IT support professionals play an essential part in companies as they’re the people who ensure all of the company’s business technology is functioning effectively. Since most organizations now have an internet presence, there’s also always a high demand for them.
Businesses that also use local networks to provide access for their employees need help from IT support professionals to ensure the data is available to employees and the information is safe. That’s why many companies hire services like Spectrumwise IT Support and others to ensure all their systems are running smoothly.
If you’re planning to have a career in IT support, there are different jobs you can choose from. This article will discuss the benefits of having an IT support career and the diverse career opportunities.
Benefits Of Having An IT Support Career
There are many reasons why some individuals would want to have a career in IT support. Some of the benefits of going to this industry are:
- Low Cost Of Education
One of the most significant advantages of pursuing a career in information technology is it doesn’t require spending too much on education. To begin an IT support career, you need to learn the skills necessary to carry out the job. You can do this through a combination of classroom learning and experience.
Many IT support professionals start their careers by receiving a professional certification in one or more IT support areas. These certifications can range from CompTIA Security+ and Vulnerability Assessment to System Security+. As a result, when you study to prepare for a career in this field, you’ll be prepared to gain many necessary skills for this position.
- Provides Better Income
Due to the high demand for their skills, IT professionals, whichever industry they belong to, are paid well compared to other professionals. This is because they’re required to have different certifications and training to find a permanent position in either a public or private office.
- Various Career And Employment Opportunities
IT is the fastest-changing and growing industry today. Innovations bring new job opportunities for IT professionals, and by learning new techniques and tools, you can have continuous career development. As an IT professional, you can expect that you’ll never stop learning, and the new knowledge and experience you gain will increase your value as a professional. This is because you’re required to have a high level of knowledge on all types of technology and software, not just the specific type that’s used within the organization. With that, you can also expect to have various employment opportunities in other companies or fields.
Career Prospects For IT Support Professionals
IT support is among the fastest-growing fields in the information technology industry. When hardware or computer systems break down or fail, IT support specialists are usually the first to be called upon to resolve the problem. If you want to have a career in this field, there are different career prospects you can go into:
- Technical Support Engineer
A technical support engineer is a specialist in computer systems that are used by businesses and organizations. The majority of them have a strong background in computer science, engineering, and information technology. To become a support engineer, you need to be knowledgeable about a specific aspect of computer systems and how it works.
If you want to be a professional technical support engineer, you must have a bachelor’s degree in computer science, information technology, or electrical engineering. Many technical support engineers can be found in different industries like healthcare and automotive. They’re also found in industries where technology and equipment that’s unique to the industry is required.
- Field Service Technician
A field service technician is typically responsible for testing, diagnosing, and evaluating various technology-related issues in the field. This job typically supports end users or other customers in at least the following ways:
- To make data available to them that they may need regularly.
- To ensure equipment is functioning correctly and accurately.
- To increase productivity and efficiency in operations.
Technicians in this field are constantly learning about new technologies, particularly the equipment their customers are using. To keep up with the pace of technology and be the best technician possible, one must be willing to try out new things and learn them. Because there are ways to improve existing systems, field technicians are also always looking to improve their services.
- Service Desk Technician
Service desk technicians play an integral role in offices of all sizes, both private and public, providing support to IT departments. They often act as the first point of call for customers or clients and can be found in many different departments, including finance, operations, human resources, software development, and others.
To perform the duties of a service desk technician, an individual must possess several skills. These include:
- Attention to detail
- Multitasking
- Self-motivation
- Excellent customer service
- Computer skills
As a technician, you’ll be required to perform the following duties:
- Provide appropriate support to a computer technician
- Assist a supervisor or manager in support of customer service issues
- Troubleshoot hardware issues
- Implement new software and perform upgrades or patching
Individuals should have excellent computer skills and knowledge of networking, routing, security, email, and file sharing to succeed in this career. It helps to have these skills when applying for jobs because some companies may require certain background information.
- IT Support Analyst
IT support analysts provide IT professionals with information technology expertise. These people deal primarily with computer hardware and software and help resolve issues of all kinds, from routine problems to more complex ones. They’re also tasked with finding a solution to any technical problem in any aspect of this technology.
Today’s IT support analysts have far more tools at their disposal when resolving issues that impact end users. Gone are the days when an IT expert had to deal with one problem at a time on a computer with no real progress reports to give to the customer.
For example, there may be an online chat option available for the support agent to talk to the client in real-time. There may also be remote access capabilities for the expert to have full, unchecked access to every piece of computer hardware in play.
- PC Support Associate
The job of a PC support associate consists of assisting the technical support team and client operations to resolve hardware or software-related issues. They’re responsible for repairing and maintaining computers and servers within an organization. They also set up computer hardware and other tech equipment needed by their clients.
After setting up the hardware, they’re also tasked with installing, configuring, and updating software and drives needed to run their client’s computer or equipment.
A Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer is one of the essential requirements for a successful PC support specialist. This is because a Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer will be expected to possess knowledge in Microsoft Windows licensing, server and network setup, network security protocols, troubleshooting, and much more.
- Desktop Support Technician
A desktop support technician is responsible for helping clients when they’re having a problem with their desktop computer and other associated devices. These professionals help troubleshoot issues on the hardware or software and find a solution to resolve the issues. Some of the problems include VPN connection issues or desktop software licensing issues.
Companies can use these technicians to respond to emergencies and fix other issues if they haven’t qualified their support people. This is very important for companies and customers because the quality of service comes at a price.
To become a desktop support technician, a person needs to have some degree in electronics or computer technology. Besides this, they also need to have good interpersonal skills as they’ll have to deal with people at all times. It’s important to understand the different operating systems, software, hardware, and drivers that are being used by most computer systems today. Operating systems include Windows, UNIX, Linux, and MAC operating systems. Some hardware components include motherboards, processors, disk drives, keyboards, video cards, and integrated devices.
Final Thoughts
The need for qualified professionals in this industry is high and it’s considered as one of the fast-growing jobs. It’s demonstrated by the fact that there are positions needed to be filled and staff shortages exceed the available supply. The opportunities existing for IT professionals are increasing. This is evidenced by the salaries that are quite competitive.
As an IT support, you can have a career in various industries like healthcare, automotive, or corporate businesses. These are some of the top career prospects today. If you want to go on this path, you need to have the appropriate certifications, education, and skills.
Many IT support professionals have begun their careers by obtaining at least a general understanding of computer hardware. IT support workers are often required to perform tasks such as troubleshooting computer hardware that has failed or reviewing computer architecture for problems associated with specific software programs. Most programs offered by schools and colleges provide a basic understanding of hardware before moving on to more complex topics such as microprocessor architecture and microprocessor implementation details.