What an IT support specialist really does
You are the person everyone calls when their computer stops working, and you fix it while they watch.
FieldTech and design
Preparation (O*NET Job Zone)Medium preparation needed
What the work involves
What fills a typical week for IT support specialists, built from O*NET occupation data.
- Check that systems, printers and accounts are working before most people arrive.
- Work a queue of tickets, answering how do I questions and fixing what is broken.
- Diagnose problems by talking with users, reading documentation and running checks.
- Set up laptops, accounts and software for new employees.
- Do small hardware and software repairs, and send bigger failures to vendors.
- Write down what was wrong and how you fixed it so the next person can find it.
- Show people how to use their tools and write short how to guides.
What the days are like
What people in the job know
- You talk with people face to face every single day; this is a people job with a technical toolkit. Face-to-face discussions: 88% every day (O*NET Work Context)
- The schedule is regular and predictable. Work schedules: 100% regular (O*NET Work Context)
- You work as part of a team, handing off and backing each other up. Work with or contribute to a work group or team: 79% very important, 14% extremely important (O*NET Work Context)
- Much of the job is keeping systems healthy before anyone notices a problem, not just answering tickets. Top task: 'Oversee the daily performance of computer systems', importance 75, Core, rank 1 (O*NET Tasks)
- Writing things down is part of the work, not an extra. 'Maintain records of daily data communication transactions, problems and remedial actions taken', importance 62, Core, rank 8 (O*NET Tasks)
How people get into it
Job Zone 3: usually vocational training, an associate's degree or a post secondary certificate plus one to two years of on the job experience. Some employers ask for a bachelor's degree. Many people start on a help desk and learn mostly on the job.
The Firstday trial, easy to hard
Three simulated tasks at Saltmarsh and Reyes Architects, a fictional company, with AI coworkers who message you, react to your work and coach with questions. Nobody scores you.
What the trial can't show: The trial cannot show the physical side of the job: unboxing and cabling laptops and monitors, swapping parts, crawling under desks, carrying equipment between floors, or walking to someone's desk. Hardware problems are shown as descriptions and photos you diagnose and route. Real remote control tools and live systems are simulated.
Reading about it is one thing.
Find out how the work feels to you before you spend on a degree, course or job change. Your first trial is free.
Other careers you can try
Job details on this page are built from O*NET OnLine, 15-1232.00. This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.