Every business uses technology in its daily operations. Eventually, this technology requires IT support, troubleshooting, and updates. Your IT support officer is tasked with maintaining business technology, ensuring it can be relied upon when needed. Technical assistance can extend to various categories of support. A job in IT can also have different specialties.
Here are some IT support job roles and responsibilities that you may be able to rely upon your IT professional for.
Role #1: In-Depth and Up-to-Date IT Knowledge
IT trends, hardware, and software change, so the IT support company should have up-to-date technical knowledge. An IT support technician must keep this knowledge current to guide their employer through hardware, software, and application changes.
Role #2: Install And Configure Hardware And Software
When you buy new office computers and hardware or have software to download to each computer, an IT support office is tasked with that role. They ensure the installation is done correctly and the hardware or software works as intended.
Role #3: Monitoring Computer Systems and Networks
With multiple users on a company’s IT system, an IT support specialist must ensure the infrastructure operates as intended. This monitoring can identify issues before they escalate, avoid system overload, correctly distribute capacity, and ensure everything operates optimally.
Role #4: Install and Configure Office Equipment
Every office or business may have different equipment to integrate with their existing computers and IT systems. At a base level, this is often a printer or scanner. In large organizations, you may have multiple pieces of equipment that have to be configured with your IT system.
Role #5: Perform Scheduled Maintenance
Hardware and software must be updated and maintained over time, as must software licenses. Maintenance and updates are a requirement to keep computer systems running smoothly. Your IT support person does this on a routine basis.
Role #6: Planning Technical Support Work
You may be required to perform large amounts of IT work and must arrange it based on work hours to minimize downtime. This may involve scheduling certain tasks, working overnight, and working quickly to maintain deadlines.
Role #7: Sets Up New Employee Accounts
Every new hire must create a new account with permissions and software access. Employees must receive unique logins. There may be technical issues to comb through as a new account is administrated.
Role #8: Provide Direct User Assistance
Technical issues often occur that require immediate resolution. An IT support technician provides desktop support and direct user assistance, resolving problems as they arise and investigating errors as they present.
Role #9: Diagnosing Software and Hardware Issues
Sometimes, the technical issue is not user-related and is system-wide with a specific piece of software or hardware. IT support specialists must be skilled in troubleshooting system issues, providing or recommending solutions, and ensuring downtime is minimal.
Role #10: Repairing and Replacing Business Equipment
Over time, office equipment and IT systems slow and can break down. Parts require fixing or replacing. An IT support officer performs those repairs or determines whether a repair or replacement is needed.
Role #11: Checking IT Equipment for Electrical Safety
Electrical safety checks have to be performed on IT equipment. Computer equipment must be safe, and its electrical components must operate properly.
Role #12: Testing New Technology
A business may benefit from having a new piece of technology, and IT support must become experts in using it. They must test and evaluate hardware and software, understand how to install it, and be able to instruct others on how to use it to perform their role.
Role #13: Migrate Existing Systems To New Platforms
An IT support professional may occasionally be required to migrate a business’ IT system to a new system, moving from old technology to new and handling that change-over. This can be an extensive project that takes time and expertise to ensure it is done correctly, avoiding technical troubles.
Role #14: Potentially Training Junior IT Support
For a growing and large company, an IT support job may involve collaborating with other IT experts or training junior support staff. This may involve having to simplify and explain complex processes and technologies to various stakeholders in the company.
Role #15: Create Technical Support Documentation
A technical support officer may also be inclined or required to create IT processes, procedures, and technical support documentation that can be used in their absence. This documentation often includes logs of technical issues, how they were resolved, and a record of updates to relevant IT components.
Role #16: On-Call Services
If you are a company’s primary IT support technician, you may be required to be on call. In emergencies, you may be required to come in and work extended hours to resolve an IT issue. This can add pressure and inconvenience to the role.
