Role to investigateSource-checked · reviewed 25 Oct 202610 sources cited

IT service desk (level 1 support)

Investigate entry-level IT service desk and application support roles, and what employers' own pages say about shifts, degrees and certifications.

At a glance

For youChoose a qualificationChoose your degree on the Explore page to see what the sources say for you.
Cost3 sourcedCoursera charges INR 1888 per month for the Google IT Support Professional Certificate in India after a 7-day free trial; the…
PayNot establishedThis site does not estimate pay.
Hours4 sourcedCognizant expects the Analyst Trainee to work in shifts from the office, and must be flexible about office location and shift…
Employers ask8 sourcedCognizant's 'Fresher hiring 2026' document for Analyst Trainee (Digital Workplace Practice) describes a Service Desk role with…

Checked 25 Oct 2026 · 10 sources · next review 20 Nov 2026

Cost, pay and hours

As sourced

1
Extra cost3 sourced
- - Coursera charges INR 1888 per month for the Google IT Support Professional Certificate in India after a 7-day free trial
  - the page lists 3 months at 10 hours a week and no prior experience required.
  Basis:
  Indian rupees
  per month, after a 7-day free trial
  the total depends on the months taken
  taxes and later price changes are not stated
  Show scopeHide scope
  Scope:India price on the page on 25 Oct 2026 (page also shows 'Now INR 1888/month').
  Note:No employer page checked requires or prefers this certificate.
- - AWS lists the Cloud Practitioner (Foundational) exam at USD 100
  - its pricing table prints ₹8,553 in the India column.
  Basis:
  US dollars
  per attempt
  Foundational-level exam (Cloud Practitioner)
  the page says prices are valid for one exam attempt and applicable taxes may apply
  Show scopeHide scope
  Scope:Table as shown 25 Oct 2026; the INR figure is the one the table prints for Foundational exams.
  Note:
  Does not say employers require it.
  Foreign exchange updates mean the figure can change with 30 days' notice.
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- Cisco's CCNA (200-301) exam page lists the price as 300 US dollars or Cisco Learning Credits.
  Basis:
  US dollars
  per attempt
  CCNA 200-301 exam as listed on the exam page
  taxes, Pearson VUE fees and any India-specific price are not stated
  Note:No INR price.
2
PayNot established
No official source recorded.This site does not estimate pay.
3
Shifts & hours4 sourced
- Cognizant expects the Analyst Trainee to work in shifts from the office, and must be flexible about office location and shift timing.
  Show scopeHide scope
  Scope:Cognizant Analyst Trainee, Service Desk, PAN India.
  Note:
  Shift hours, rotation pattern, and weekend or on-call duty are not stated.
  Work from home is not mentioned.
- Cognizant lists a night shift allowance and cab facilities among the benefits of this role.
  Show scopeHide scope
  Scope:Benefit list for this document.
  Note:The amount of the allowance is not stated. This is not a pay figure.
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- Accenture states 24x7 support with 9.5-hour rotational shifts.
  Show scopeHide scope
  Scope:
  Bengaluru, Service Desk Associate.
  Same wording appears in RRN00017013.
  Note:Start and end times are not stated.
- Accenture says the role is work from office, specifically during US/night shifts, including weekends and Indian public holidays as needed, on a five-day week with weekly offs set by roster.
  Show scopeHide scope
  Scope:Bengaluru, Service Desk Associate.
  Note:Whether night shifts are every month or in rotation, and any allowance, are not stated.

Reality check

From the sources

The work

Cognizant says the Analyst Trainee is the first point of contact for end users reporting IT issues, and Accenture describes level 1 support through the IT service desk, mainly by voice with email, chat and remote desktop tools.
Skills named include ITSM ticketing tools, Microsoft 365 and basic networking.
Not established beyond these pages.

Entry requirements

Cognizant's 2026 document for its service desk trainee names BCA among 3-year UG degrees for 2025 and 2026 graduates and does not list B.E./B.Tech
HCLTech's campus page lists BCA for its Graduate Trainee track and B.E./B.Tech for its separate engineering track
Wipro's early-careers page names BCA and B.Sc for its work-and-study programme.
Accenture's Bengaluru post asks for 0 to 2 years of experience and 15 years of full-time education and names no degree.

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B.Tech is therefore shown as not named for these service desk pages, not as eligible.

Trade-offs to consider

The pages describe shift work from the office: Cognizant lists a night shift allowance, and Accenture's Bengaluru post states 24x7 support with 9.5-hour rotational shifts, including weekends and Indian public holidays as the roster needs.
No employer page read states pay, and none requires a certification
issuer fees for optional certificates are listed as printed.

Skills & employers

From the sources

Skills to investigate

Troubleshooting
Ticketing tools
Spoken and written English

Employers named in sources

HCLTech
Wipro
Cognizant
Accenture

Examples in cited pages, not a hiring list.

Study or credential needed

AWS describes the Cloud Practitioner exam as suitable for people who could have up to 6 months of exposure to AWS Cloud, and says this exposure is not required.
Show scopeHide scope
Scope:Issuer statement about the exam, not about jobs.
Note:No employer page checked names it.
- CompTIA's A+ page recommends 12 months of hands-on experience in an IT support specialist job and says two exams are needed
- its Network+ page recommends A+ plus 9 to 12 months of experience.
- Both are 'recommended', not stated as prerequisites.
Show scopeHide scope
Scope:A+ series 220-1201 (Core 1) page; Network+ N10-009.
Note:Issuer recommendation only. No employer page checked requires A+ or Network+. No fee in the page text.

What employers ask for

8 sourced

Cognizant's 'Fresher hiring 2026' document for Analyst Trainee (Digital Workplace Practice) describes a Service Desk role with job location PAN India.
Source: Cognizant ↗
Show scopeHide scope
Scope:
- Cognizant campus/fresher document for graduates of 2025 and 2026.
- The document is hosted on an institute's website and was written by Cognizant.
- Open or closed status not shown.
Not established:
- Not a live careers-page posting.
- Does not say how many vacancies or when applications close.
- Cognizant's 2026 fresher document for the Service Desk Analyst Trainee names 3-year UG degrees (BCA, B.Sc, BA, BBA, B.Voc, BMS, B.Com and others) for 2025 and 2026 graduates
- B.E./B.Tech is not among the degrees it lists.
Names: BCASource: Cognizant ↗
Show scopeHide scope
Scope:
- Analyst Trainee, Digital Workplace Practice, 2025 and 2026 graduating batches.
- Also needs minimum 50% in X, XII, Diploma, UG.
Not established:
- B.Tech is not named and not explicitly excluded
- the phrase '3-year UG degree' describes the eligible group, and a 4-year B.E./B.Tech is not a 3-year degree, but the document does not say so. MCA not named.
- Batches 2027 onward not covered.
Cognizant excludes students currently enrolled in full-time postgraduate courses.
Source: Cognizant ↗
Show scopeHide scope
Scope:Same Cognizant document.
Not established:Does not say whether a completed MCA holder is eligible.

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Accenture's Service Desk Associate post (Bengaluru) is Level 1 support through the IT service desk, mainly by voice, with email, chat and remote desktop tools.
Source: Accenture ↗
Show scopeHide scope
Scope:
- One of at least two near-identical Accenture Bengaluru posts (RRN00016474 and RRN00017013, id 14067478).
- Open or closed status not shown.
Not established:Does not name a degree. Not a fresher-only post (it asks for 0 to 2 years of experience).
- Accenture's Service Desk Associate post asks for 0 to 2 years of experience in IT service desk or technical support and a minimum of 15 years of full-time education
- it names no specific degree.
Source: Accenture ↗
Show scopeHide scope
Scope:Bengaluru, Service Desk Associate, both posts read.
Not established:
- The page does not say what degrees make up 15 years, so BCA and B.Tech are not named.
- Do not infer eligibility from this line.
HCLTech's careers page for 'Campus-Beginner' describes a Graduate Trainee - Service Desk role in Noida, Uttar Pradesh.
Source: HCLTech ↗
Show scopeHide scope
Scope:One HCLTech posting, Noida. Open/closed status not shown.
Not established:The page's 'Other Requirements' section is empty: no degree, shift, pay or experience is stated.
HCLTech's campus hiring page lists BCA among eligible degrees for its Graduate Trainee track, and B.E/B.TECH for its Graduate Engineer Trainee track.
Names: BCA, B.TechSource: HCLTech ↗
Show scopeHide scope
Scope:
- General campus page; Graduate Trainee roles listed as 'across Finance, HR, Tech Projects, Compliance'.
- BTECH is from the separate engineering track on the same page; no branch wording there.
Not established:
- The page does not mention service desk.
- It is not established that the Noida Graduate Trainee - Service Desk post uses this eligibility list.
Wipro's early-careers page says its WIMS (Wipro Infrastructure Management Services) and WASE programmes are for non-engineering graduates and offer BCA and B.Sc. graduates work with a sponsored M.Tech.
Names: BCASource: Wipro ↗
Show scopeHide scope
Scope:The same page's School of Infrastructure Management is for diploma holders, so it is not a BCA or B.Tech route.
Not established:
- Does not say which job (service desk, infrastructure or software) WIMS or WASE recruits do.
- No pay, fee or shift stated;.

The work and what comes next

4 sourced

The work, from the sources

Cognizant says the Analyst Trainee is the first point of contact for end users reporting IT issues.
Source: Cognizant ↗
Show scopeHide scope
Scope:Cognizant Analyst Trainee only.
Not established:Does not describe the tools used or the volume of calls.
Accenture's Service Desk Associate post lists experience with ITSM tools such as ServiceNow and BMC Remedy, and hands-on knowledge of Microsoft 365 and Active Directory.
Source: Accenture ↗
Show scopeHide scope
Scope:Bengaluru post. No certification named on the page.
Not established:
- Absence of a certification line does not mean certificates are unwelcome.
- It does not say they are optional.

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HCLTech lists the skill requirement as basic understanding of operating systems, Microsoft 365, networking and IT support processes.
Source: HCLTech ↗
Show scopeHide scope
Scope:HCLTech Graduate Trainee - Service Desk, Noida.
Not established:No certification is named.

What can come next

Cognizant offers sponsored higher education from BITS Pilani, but only to candidates from a Science, Technology and Mathematics background.
Source: Cognizant ↗
Show scopeHide scope
Scope:As printed in this document; the document also says 'No Service bonds.'.
Not established:Does not say which BCA graduates count as Science, Technology and Mathematics background, nor the fee or course terms. Not a promotion path.

Sources and unanswered questions

Employer pages from Cognizant, Accenture, HCLTech and Wipro, read on 25 October 2026 · India · service desk (level 1) roles only; entry-level network, system administration and cloud operations posts were not found.
Source checking confirms only the scoped statements on this page, not anyone’s individual eligibility.
Confirm current requirements with the employer or programme.

Campus Hiring & Recruitment : Supercharge Your Tech Career | HCLTech ↗HCLTech · accessed 25 Oct 2026
Show scopeHide scope
Scope:
Undated evergreen page, checked on 25 Oct 2026.
Role named: Graduate Engineer Trainee.
Not established:
- Graduation years accepted or whether a drive is open now; neither is on the page.
- The page does not say these trainees write code.
Checked by a person; not monitored automatically.
Early Careers at Wipro | Wipro Careers ↗Wipro · accessed 25 Oct 2026
Show scopeHide scope
Scope:No eligibility, pay or role title is printed on this page.
Not established:Elite's actual degree, percentage or backlog rules or that it is a developer role.Checked by a person; not monitored automatically.
Fresher hiring 2026 - Analyst Trainee (Digital Workplace Practice) ↗Cognizant · accessed 25 Oct 2026
Show scopeHide scope
Scope:
Cognizant campus/fresher document for graduates of 2025 and 2026.
The document is hosted on an institute's website and was written by Cognizant.
Open or closed status not shown.
Not established:
- Not a live careers-page posting.
- Does not say how many vacancies or when applications close.
Checked by a person; not monitored automatically.
RRN00016474 - Service Desk Associate ↗Accenture · accessed 25 Oct 2026
Show scopeHide scope
Scope:
One of at least two near-identical Accenture Bengaluru posts (RRN00016474 and RRN00017013, id 14067478).
Open or closed status not shown.
Not established:Does not name a degree. Not a fresher-only post (it asks for 0 to 2 years of experience).
Checked by a person; not monitored automatically.
Campus-Beginner Job Details ↗HCLTech · accessed 25 Oct 2026
Show scopeHide scope
Scope:One HCLTech posting, Noida. Open/closed status not shown.
Not established:The page's 'Other Requirements' section is empty: no degree, shift, pay or experience is stated.Checked by a person; not monitored automatically.
Google IT Support Professional Certificate ↗Coursera (Google Career Certificates) · accessed 25 Oct 2026
Show scopeHide scope
Scope:India price on the page on 25 Oct 2026 (page also shows 'Now INR 1888/month').
Not established:No employer page checked requires or prefers this certificate.Checked by a person; not monitored automatically.
Before Testing - AWS Certification policies ↗Amazon Web Services · accessed 25 Oct 2026
Show scopeHide scope
Scope:Table as shown 25 Oct 2026; the INR figure is the one the table prints for Foundational exams.
Not established:
- Does not say employers require it.
- Foreign exchange updates mean the figure can change with 30 days' notice.
Checked by a person; not monitored automatically.
AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner ↗Amazon Web Services · accessed 25 Oct 2026
Show scopeHide scope
Scope:Issuer statement about the exam, not about jobs.
Not established:No employer page checked names it.Checked by a person; not monitored automatically.
CompTIA A+ certification ↗CompTIA · accessed 25 Oct 2026
Show scopeHide scope
Scope:A+ series 220-1201 (Core 1) page; Network+ N10-009.
Not established:Issuer recommendation only. No employer page checked requires A+ or Network+. No fee in the page text.Checked by a person; not monitored automatically.
200-301 CCNA - Implementing and Administering Cisco Solutions ↗Cisco · accessed 25 Oct 2026Not established:No INR price.Checked by a person; not monitored automatically.

Your next step: Read two employers' current service desk pages and note the shift pattern, the degrees named and whether any certification is asked for.

Open the comparison Build a resume for this path

A source names these qualifications for this profile: B.Tech, BCA · Computer applications