🧑💻📉 Automation and AI Tools Are Reshaping Entry Into Help Desk Jobs for Graduates
By Md Azzad Ali – AU Tech Careers Journal
Published: 14/07/2025
🧭 Abstract
With the rise of AI tools like ChatGPT, automation platforms integrated into job boards like SEEK, and self-service design and productivity tools like Canva, the path for recent IT graduates into help desk and support roles is undergoing significant change. This article explores how these tools are affecting new graduates trying to get their first job in IT support in Australia.
💡 Introduction
Traditionally, help desk roles served as the entry point for IT graduates to break into the industry. These roles focused on troubleshooting, user support, and basic software/hardware configuration.
However, in 2024–2025, automation and AI are transforming this pathway. The result? It’s harder than ever for graduates to land their first help desk job—not because they’re less capable, but because the job landscape is shifting.
📉 How AI Is Reducing Entry-Level Help Desk Work
🧠 ChatGPT and AI Assistants
- Many companies now use internal AI chatbots to handle password resets, FAQs, and troubleshooting.
- This reduces the need for human support staff at Level 1.
🧰 Automation Tools
- IT workflows are now automated using tools like Microsoft Power Automate and Jira Automation.
- Less human involvement is needed in common tasks like printer setup, account creation, or software installs.
🧾 SEEK's AI Resume Screening
- SEEK increasingly filters candidates based on keywords, certifications, and job relevance.
- Many graduates are rejected automatically for lacking key terms or qualifications—even with internships or degrees.
🧑🎓 Graduate Frustration: The Catch-22
“You need experience to get a job, but you need a job to get experience.”
Graduates report that job listings marked “entry level” still require 1–2 years of experience, as well as skills in tools like:
- Active Directory
- Microsoft 365 Admin
- Remote Desktop (e.g., TeamViewer)
- Ticketing systems like ServiceNow or Freshdesk
📊 What Employers Now Expect from Graduates
| Skill/Tool | Status in 2025 Hiring |
|---|---|
| Microsoft 365 Admin | ✅ Essential |
| Active Directory | ✅ Expected |
| Remote support tools | ✅ Preferred |
| AI Awareness (ChatGPT, bots) | ✅ Advantageous |
| Basic Scripting (PowerShell) | ✅ Optional but valued |
| Certifications (CompTIA, ITIL) | ✅ Often required |
📈 What Graduates Can Do to Adapt
- Get hands-on via labs and simulations – Use platforms like TryHackMe, VirtualBox, or Microsoft Learn.
- Learn to use AI tools like ChatGPT for troubleshooting, documentation, and ticket writing.
- Earn industry-recognized certs (CompTIA A+, Google IT Support, Microsoft Fundamentals).
- Volunteer or intern in small orgs and keep detailed logs of what tools and skills were used.
- Optimize your CV using AI tools to match keywords from SEEK job descriptions.
🔧 Canva & ChatGPT: Use Them to Stand Out
- Canva: Create visually polished, ATS-friendly resumes and cover letters.
- ChatGPT: Practice common IT support interview questions or write follow-up emails.
- Both: Help you communicate professionally and confidently—skills that matter as much as technical ability.
📌 Final Thoughts
AI isn’t taking all the jobs—but it is raising the bar for how graduates enter them. Help desk roles are evolving, and so must the strategies to land them.
Graduates who combine practical experience, smart use of tools, and continuous upskilling will find pathways into IT support—even in an AI-driven world.