PC Support Officer Job Description
Most Recent Research: 21 January, 2012
Job Description
Responsible for the upkeep of computers, tablets, printers and smart phones in an organization. Diagnose and repair hardware faults, liaise with vendors, assist with configuration issues, diagnose performance problems and troubleshoot application faults on computers, tablets and smart phones.
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Tasks and Activities
- Troubleshoot and support PC, Laptop, Tablet and Smart Phones
- Troubleshoot and support common software application knowledge such as email, office and anti-virus applications.
- Excellent telephone manner
- Call logging and tracking to resolution
- Assist clients to customize common applications to suit requirements
- Troubleshoot and support printer problems
Role at a Glance
Organizational Position
Reporting to the IT operations manager or database team leader, this position may require cross skills or occasional liaison with operational storage and operating systems SME (Subject Matter Experts).
Figure 1. PC Support Officer in the Organization
Skills, Knowledge & Experience
- Knowledge about common PC applications such as Outlook, Microsoft Office, Anti-Virus and Internet Browsers
- Experience across different technology platforms such as PCs, Laptops, Smart Phones and Tablets
- Demonstrated PC hardware troubleshooting skills
- Computer hardware knowledge
- Computer operating system knowledge such as Windows (most common), Apple or Linux.
Qualifications & Certifications
Industry Certifications such as A+ or MCSA, MCSE
Key Competencies
Situational Analysis
Customer Consideration
Problem Solving
Managing Tasks
Specific Technical Knowledge
Service Level Agreements
Attributes of an Excellent PC Support Officer
Many clients are flustered by the time that they call PC support. An excellent PC support officer has the ability to instill confidence without over committing the resolution time. He or she also has the knowledge and experience to understand when it is appropriate to escalate problems.
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Attraction to the position and job retention strategies for employers
Many people are attracted to this type of job for the following reasons:
- Many of the required skills can be developed on home computer systems therefore facilitating entry to the position.
- Staff are exposed to many IT disciplines so there are many pathways stemming from this role. Indeed, many highly specialized professionals today started in this type of role.
- There is generally a steady demand in the job market for this type of position. (note: this is subject to economic factors)
- There is a good balance of interpersonal communication and technical tasks.
Employers may increase retention rates in this role by addressing two factors:
1. Many end users are frustrated or annoyed by the time PC support officers attend. PC support officers may lose enthusiasm for the role if they are constantly treated disrespectully. End user education and strong management direction may help to reduce these instances.
2. Problems can tend to repeat themselves consistently making the job boring. Ensure that there is variation in the role and allow officers to take ownership of processes that they are passionate about in order to increase job satisfaction.
What You Know
Knowledge of computer hardware & operating systems
Competence with common applications such as email and word.
Knowledge of computer networks
What You Do
Diagnose computer hardware faults
Troubleshoot application faults
Configure operating systems
Install security patches
Package and deploy software
What You Are
Friendly and approachable
A problem solver
Great at time management
A great communicator
Expected Pay Rate for a PC Support Officer
Salary Range: US$35K - US$50K per year
Page Research Level (PRL)
A key designed to give an indication of the depth of research used to produce the content of the page.
PRL Key Jobs researched
Level 0 =0-6
0-6Level 1 =6-29
6-29Level 2 =30-49
30-49 Level 3 =50-79
50-79Level 4 =80-99
80-99Level 5 =100+
100+