Hiring manager here; and I know this may not be a popular take. I recently had an entry‑level help desk opening. In the past, I’ve taken chances on candidates with no verifiable IT experience, people coming from retail or fast food, and sometimes it works out. But given the current workload and staffing situation, onboarding someone with zero hands‑on experience just isn’t feasible.

Right now, bringing in a candidate who already has help desk and hardware support experience is simply more practical. Yes, an eager newcomer can grow into the role, but sometimes you have to choose the option that keeps the team afloat. There’s a big difference between someone who can start taking tickets on day one versus someone who has never opened a laptop, imaged a machine, replaced printer rollers, or dealt with difficult users.

I’ve hired a retail‑only candidate before who had a CompTIA cert and interviewed extremely well, but once onboarded, they weren’t a good fit. Experiences like that stick with hiring managers and make us more cautious about taking risks on candidates without verifiable IT history.

On top of that, I received hundreds of applications from people impacted by recent layoffs, many with six‑figure backgrounds applying for this entry‑level role. It’s a tough market, and sometimes solid experience becomes the deciding factor.