How a Tech Support job can lead you to multiple career options
When we start our careers, many of us aspire to become programmers or move straight into specialized roles like DevOps or database administrators. These are high-demand jobs that offer good salaries, so it’s understandable why we would want to pursue them. However, if you’re unable to break into these fields right away, don’t let that discourage you from building a strong career in tech support.
Tech support is a great way to get your foot in the door of the tech industry and learn about different technologies. It’s also a great way to develop your problem-solving and customer service skills, which are essential in any tech role. In addition, tech support can be a stepping stone to other, more specialized roles in the future.
So if you’re not sure where to start your tech career, don’t rule out tech support. It could be the perfect way to launch your journey into the world of technology.
What is a technical support engineer profile?
A technical support engineer is a professional who provides technical support to customers and users of software, hardware, and other technology. They troubleshoot problems, provide advice, and help customers resolve issues. Technical support engineers work in a variety of industries, including IT, telecom, healthcare, and finance.
From job opportunities point of view, the great part is that almost every medium and large company have its own IT or support department either providing technical support to the organization or its employees or providing support to the clients on the product and services offered by the organization
Responsibilities of a Technical Support Engineer
The responsibilities of a technical support engineer vary depending on the specific role and industry. However, some common responsibilities include:
- Troubleshooting and resolving technical issues
- Providing technical support to customers and users
- Documenting and tracking technical issues
- Keeping up-to-date on new technologies
- Developing and maintaining relationships with customers and users
Skills and Qualifications for a Technical Support Engineer
The skills and qualifications required for a technical support engineer role vary depending on the specific role and industry. You can read more about 10 best entry level tech jobs and skills required to get hired. However, some common skills and qualifications include:
- Strong technical knowledge
- Excellent problem-solving skills
- Excellent communication skills
- Ability to work independently and as part of a team
- Ability to work under pressure
Benefits of a Career in Technical Support
Working in a technical support role can provide you with the opportunity to learn about different technologies, processes, and practices. If you are focused and willing to put in the effort, you can become an expert in any of these areas and build a strong career.
For example, if you are providing support for a particular application, you will gain experience working on the daily issues that users face. You will also learn how to resolve these issues and coordinate with customers to understand their pain points. This experience can give you the opportunity to grow into a consultant or product manager role in the future.
Even if you don’t choose another career path, you can expect to advance to the senior technical support level in 1-2 years. With continued experience, you can then grow to become a technical lead, manager, or other senior-level position.
If you are technically inclined, you can grow into roles such as tech lead, solutions engineer, QA engineer, or software developer. You can also build your career in DevOps or SRE roles. If you enjoy interacting with people and coordinating with customers, you can grow into roles such as customer success manager, account manager, or solution consultant. The possibilities are truly limitless.
How to Get Started in a Career in Technical Support
There are a few things you can do to get started in a career in technical support:
- Get a degree in computer science or a related field
- Get certified in a technical field
- Gain experience working in a technical support role
- Network with people in the tech industry
If you’re interested in a career in technical support, I encourage you to learn more about the field and explore your options. It could be the perfect way to launch your journey into the world of technology.
At Upspir we are on a mission to help young professionals build a successful career in tech support domain, Our programs train candidates on both technical and non-technical skills to prepare them for the jobs and interviews.
We have partnered with leading companies in India’s thriving tech market, and we can help you get hired in one of these companies.
In case you are interested in exploring our programs please feel free to fill the inquiry form here.
We will be happy to hear from you and address your queries.
Tech support role - Challenges
Yes, initially starting in a tech support role is challenging and so is learning and growing in these career paths. The role itself can be challenging and will need a lot of patience and belief to sustain in these roles. Learning on the job will be the key, and you will have to put additional effort in building your skills while at work to get the chances to progress further.
While you select your strength area, you will again have to put additional effort into enhancing your skills and knowledge and putting your strengths to work. Apart from the effort, you will also need a to have a career plan and a process (within the organization or outside) in place for you, to follow the career plan, and a support mechanism that pushes you to follow the same.
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Author
Nikhil Kumar Ahluwalia
Founder Upspir
Nikhil has over 16years of experience in the industry, before starting UPSPIR he was heading the support, services, and delivery function at Ameyo/Exotel as vice-president, and he has vast experience in managing and leading technical support and delivery teams, With Upspir he aims to take his passion of developing and mentoring people to next level by sharing his experiences and learning with those who want to build their career in the tech support domain.