What does an application specialist do?
An application specialist is responsible for maintaining the optimal performance of system applications, ensuring smooth navigation by upgrading the features of existing applications, and performing multiple diagnostic tests before releasing the applications to the digital marketplace. Application specialists work closely with the design engineers to improve system codes, verify the efficiency of network infrastructure, and adjusting application functions based on the clients' specifications and business' needs. They should always consider the budget goals, target end-users, and current market trends to design applications, meeting users' demands and public interests.
Application specialist responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real application specialist resumes:
- Lead the support staff as the SME for troubleshooting issues.
- Manage implementation of an EHR application within behavioral health agencies.
- Manage multiple imaging-relate projects across both radiology and cardiology service lines, both inpatient and outpatient, to completion.
- Maintain HIPAA compliant inbound and outbound 837I , 837P , 834,835,277 , 277CA , 997 and 999 files.
- Experience with FTP concepts and automation
- Introduce SOA paradigm to the company.
- Transmit files via FTP and other files transmission software.
- Create output reports compliant with appropriate HIPAA regulatory standards.
- Perform various DBA duties in assisting both end users and developers.
- Develop customer data mapping requirements for EDI and custom application flat files.
- Gather requirements for CRM database queries, report generation, and data conversion.
- Use CRM ticketing system to effectively track, resolve client issues and client visits.
- Utilize ETL functionality to import and export data in local and third party environments.
- Implement ETL solution that reduce overnight data mart update times by order of magnitude.
- Train and support front office and clinical staff on EMR converting charts to digital records.
Application specialist skills and personality traits
We calculated that 10% of Application Specialists are proficient in Customer Service, Customer Satisfaction, and Technical Support. They’re also known for soft skills such as Customer-service skills, Listening skills, and Speaking skills.
We break down the percentage of Application Specialists that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Customer Service, 10%
Experienced diverse areas of sales including cultivating relationships, market saturation, establishing clientele, and customer service.
- Customer Satisfaction, 8%
Provided primary production support for a high visibility cross-platform application, addressing issues in a timely matter and ensuring customer satisfaction.
- Technical Support, 5%
Gathered customer and technology information to determine technical support level; elevate calls to appropriate support level as necessary.
- Troubleshoot, 5%
Develop application standards, troubleshoot DataStage jobs and solve complex transformations for less experienced developers.
- Project Management, 4%
Project management of high-visibility and inter-departmental software upgrades/implementations.
- Excellent Organizational, 4%
Assigned territory demanded the ability to work independently and excellent organizational skills.
Most application specialists use their skills in "customer service," "customer satisfaction," and "technical support" to do their jobs. You can find more detail on essential application specialist responsibilities here:
Customer-service skills. The most essential soft skill for an application specialist to carry out their responsibilities is customer-service skills. This skill is important for the role because "computer support specialists must be patient and sympathetic." Additionally, an application specialist resume shows how their duties depend on customer-service skills: "boosted support by providing automated diagnostic instrumentation technical advice from product development to product launch, including post-launch customer support. "
Listening skills. Another soft skill that's essential for fulfilling application specialist duties is listening skills. The role rewards competence in this skill because "support workers must be able to understand the problems that their customers are describing and know when to ask questions to clarify the situation." According to an application specialist resume, here's how application specialists can utilize listening skills in their job responsibilities: "used questioning and listening skills to identify, research and resolve customer issues. "
Speaking skills. Another skill that relates to the job responsibilities of application specialists is speaking skills. This skill is critical to many everyday application specialist duties, as "support workers must describe the solutions to computer problems in a way that a nontechnical person can understand." This example from a resume shows how this skill is used: "standardized the use of industry standards and ensured correct business functionalities are addressed within the erp and crm software domain. "
Writing skills. A big part of what application specialists do relies on "writing skills." You can see how essential it is to application specialist responsibilities because "strong writing skills are useful for preparing instructions and email responses for employees and customers, as well as for real-time web chat interactions." Here's an example of how this skill is used from a resume that represents typical application specialist tasks: "assisted in writing java code to facilitate updates to an oracle database. "
Problem-solving skills. A commonly-found skill in application specialist job descriptions, "problem-solving skills" is essential to what application specialists do. Application specialist responsibilities rely on this skill because "support workers must identify both simple and complex computer problems, analyze them, and solve them." You can also see how application specialist duties rely on problem-solving skills in this resume example: "managed all customer support requests, and resolved technical issues. "
The three companies that hire the most application specialists are:
Choose from 10+ customizable application specialist resume templates
Build a professional application specialist resume in minutes. Our AI resume writing assistant will guide you through every step of the process, and you can choose from 10+ resume templates to create your application specialist resume.
Compare different application specialists
Application specialist vs. Technology services specialist
Technology Services Specialists are information technology (IT) personnel in a company. They assist internal employees and external clients on everything related to technology. They may specialize in a specific item, such as software, hardware, or network infrastructure. Technology services specialists advise users on the usage of different tools. They should be able to troubleshoot concerns and conduct repair and maintenance activities. They should also know how to address the needs of their clients. Technology Services Specialists may sometimes man helpdesk tickets and respond to these tickets accordingly.
There are some key differences in the responsibilities of each position. For example, application specialist responsibilities require skills like "troubleshoot," "excellent organizational," "customer training," and "java." Meanwhile a typical technology services specialist has skills in areas such as "technical service," "preventative maintenance," "provides technical support," and "powerpoint." This difference in skills reveals the differences in what each career does.
Technology services specialists tend to make the most money working in the manufacturing industry, where they earn an average salary of $71,116. In contrast, application specialists make the biggest average salary, $92,542, in the manufacturing industry.technology services specialists tend to reach similar levels of education than application specialists. In fact, technology services specialists are 0.2% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.6% less likely to have a Doctoral Degree.Application specialist vs. Senior support specialist
A senior support specialist is in charge of providing technical support to clients, ensuring efficiency and client satisfaction. They typically communicate with clients through calls or correspondence where they address issues and concerns, resolving them promptly and efficiently. They may also assist clients in troubleshooting, provide step by step instructions, or recommend solutions. Furthermore, as a senior support specialist, it is essential to lead and serve as a role model for other support specialists while enforcing the company's policies and regulations.
While some skills are similar in these professions, other skills aren't so similar. For example, resumes show us that application specialist responsibilities requires skills like "customer satisfaction," "project management," "patients," and "customer training." But a senior support specialist might use other skills in their typical duties, such as, "phone calls," "computer system," "mac," and "desktop support."
Senior support specialists earn a higher average salary than application specialists. But senior support specialists earn the highest pay in the manufacturing industry, with an average salary of $83,262. Additionally, application specialists earn the highest salaries in the manufacturing with average pay of $92,542 annually.senior support specialists earn similar levels of education than application specialists in general. They're 0.9% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.6% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Application specialist vs. Systems specialist
Systems specialists are professionals who maintain, troubleshoot, and install information and computer systems. They identify the software, data, and hardware needs of companies. Generally, they work in physically demanding indoor environments installing complicated networks. They manage, lead, and coordinate technical support for new software, upgrades, and products. Also, they configure systems for the users and assess data from different sources to make a decision.
The required skills of the two careers differ considerably. For example, application specialists are more likely to have skills like "excellent organizational," "customer training," "customer support," and "crm." But a systems specialist is more likely to have skills like "veterans," "hvac," "control systems," and "provide technical assistance."
Systems specialists earn the highest salary when working in the manufacturing industry, where they receive an average salary of $91,431. Comparatively, application specialists have the highest earning potential in the manufacturing industry, with an average salary of $92,542.When it comes to education, systems specialists tend to earn similar degree levels compared to application specialists. In fact, they're 0.2% more likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 0.3% more likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Application specialist vs. Technical support specialist
A technical support specialist is responsible for assisting customer's and businesses' concerns and system issues by performing troubleshooting and remote solutions. These specialists must have extensive knowledge of system applications, including software and hardware database to handle complex processes that might affect the end user's experience or the business' daily operations. Technical support specialists should maintain excellent communication skills to guide the client and business on solving network problems. They must also document concerns and progress promptly for reference and quality checks.
Types of application specialist
Updated January 8, 2025
