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Career Details :: Computer Support Specialists

Description

Provide technical assistance to computer system users. Answer questions or resolve computer problems for clients in person, via telephone or from remote location. May provide assistance concerning the use of computer hardware and software, including printing, installation, word processing, electronic mail, and operating systems.

Experience

A minimum of two to four years of work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is needed for these occupations. For example, an accountant must complete four years of college and work for several years in accounting to be considered qualified.

Education

Most of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not.

Training

Employees in these occupations usually need several years of work-related experience, on-the-job training, and/or vocational training.

Tasks

• Installs and performs minor repairs to hardware, software, and peripheral equipment, following design or installation specifications.
• Reads technical manuals, confers with users, and conducts computer diagnostics to determine nature of problems and provide technical assistance.
• Enters commands and observes system functioning to verify correct operations and detect errors.
• Prepares evaluations of software and hardware and submits recommendations to management for review.
• Tests and monitors software, hardware, and peripheral equipment to evaluate use, effectiveness, and adequacy of product for user.
• Inspects equipment and reads order sheets to prepare for delivery to users.
• Supervises and coordinates workers engaged in problem-solving, monitoring, and installing data communication equipment and software.
• Reads trade magazines and technical manuals and attends conferences and seminars to maintain knowledge of hardware and software.
• Conducts office automation feasibility studies, including workflow analysis, space design, and cost-comparison analysis.
• Maintains record of daily data communication transactions, problems and remedial action taken, and installation activities.
• Refers major hardware or software problems or defective products to vendors or technicians for service.
• Develops training materials and procedures and conducts training programs.
• Confers with staff, users, and management to determine requirements for new systems or modifications.

Related Careers

• Broadcast Technicians
  
• Computer Operators
  
• Computer Programmers
  
• Computer Security Specialists
  
• Computer Systems Analysts
  
• Data Processing Equipment Repairers
  
• Electrical and Electronics Repairers, Commercial and Industrial Equipment
  
• Network Systems and Data Communications Analysts
  
• Numerical Tool and Process Control Programmers
  

Important Abilities

• Written Comprehension
• Oral Expression
• Near Vision
• Speech Clarity
• Oral Comprehension

General Work Activities

• Interacting With Computers
• Updating & Using Job-Relevant Knowledge
• Getting Information Needed to Do the Job
• Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events
• Inspecting Equipment, Structures, Material

Important Skills

• Testing
  
• Troubleshooting
  
• Reading Comprehension
  
• Problem Identification
  
• Information Organization
  

Frequent Work Context

• Job-Required Social Interaction
• Degree of Automation
• Indoors
• Importance of Being Exact or Accurate
• Consequence of Error

Related Majors

Major	Add to XapPack
Accounting Information Systems	[ add ]
Accounting/Information Systems	[ add ]
Accounting/Management Information Systems	[ add ]
Administrative Data Processing	[ add ]
Administrative Information Systems	[ add ]
Airway Computer Sciences	[ add ]
Applied Computer Science	[ add ]
Applied Information Technology	[ add ]
Applied Mathematics/Computer Science	[ add ]
Applied Mathematics/Computers	[ add ]
Artificial Intelligence/Cognitive Science	[ add ]
Business Administration/Computer Science	[ add ]
Business Administration/Management Information Systems	[ add ]
Business Computer Information Systems	[ add ]
Business Computer Systems	[ add ]
Business Data Processing	[ add ]
Business Information Systems	[ add ]
Business/Computer Systems	[ add ]
Chemistry/Computer Science	[ add ]
Communication/Information Systems	[ add ]
Computer Applications/Information Systems	[ add ]
Computer Engineering/Computer Science	[ add ]
Computer Information Science	[ add ]
Computer Information Sciences	[ add ]
Computer Information Systems	[ add ]
Computer Information Systems Management	[ add ]
Computer Information/Systems Management	[ add ]
Computer Management/Data Processing	[ add ]
Computer Science	[ add ]
Computer Science Application	[ add ]
Computer Science/Application	[ add ]
Computer Science/Applied Statistics	[ add ]
Computer Science/Business	[ add ]
Computer Science/Computer Engineering	[ add ]
Computer Science/Engineering	[ add ]
Computer Science/Engineering Technology	[ add ]
Computer Science/Information Science	[ add ]
Computer Science/Information Systems	[ add ]
Computer Science/Information Technology	[ add ]
Computer Science/Psychology	[ add ]
Computer Science/Theoretical	[ add ]
Computer Sciences	[ add ]
Computer Systems	[ add ]
Computer Systems Management	[ add ]
Computer-Based Business Majors	[ add ]
Computer/Information Management	[ add ]
Computer/Information Systems	[ add ]
Computing Information Systems	[ add ]
Computing/Information Systems	[ add ]
Data Analysis/Database	[ add ]
Decision Sciences/Information Systems	[ add ]
Economics/Computer Science	[ add ]
Electrical Engineering/Computer Science	[ add ]
General Information Systems	[ add ]
Informatics	[ add ]
Information Management	[ add ]
Information Management/Technology	[ add ]
Information Resources Management	[ add ]
Information Science	[ add ]
Information Sciences	[ add ]
Information Sciences/Systems	[ add ]
Information Services Management	[ add ]
Information Systems	[ add ]
Information Systems Applications	[ add ]
Information Systems Concepts	[ add ]
Information Systems Management	[ add ]
Information Systems/Decision Sciences	[ add ]
Information Systems/Technology	[ add ]
Information Technology	[ add ]
Information Technology Specialist	[ add ]
Information Transfer	[ add ]
Information/Communication Systems	[ add ]
Information/Decision Systems	[ add ]
Information/Operations Management	[ add ]
Intelligent Systems	[ add ]
Interamerican Studies	[ add ]
Management Computer Information Systems	[ add ]
Management Information Science	[ add ]
Management Information Systems	[ add ]
Management Information Systems/Business Data Processing	[ add ]
Management of Information Systems	[ add ]
Management of Information Technology	[ add ]
Management of Technology/Operations	[ add ]
Management Science/Information Systems	[ add ]
Management Systems	[ add ]
Management/Information Systems	[ add ]
Medical Informatics	[ add ]
Office Information Systems	[ add ]
Office Systems	[ add ]
Physics/Computer Science	[ add ]
Printing/Applied Computer Science	[ add ]
Statistics/Computer Science	[ add ]
Systems Management	[ add ]
Technical Communications/Information Design	[ add ]

Institutions Offering Related Majors

No institutions found.