Introduction

Think about this. You have just developed brilliant code for a new application, but a minor miscommunication with your client has led to a major escalation.

What do you think matters more, the brilliant code you created or the resulting client escalation?

The strength of your soft skills in an IT MSP will go a long way in determining your wage growth and future employability. It is sometimes difficult to come to terms with, especially if it’s not one of your strong suits.

So what soft skills should you master in tier 2 help desk jobs?

Read on to find out about important soft skills in IT MSP, why they are important, and how you can go about mastering them.

A] What are Tier 2 Help Desk Jobs?

Let’s start right at the top. What is tier 2 support?

A tier 2 help desk job is also referred to as level 2 support. As a tier 2 support technician, you will need to exhibit a deeper knowledge of systems, applications, and technical issues.

There is a more complex level of troubleshooting that is expected to be resolved at this level.

Key Responsibilities:

• Software and Hardware Support: You will be tasked with resolving configuration problems and software bugs.
• System Configuration: You might be tasked with configuring new software systems. This could include setting up systems for access management and multi-factor authentication.
• Network Troubleshooting: You might have to resolve VPN and network connectivity issues as part of your help desk tier 2 responsibilities.
• Documentation: You might be asked to document your solutions for knowledge sharing and future reference.

Also read: The Ultimate Guide to Excelling as a Level 2 Support Technician

B] Why Soft Skills for Tier 2 Help Desk Jobs Are More Important Than Ever

Here are some of the top reasons why soft skills matter more than over in tier 2 service desk jobs:

1. Bridging the Communication and Code Gap

As an IT professional, you will quite often work in teams with cross-functional responsibilities. Being brilliant at your core skills, like coding or troubleshooting, is immaterial if you are unable to convey your ideas clearly to your client or project manager. Mastering essential soft skills will allow you to effortlessly communicate across multiple departments.

2. Increasing Demand from Recruiters

Most companies these days look for candidates who can marry strong core skills with excellent interpersonal skills. Several studies have shown that tech organizations are on the lookout for candidates with high levels of emotional intelligence and problem-solving over purely IT skills.

3. Facilitating Mentorship and Leadership Roles

As you move up the organization ladder, you will be expected to lead a team of IT professionals and not just perform your core skills. As a leader, you should be able to motivate and guide your team to perform at consistent levels. This will require you to exhibit soft skills, such as effective communication and delegation.

4. Improving Client and Stakeholder Relations

If your job responsibilities include client or stakeholder interaction, you will need to have strong listening skills, tact, and effective communication of complex messaging. To do this, you will have to exhibit effective soft skills, which ensure that client or stakeholder expectations are met.

5. Building Your Personal Brand

In today’s age of LinkedIn and online webinars, strong soft skills are essential to define your public perception as an IT support technician. Skills like storytelling and public speaking can go a long way in helping you stand out in a saturated market.

C] How to Cultivate Soft Skills in Tech?

1. Actively Seek Feedback

Improving your skills requires an open mind about feedback from others. When you welcome constructive criticism, you can use that information to grow in your role. This might apply to your communication or time management skills and leadership potential.

2. Communicate Consistently

Effective communication is a powerful soft skill for any workplace. You can build this skill by taking every opportunity to form new relationships. This includes talking face-to-face, sending emails, and giving group presentations. Research shows that 86% of employees cite a lack of collaboration or communication as the primary reason for workplace failures.

3. Place a Strong Emphasis on Teamwork

When you show good teamwork, it demonstrates your ability to collaborate. Teamwork can involve working on a group presentation or completing a shared task with a single colleague. Allow every member of your team to contribute their part. Celebrate the unique personalities and skills that each individual brings to the group.

4. Embrace a Growth Mindset

You will experience successes and setbacks while working to improve a soft skill. It is important to learn from both of these situations. If you are in charge of a project, for instance, consider taking time to gather feedback on your leadership. You could ask for these thoughts after the project is complete. The people you work with can best tell you how the project went.

5. Remain Adaptable to Change

It is very common for a workplace to go through changes. These shifts may happen in office staff or company procedures. An important soft skill to possess is being adaptable. Adaptability allows you to create alternative solutions to any unexpected issues.

D] 5 Essential Soft Skills for Every IT Professional

1. Critical Thinking

Critical thinking is your ability to question, analyze, and make a reasoned decision based on the data you are provided with. Most C-level executives and IT leaders consider it to be an essential skill in remote helpdesk jobs.
Why is it considered so important?
Employees who lack critical thinking are usually the ones that are required to be managed the most. On the other hand, employees with strong critical thinking abilities can act independently while spearheading a project and therefore require the least amount of guidance.

2. Collaboration

Despite outward perceptions of professionals hovering over computers, tech is a team sport. This particularly holds true in the fields of cybersecurity and software development. Having strong individual skills is great, but effective team collaboration is one of the most important aspects of success in this niche.

3. Communication

The harsh truth about roles in both IT and non-IT sectors is that if you are unable to communicate what you are doing, you might as well not do it at all. The strength of your communication skills not only affects your job stability, but it also plays an important role in future growth in remote help desk support. Strong communication skills are essential to stand out and thrive in the IT sector.

4. Problem Solving

Most of IT revolves around problem-solving. Your ability to wade through complex situations and come up with creative solutions is critical to your success. By exhibiting effective problem-solving traits, you demonstrate to potential employers your adaptability to thrive in an unpredictable industry.

5. Time Management

Most of the time in this industry, you will be working on a team that is short on resources and long on deliverables. This makes effective time management crucial, or you will end up wasting valuable time in all the wrong places. IT leaders appreciate people with optimum time management skills, as it allows them to focus on more strategic tasks. In fast-response roles like cybersecurity, time management can be the differentiating factor between a minor issue and a major breach.

Conclusion

The importance of developing important soft skills for virtual desk jobs cannot be understated. While the core competencies are knowledge-based, strong soft skills will help you stand out to IT recruiters and rise up the career ladder.

If you are seeking a role for an online help desk job in a leading IT MSP, contact us today! Vertical Talent Solutions is a reputed and trusted IT recruitment agency in the USA, helping candidates find the right IT MSP and career solutions.