What does an advanced technician do?

An information technology (IT) support technician is an individual who is responsible for providing support and troubleshoots software and hardware problems faced by customers. As for larger organizations that have their own IT department, technicians must work together internally with their IT staff members. IT support technicians are involved in inspecting and resolving minor local area network and wireless network issues, which include TCP/IP, DHCP, and VPN. They are also required to obtain an associate's degree in computer science or related field.

These skill sets are where the common ground ends though. The responsibilities of an advanced technician are more likely to require skills like "patients," "patient care," "iv," and "advanced life support." On the other hand, a job as an information technology/support technician requires skills like "computer system," "desk support," "remote desktop," and "network printers." As you can see, what employees do in each career varies considerably.

Technical support technicians are skilled professionals who resolve computer or information technology-related concerns. They may do installations, repairs, or maintenance activities of various applications or computer hardware. They are sometimes assigned specific issues or concerns to resolve so that they will not be bombarded with various issues. This means that they can now specialize in a specific family of concerns. Technical support technicians may provide on-site support, going directly to the person who needs help and doing what needs to be done or troubleshoot the problem in person. They may also be offsite and would usually be manning helpdesk hotlines. Offsite technical support technicians walk the caller through the steps they should do to fix the issues. As such, when a technical support technician is offsite, they are expected to be good communicators and will be able to provide clear instructions.

While some skills are similar in these professions, other skills aren't so similar. For example, resumes show us that advanced technician responsibilities requires skills like "patient care," "iv," "splints," and "phone calls." But a technical support technician might use other skills in their typical duties, such as, "mac," "desktop support," "linux," and "sql."

A computer support technician is responsible for diagnosing and resolving computer and network issues, identifying the source of malfunctions, and improving infrastructure to avoid downtimes and operational delays. Computer support technicians manage the efficiency of all equipment and peripherals for the computers, assist in installing components, and keeping adequate resources or alternatives for defective items. They also recommend minimal costs technology materials and create troubleshooting manuals for reference, ensuring that the network processes adhere to internal guidelines and regulations.

There are many key differences between these two careers, including some of the skills required to perform responsibilities within each role. For example, an advanced technician is likely to be skilled in "patients," "patient care," "iv," and "advanced life support," while a typical computer support technician is skilled in "computer support," "desk support," "mac," and "computer system."

A desktop support technician is responsible for troubleshooting defective computer systems, affecting its performance and efficiency. Desktop support technicians must be highly familiar with the technology systems and programming codes to navigate system applications and locate the discrepancy of the system. They keep documentation of the ticket issue and the resolution for reference and quality improvement. A desktop support technician also configures and updates computer systems and networks for better optimization, as well as conducting regular inspections and monitoring the efficiency of installed programs and patches.