Career advice, call centre. Take it or not?

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Hi guys,

before I ask a question, I'd like to list my experience in short:
(most recent is "1" )

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#1. 2010 - present (1 year)

right now I am working in a retail store computer repair section(almost a year now), dealing with customers/ repairing computers ( so thats not what I want at all) -part time

#2. 2011 2 months

also this summer I had a short 2 month contract through the agency, as a Destop Support in a small company (125 employees on site I worked and overall 500 (in all cities)), basically i was helping their full time sysadmin, it was a good job, I started to use windows server, exchange, MS Center Essentials etc.. But it was only for two months (they were going month by month with contract(2 times)). And as I understood , sysadmin wanted to keep me (at least he told me that), but company didnt had money and plus sometimes he can get really overhelmed with basic stuff (which I was doing) at the time when he needs to do something more high-level. he is the only IT guy in that office(there is 4 more in other cities offices).
I sent him an email today and he responded that budget is not allocated yet for next year, so currently is not clear if they hire assistant for him or not (but that could be just a nice words).




#3. 2009 - 2010 (1 year)

Onsite desktop support, where I was not dealing with win servers, only with FreeBSD server on which we had mapped drives,but that was basic also, Samba reinstallation and remounting drives couple of times plus I had dealt with Mikrotik RouterOS, blocking some websites from access (not really in depth) -

#4. second half of 2008 (7 Months)

I have some more experience(before all that) as a tech, but it was just fix newly imaged machines(imaging was done by remote operators) if issues arise next day

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After job #4 and #3 I left to Canada (now I am here), and found computer repair job fast and took it ( I needed money + at least is little better for career than pizza maker).
After completing MCDST and A+ in march 2011, I got the "job" # 2


So finally the question (well, almost)

Same staffing agency (who gave me #2) offered me a job (i didnt went to an F2F interview(should be next week) with client though..., only short "prescreening") as a Service Desk person in a call centre for a bank, and I feel that I could get it 80% if they will call me for an interview.




I know that i dont have enough experience to go for sysadmin etc, but I'm thinking that I accumulated enough experience(might be wrong) for a Desktop Support, prefferably in a company like #2 and #3( there is a good opportunity there to learn and grow) and dont feel at all for taking this helpdesk job (if offer will come). Plus I never worked in call centres, but heard a couple of times how not easy is it. But I dont want to be too stubborn, as I understood that Help Desk (call centre) is a normal way to move forward.


And I could try to offer the company #2 my volunteer "work" (aka - slavery) for 2 days a week, so I can still work in a store repairing computers (money), and will list it as my current employer in resume, and will look for more desk side role which I really prefer much much more that call centre (hell centre). In my understanding , desk side is also entry - junior role, but it is harder to get, less jobs than helpdesk - more competition, am I right? + companies trying to save $$$ and outsorce helpdesk.



So I'm afraid that if I will take call centre job i will loose time (new job search will not be as intensive as it now) and will give me a little technical knowledge update (but still better than computer repair which I am doing now). And volunteering option looks better for me.

What do you suggest career wise? (I know, decision is mine)



P.S.
Looking how much i wrote here, I am thinking, may be a Technical Writer role is more suitable for me?

 

You're right, you haven't got enough experience with servers to become a server admin.

What you need is a junior role - ie: desktop support, it helpdesk position to get your foot in the door and start learning on the job. Since you're a MSDST, you could always learn the W7 client and go for the MCITP, this will just give you a stronger chance of getting a first-line role.

If you don't want to do first line, and will wait weeks/months/year to skip all the basic role and find a company with enough balls to let you in a sysadmin without real industry experience, get a PC at home, build a lab test machine and work on using Server 2003/08, look into certifications to support your knowledge.

I know which route I would take.


EDIT: Oh, in regards to jobs now. If you need the cash, take the full time customer call centre as long as it is IT based. First-line is all about communication and support.

If you don't need the cash, spend the additional time when you're not working to learn more IT technologies in a lab environment.