Catherine Scott 🥉

Realistic take: entry‑level help desk can be a grind. Pay is often underwhelming, schedules skew evenings/weekends, and some places are ticket factories that burn people out fast. The cert landscape is noisy; you can spend too much time and cash chasing logos that hiring managers barely skim. Age won't disqualify you, but you'll feel it when a 22‑year‑old with an internship wants the same seat for less. Also, lots of postings are inflated wish lists that say three years experience for a junior role; that's just lazy HR copy, but it still clutters the search. The workable path is narrow but there. Do A+ once, not five different entry certs; then learn enough networking and PowerShell to show you can troubleshoot and automate basic tasks. Target internal support at hospitals, schools, hotels, or manufacturers rather than pure MSP sweatshops; your hospitality background reads stronger there. Translate achievements into metrics: reduced queue wait times, calmed escalations, trained new staff, handled X incidents per shift, maintained Y% satisfaction. Build a tiny portfolio of write‑ups for home‑lab fixes and keep the stories tight. With full‑time work, expect 6–9 months to land something if you apply weekly and interview monthly. One practical tip: stop spraying applications and pick 15 companies you actually want, then tailor hard and follow up with a short, specific note to the hiring manager about a pain you can solve. That cuts through more noise than another certificate.