Technical Support

IT technical support officers monitor and maintain the computer systems and networks of an organisation and provide technical support to its users As an IT technical support officer, you'll install and configure computer systems, diagnose hardware and software faults and solve technical and application problems, either over the phone or in person. You'll cover one or more areas of expertise, depending on the size of the organisation you work for. It's common practice for a technical IT support team to be divided into first and second-line support, with the second-line support staff handling the more specialised queries that the first-line support could not deal with.

The work is as much about understanding how information systems are used as applying technical knowledge related to computer hardware or software. Alternative job titles include applications support specialist, help desk operator, maintenance engineer and technician.