Duties and responsibilities of the IT Support Technician

IT support technicians work to maintain their employers' networks and computer systems. They also help network users to use the relevant devices and applications by answering any questions that may arise. It's part technical work and part customer service. IT support technicians can work directly for software and hardware companies, or they can work in the IT department of a company. Hours of work depend on the workplace. Those who work for a company typically have normal business hours, but those who work for software companies in call centers can work any shift in a 24-hour period.

The IT Support Engineer position is an entry-level position. They usually work with an IT supervisor who is responsible for assigning them daily tasks. IT support engineers can find employment in virtually any industry. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the demand for IT support technicians will increase by 12% until 2024. This demand is due to the increasing dependence on information technology in both the public and corporate sectors.

Duties and responsibilities of the IT support engineer

There are numerous activities that IT support engineers perform in their research to help users and maintain optimal functionality for the systems on their network. We reviewed various IT Support Engineer job descriptions to determine the following major roles and responsibilities of the IT Support Engineer.

Assignment and maintenance of computer equipment

IT support technicians are responsible for configuring all hardware and verifying that the hardware is connected to the network. In many companies, employees have devices such as laptops, tablets, or cell phones. It is the responsibility of the IT service technician to supply this equipment and to diagnose and repair any malfunctions.

Diagnose hardware and software problems

When something goes wrong, IT support technicians are the first line of defense. They are responsible for making an initial diagnosis of the problem and documenting the results. They then formulate and execute a strategy to solve the problem.

Document and maintain IT inventory

Part of maintaining the integrity of a network involves meticulously keeping track of the age of every machine on the network. Older machines are more susceptible to hardware problems and may require more frequent maintenance. IT support engineers keep track of these logs and perform these maintenance routines.

Review and resolve IT support requests

This is the customer service part of the job. IT support technicians are the "face" of helpdesk. If someone from another department needs IT, IT support technicians answer the call. This task requires patience and good communication skills.

Prioritize and resubmit issues as needed

Some problems are more urgent than others. It is up to IT support engineers to prioritize issues based on severity and immediacy. Some problems will not have the expertise to resolve and will need to be reported to the IT supervisor. Each company has a slightly different protocol for this process.

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