Computer Support Specialist – What a Computer Specialist Does
IT support refers to the professional expertise provided to users of technological products or services. In simple terms, IT support offers help regarding particular issues with a computer software product or service, and not providing technical support, usually, either, of provision, customization or training of that product. To some IT support professionals, however, support is equated with training. They believe that training is only needed when IT support is rendered ineffective or serves no purpose – as is the case when the system is down for long periods of time.
What is IT support? In essence, it is the calling on computer equipment or network computers for assistance in performing routine tasks, which include installation, maintenance, troubleshooting, upgrade, migration and decommissioning. In a nutshell, IT support works on three levels. There is the primary IT support, which is the one that answers telephonically and e-mailed queries. The second level of support is what is known as the third tier. This is IT support that is offered to customers who require assistance with hardware and software setup, implementation, upgrades, migrate, and disaster recovery.
IT support specialists help businesses in the deployment and maintenance of networks and servers. A network administrator is responsible for assigning resources to various departments and servers, for ensuring that all hardware and software installations and configurations function properly. IT support specialists are involved in hardware and software setup and maintenance. They also train IT support specialists and provide guidance in using new software, responding to customer questions, and performing security tests.
The roles and responsibilities of a PC support specialist depend upon the level of IT support required. For e-mail queries and basic tech support, a PC support specialist has certain qualifications. Generally, support specialists have at least a bachelor’s degree in computer science, and several years of experience. Most IT support specialists begin their careers by working as network technicians, then advancement to IT support specialists.
A PC support specialist not only meets the requirements of the end user, but also the specifications and budget of the organization that employs him. Because IT support specialists are required to meet both ends of the communication spectrum, they need to be versatile enough to answer any question that an end user may ask. A PC specialist can provide basic advice, while recommending the most appropriate equipment and software, depending on the requirement of each situation.
One good example of a PC specialist is someone who is hired to upgrade the system of a large corporation. He will conduct a series of tests on the network to see how much information can be transmitted in a given amount of time. He will also install upgrades such as new hardware, if necessary, as well as software packages, and test how each one works. A PC specialist has to be very familiar with the hardware that the company uses, since he may need to repair or replace equipment if it fails. Computer support specialists are also involved in the testing of new software programs, and should know which ones perform poorly and which ones work very well.
PC tech support specialists are especially valuable for organizations that have a large number of end-users. Since he must respond to each question quickly, he must know the correct way to answer questions and make the transfer from the computer systems’ specifications to the specifications of each individual user. A good technician can make the transfer of information from the user’s PC to the network’s computers simple and quick.
Computer support technicians are usually very busy, especially during the holiday seasons and when there is a lot of equipment that needs to be repaired. Because most PC repairs require knowledge of both hardware and software, some technicians may specialize in only one area. For instance, an IT technician may only work with hardware problems, while a network technician may work on both hardware and software issues. If you want to find someone who can provide outstanding PC technical support, you may have to conduct an initial check of references and credentials.