solving Skills

Read more: How to List Programming Languages on a Resume

When making a resume in our builder, drag & drop bullet points, skills, and auto-fill the boring stuff. Spell check? Check. Start building a professional resume template here for free.

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6. Add “Other” Sections to Your IT Help Desk Resume

Show you’ve done more with your skills than just go to school and get a job.

• List licenses and certifications like a CompTIA A+ certification or ITIL if you have one.
• Have you gone to conferences? Written for publications on tech subjects? Those can help you get the job.
• You can list volunteer experience in a resume to show you’ve got extra bandwidth.
• Also consider adding foreign language skills to your resume or clubs or groups you’re in.

Read more: What Does the Best Resume Look Like?

7. Write a Cover Letter for Your IT Help Desk Resume

Do you need a cover letter in an IT help desk resume? Yes. Too many applicants these days are spamming employers. To show you’ve actually thought about this job, a letter is imperative. What is a cover letter for? To prove you really want this job out of all the others and you’ll work hard if they hire you.

Include the right cover letter parts:

• Start with a modern cover letter template to save tons of time fighting with the formatting and layout.
• In the first paragraph, write a cover letter introduction that makes them want to read the rest.
• In the second paragraph, call out the most attractive parts of your resume for IT help desk jobs.
• Write a cover letter ending that asks for the interview. Also in your final paragraph, say something you’d love about working at the company.

How long is a cover letter? Three punchy paragraphs and less than a full page. Nobody will read the War and Peace of cover letters.

Read more: What Should a Cover Letter Say

Plus, a great cover letter that matches your resume will give you an advantage over other candidates. You can write it in our cover letter builder here. Here's what it may look like:

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See more cover letter templates and start writing.

That’s it!

That’s everything you need to write a great IT help desk resume!

Thanks for reading! Do you have another question on how to make a Juniper-worthy IT help desk resume? Give us a shout in the comments section!