Careers Spotlight: James Brooking, IT Service Desk Analyst – National Careers Week 2021

On the penultimate day of National Careers Week 2021, IT Service Desk Analyst, James Brooking, talks us through his career journey and the best bits of his role, as well as the importance of having the right attitude and approach.

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Describe what you do in your job. What is a typical day like?

A typical day would include call handling, building IT equipment and being ready to resolve new issues as they arise.

What other jobs or work experience have you had?

I started on a paper round, then worked at a café but eventually went into IT after a short while as an apprentice.

What part of your job do you enjoy the most?

I enjoy coming across new issues which require a bit of investigation work and a bit of research to resolve. I like that working in IT is a department where you find yourself always growing your knowledge on certain things within technology, whether it be building different computers or researching the causes of certain issues in order to find the fix for them.

What skills are required to do your job?

To do this job, you require a level of customer service. Although we are not customer-facing, we do take a lot of calls from internal colleagues who require help on a day-to-day basis. You also require a skill relevant to IT. Despite learning new things constantly, it is good to have a basic understanding of certain terminology, how a computer works or differences between certain aspects of technology.

What role-specific qualifications do you think are needed to do your job?

I came into the job as an apprentice with my GCSEs in English, Maths, Science and IT. I had a little bit of experience at college, but I believe that if you are interested in IT, and have a basic level of understanding, you can pick up things quite quickly.

What was the highest level of qualification you needed from school, college or university to do your role?

GCSE-level computer science grades

What subject options (curriculum subjects) would you recommend someone choose to do your role?

English, Maths, Science and IT /Computer Science.

What personality traits compliment your role?

In my opinion, you must be friendly and approachable. If you are not approachable, people will feel uncomfortable coming to you with regards to their IT problems. I believe I am both which in-turn helps me work alongside colleagues in a problem-solving environment to fix issues efficiently.

Do you have any interests that complement your job role?

I have an interest in technology and IT itself. The reason that complements my job role is because it means that when I do need to do a bit of research or work with a colleague on resolving an issue, it makes it fun to do so; when I get the solution to a big problem, it’s a level of achievement which helps both the end user and me.

How many years of experience do you need to do your job?

Experience is not something I had with IT prior to starting as an apprentice. I had a little bit of experience in customer service from working in a café previously, however, the only IT experience I had was from school. The stuff I learned during my GCSE years was useful and plays a part, because if you have a level of interest from that point, you will be able to learn and grow from there. Despite not having any experience in IT before my apprenticeship, I thoroughly enjoyed it, which led to be wanting to be part of an IT team.