How to write a desktop support engineer CV (With template)

Updated 31 July 2023

Organisations hire desktop support engineers to troubleshoot and rectify hardware issues, instal and maintain IT peripherals and upgrade software and operating systems. They have the skills, qualities and experience to support IT users in a company to solve a variety of issues that may arise. If working as a desktop support engineer interests you, writing an effective CV that highlights your suitability for the job can improve your chances of getting an interview. In this article, we discuss what a desktop support engineer CV is, explain what to include and provide a template and tips to guide you.

What is a desktop support engineer CV?

A desktop support engineer CV summarises your skills, knowledge and experience that show recruiting managers why you're suitable for the position. It also provides information on your education and can include specific certifications and qualifications that distinguish you from other candidates. You can use your CV when applying for roles in different organisations that rely on IT systems to conduct their business.

How to write an effective CV

You can adapt your CV for specific roles that have different requirements. Here are steps you can follow when creating your CV:

1. Study the job description

Job descriptions provide candidates with the requirements of the job and the necessary skills and qualities. Identify the skills that are important for the job and match your IT experience to each skill. Reviewing the description before writing the CV can help you determine how your IT skills and knowledge of the job meet the company's requirements.

Some employers, particularly within the IT industry, use applicant tracking systems (ATS) that electronically screen CVs. The ATS searches for specific keywords and phrases that the employer is looking for in a candidate. During your research, highlight any keywords and phrases that you can incorporate into your CV that can help bypass the ATS and advance your application to the next stage.

2. Add your contact details

Your contact details help the recruiter to contact you. These details include your full name, email address, phone number and location. It's a good idea to make the font size larger than the rest of the text and use bold for emphasis. Don't add your full address, date of birth or title to your details.

3. Write a professional statement

Using this section to highlight your IT knowledge and skills allows you to attract the recruiting manager's attention. In two to three sentences, summarise your experience as a desktop support engineer, the skills involved in the role and your abilities to resolve issues that may arise. Review the job description and match your IT skills to their requirements, combining your technical abilities, such as hardware and software installation, configuration and troubleshooting, with soft skills, such as customer service, communication and teamwork.

4. Detail your employment history

This section provides recruiters with information about the roles you have previously held. In reverse chronological order, list your current or most recent job including the company name, job title and dates of employment, with a short description of your role. Underneath this in a bulleted list, detail your responsibilities, making sure each point matches your IT experience with the job description. Beneath this, you may use further bullet points to highlight your achievements and how they benefitted service users and the company overall.

Repeat this format for earlier roles, reducing the number of bullet points and ensuring each one remains relevant to the role of a desktop support engineer.

5. Add your education

Desktop support engineers require four to five GCSEs between grades 9 and 4 and a college course in computing to apply for the role. List your education details in reverse chronological order, starting with your most recent or highest qualification. Include the institution's name, the name of your course, grades and dates achieved.

6. Include your skills

These are the skills that you gather throughout your career and are necessary to demonstrate that you can do the job. Using bullet points within columns across the width of your CV allows recruiting managers to easily view your skills and compare them with their requirements. Some of the core skills of a desktop support engineer include:

customer service
analytical and problem-solving skills
ability to communicate with people at different levels
understanding of IT support and troubleshooting
operating and network systems
teamwork

7. Include any qualifications and certifications

This section allows you to list your professional qualifications and certifications. Desktop support engineers may already hold educational qualifications and you can enhance these by taking further IT support courses. Certifications can include:

Level 2 Certification in ICT systems support
Level 3 Diploma in ICT professional competence
T Level Digital support services

Ensure that any qualifications you list are relevant to the job you're applying for and that you can access your certifications, as employers may ask you to provide evidence.

CV template

Here's an example template that can help you when writing your CV:

[First name] [Last name], [Degree or certification if applicable]
[Phone number] | [Email address] | [City]

Professional Summary
[Two to three sentences that highlight years of experience, relevant skills, education or certifications and achievements as a professional].

Experience
[Job Title] | [Employment dates]
[Company Name] | [City]

(Strong verb) + what you did (more detail) + reason, outcome or quantified results.
[Job duty]
[Job duty]
[Job duty]
[Job duty]

[Job Title] | [Employment dates]
[Company Name] | [City]

(Strong verb) + what you did (more detail) + reason, outcome or quantified results.
[Job duty]
[Job duty]

Education
[Degree and subject], [Name of school or university]

Certifications
[Certification name], [Host organisation] - [Year completed or expiration date]

Desktop support engineer CV example

Here is an example of a support engineer CV that you can use as a guide:

Disclaimer: The model shown is for illustration purposes only, and may require additional formatting to meet accepted standards.

Sam Alexander, BSc Computer Science 09876 543210 | sam.alex@emailme.com | London

Professional Summary
An experienced IT professional with over ten years working knowledge of installing, upgrading and configuring hardware, software and networks. Focused on providing an effective service for IT users, ensuring system efficiencies to minimise business interruptions and increase performance and processes.

Experience
Desktop Support Engineer | March 2016–Current
Blue Chip Comms | London

accurately log any issues of IT systems and arrange investigation and implementation of fixes
provide a high level of support for service users within the marketing department, troubleshooting issues within an agreed timeframe
installing and upgrading software and performing scheduled out-of-hours maintenance to keep disruption to a minimum
performing regular evaluations of on-site hardware for efficiency and suggesting improvements and implementing fixes where necessary
support and manage the installation of new user machines, ensuring readiness for employment

IT Support Administrator | September 2011–March 2016
Ex Account | London

assisted a team of three support engineers to provide full IT support across the company
installing and managing IT systems, networks, hardware and software
carried out in-depth investigations into issues that had exceeded service level agreements

Education
Bachelor of Science in Computer Science, Willow University

Skills
Diagnosis and troubleshooting | Operating systems | Installations, repairs and maintenance | Customer service | Word processing and presentations

Certifications
Level 2 ECDL, Premium IT Training - November 2020
CCNA, Premium IT Training - May 2017

Tips for creating a CV

Below are some tips to consider when writing your CV:

Adapt your CV to the role. Organisations may have different requirements for the role of desktop support engineer and the CV you send reflects the role you're applying for. You can adapt your CV to match the requirements for the role on offer, adding different skills and qualifications as necessary.
Keep your CV brief. Effective CVs are usually a maximum of two pages long, so the information you provide is clear, concise and relevant. You can reference previous roles with a single entry that only details the company's name, job title and employment dates.
Proofread your CV. Make sure you proofread your CV before submission. Desktop support engineers require a high degree of accuracy in written communication and errors on the CV may lead to the rejection of the application, so ask a friend or family member to read the CV and provide feedback.

Please note that none of the companies, institutions or organisations mentioned in this article are affiliated with Indeed.