What Is a Technical Support Specialist and How to Become One

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What Is a Technical Support Specialist?
A technical support specialist provides computer, electronics, or software support for a company or individual users. Their duties include working with the support team of a company and offering specialized support services for hardware, software, and network concerns. Responsibilities may include removing viruses, setting up new accounts, uploading software, and general troubleshooting.
How to Become a Technical Support Specialist
To become a technical support specialist, you need a bachelor’s degree in computer science or a related field, though some jobs may only require an associate degree with on-the-job training and certification. You should study computer systems and software to work in this career. You may also choose to test for your A+ credential from The Computing Technology Industry Association (CompTIA), to show proficiency in installing and troubleshooting computer systems, hardware, and applications.
Technical Support Specialist Job Description Sample
With this Technical Support Specialist job description sample, you can get a good idea of what employers are looking for when hiring for this position. Remember, every employer is different and each will have unique qualifications when they hire for a Technical Support Specialist role.
Job Summary
We are looking for a new Technical Support Specialist to become a part of our help desk support team. In this position, you answer complex questions about our hardware, so you should have several years of experience in a related field or a degree in information technology or computer science. You will deal with customers on a daily basis, and may occasionally deal with frustrated individuals, so you must be able to remain calm as you help them solve the problem. You should be comfortable using a ticket system and Microsoft Active Directory and Outlook to deal with clients.
Duties and Responsibilities
- Help customers troubleshoot issues with their hardware
- Transfer customers to another department or specialist when necessary
- Order replacement products or components
- Track customers helped in our support database
Requirements and Qualifications
- Bachelor's degree in IT or computer science preferred
- Communication skills
- High computer proficiency
- Desktop support experience