Technical Support Specialists

High School

Take technical classes such as computer science, schematic drawing, and electronics, as these can help develop the logical and analytical thinking skills necessary to be successful in this field. Courses in math and science are also valuable for this reason. Strong verbal and written communication skills are needed since technical support specialists have to deal with computer programmers and software designers as well as computer users who may not be technologically savvy. Learning a foreign language, such as Spanish, will be useful for working with customers who do not speak English as a first language.

Postsecondary Training

Aspiring technical support specialists should first determine what area of technical support appeals the most and then honestly assess their level of experience and knowledge. Large corporations often prefer to hire people with a bachelor’s degree in computer science, computer engineering, or information systems and some experience, although other employers may only require their workers to have associate's degrees. They may also be impressed with commercial certification in a computer field, such as networking. Those hired within the company will be considered more for their work experience than education.

Employed individuals looking for a career change may want to commit themselves to a program of self-study to qualify for technical support positions. Many computer professionals learn a lot of what they know by playing around on computers, reading trade magazines, and talking with colleagues. Self-taught individuals should learn how to effectively demonstrate their knowledge and proficiency on the job or during an interview. Besides self-training, employed individuals should investigate tuition reimbursement programs offered by their company.

Once hired, technical support specialists also receive on-the-job training that can last from one week to one year. Most training lasts an average of three months.

Certification

A growing number of colleges and universities offer certificate programs in computer support, computer science, and specialty areas such as cybersecurity, network operations, and cloud computing. Certificate programs are available in online, in-person, and hybrid formats, and typically last six months to a year.

Other Education or Training

The Association of Computer Support Specialists offers training seminars. Student and professional members of the Association for Computing Machinery can access online computing and business courses via the association’s Learning Center. The IEEE Computer Society offers career planning webinars and continuing education courses to its members.