Who is an IT Support Specialist?
IT support specialist is an individual who specializes in providing different organizations with information technology support. The aim behind this is to optimize operational efficiency. IT support specialist has to resolve any kind of technical issue and then maintain the hardware and software installations. He is the one who has to improve all the IT systems in the organization.
If you are an IT support specialist then you’d probably have good knowledge of computer systems, electronic systems, and software applications. You would also have to educate the customers and employees and answer all the relevant questions. Thus you would have to take care of all the problems which are relevant to technology-based products and services.
Key Responsibilities of IT Support Specialist
From the above details, you would have now a clear picture of who the IT support specialist is. With this role comes a lot of responsibilities that have to be fulfilled with great determination. Below you can find some of the very important key responsibilities which must be taken care of by the IT support specialist. As an IT support specialist, you have to:
- Install and configure computer systems and applications of your organization.
- Update, maintain, and monitor all aspects of computer networks.
- Resolve technical issues which are relevant to network interruptions.
- Respond to all the customer inquiries and then assist in troubleshooting and resolving different challenges.
- Maintain a working log containing details of required system updates.
- Attend all in-person meetings with the designated clients and analyze, troubleshoot, and diagnose all the hardware problems.
- Assist the management in creating training materials that are relevant to computer troubleshooting and usage
- Organize the documents pertaining to warranties and instructional guides for computer hardware.
- Assist the clients via telephone or web chat.
- You would be surprised to know that some IT support specialists are also given the task to give out instructions to customers as to how they can use business-specific programs. Other specialists may be given the responsibility of answering simpler questions from non-business customers. These questions can be relevant to reestablishing internet connections and troubleshooting IT products like Wi-Fi routers.
- Document processes and perform diagnostic tests.
- Keep a track of all the technological advancements and trends in IT support.
Required Qualification/Education:
To become an IT support specialist, you would ideally need either a 2-year associate’s degree or a 4-year bachelor’s degree in computer science. If for some reason you don’t feel comfortable in computer science but still want to become an IT support specialist then a bachelor’s degree in the following fields is also acceptable;
- Information Systems
- Information Technology
- Computer Engineering
Recommended Courses:
Google IT Support Professional Certificate
- Google via Coursera
- 942,824+ students enrolled
- ★★★★★ (126,595 Ratings)
IT & Technical Support Guide to Helpdesk, Desktop & Servers
- John Courtenay via Udemy
- 14,991+ already enrolled!
- ★★★★★ (1,056 Ratings)
IBM Technical Support Professional Certificate
- IBM via Coursera
- 3,263+ already enrolled!
- ★★★★★ (35 Ratings)
What makes you qualified for this job?
To perform well in any job title, a proper degree doesn’t only matter. What matters the most are the skills you possess. Having hard and soft skills will not only help you outrun others but also help you give in your best. Below we have listed down some of the hard and soft skills required in this job title.
Hard Skills:
- As an IT support specialist, you must have an in-depth knowledge of Computer hardware, software & networks.
- You must possess knowledge of system security and database maintenance.
- You should understand the network services like DNS and DHCP, that allows you to keep your computer networks in running mode.
- A good understanding of the common infrastructure services is required to manage the servers.
- Similarly, an IT support specialist should also know how to manage the organization’s computers and users using the directory services, active directory, and OpenLDAP.
- Moreover, you should have a good understanding of the standard protocols which are involved with TCP/IP communications.
- In addition, you should know how to evaluate potential risks and recommend different ways to reduce risks.
- You should know how to recover your IT infrastructure in case of a disaster.
- You should know how to diagnose both hardware and software issues.
Soft Skills:
- Interpersonal Skills are very important to possess. It is because IT support specialists have to continuously communicate with their customers and clients and if they don’t have good interpersonal skills then they wouldn’t be able to achieve the desired goal.
- Next, you should possess the ability to prioritize multiple projects and milestones effectively.
- Similarly, time management skills are very important to possess.
- Moreover, you should be able to identify and understand the latest internet-driven vulnerabilities.
- In addition, you should have a keen eye on the latest trends, best practices, methods, etc.
Other important soft skills include;
- Administrative Skills
- Phone Etiquettes
- Critical Thinking
IT & Technical Support Guide to Helpdesk, Desktop & Servers
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- John Courtenay via Udemy
- 12,876+ students enrolled
- ★★★★☆ (1,040 Ratings)
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In-demand Certifications:
The CompTIA A+ certification is a proof that you are a professional problem solver. Those who are CompTIA A+ certified, possess a very deep understanding of today’s core technologies including security, virtualization, networking, etc. It is the industry standard for launching IT careers in today’s digital world.
Top Companies/Organizations Hiring IT Support Specialists
Overall IT support specialists always start from a competitive salary. Though starting salaries highly depend on where you live and work and how much experience you have, yet overall IT support specialist have a healthy starting salary.
Top companies to hire IT Support Specialist includes IBM, Dell technologies, AT&T, Apple, T-Mobile, Amazon, ADP, and Spectrum etc.
Sectors like healthcare, education, medical, HR, and many others always have a spot for IT support specialist.
IT Support Specialist Salary Statistics
In this section, we shall be discussing the salary statistics of the IT support specialists working in different major countries including the following;
| Country | Average Salary (Yearly) |
| United States | $56,443 |
| Canada | CA$57,139 |
| United Kingdom | £33,988 |
| India | ₹650,000 |
| Australia | A$74,500 |
USA:
In United States, working as an IT support specialist can help you make around $56,443 a year.
Canada:
IT support specialists who are working in Canada can make an average annual salary of CA$57,139.
UK:
In England, IT support specialists can earn around £33,988 per year.
India:
In India, the average annual salary of an IT support specialist is ₹650,000.
Australia:
If you are working as an IT support specialist in Australia then you can expect to earn around A$74,500.
References/Sources:
- https://www.glassdoor.com
- https://www.comptia.org/content/it-careers-path-roadmap/it-support-specialist
- Please note that published salary stats are as of September, 2023.
