Computer Support Specialists

A Day in the Life

When you chose to become a computer support technician, you quickly realized that there was a wealth of opportunities available in this rapidly-growing field. With so many potential choices, you had trouble deciding on the proper career path. Many major businesses hire computer support technicians to staff their internal IT departments and assist workers in other divisions with technology-related issues. Others hire technicians to maintain the massive computer networks that modern businesses need to function.

After plenty of soul-searching, you decided to work at a virtual help-desk in a consumer-focused call center. Your employer maintains customer-support contracts with a variety of hardware and software firms.

Although you enjoy your job tremendously, you didn't realize that you would have to work such irregular hours as a help-desk technician. This week, you're working the nighttime "third shift." The other offices in your building are completely deserted by the time you arrive at 11 p.m.

You walk into the call center and sit down at your cubicle. Before putting on the headset that you'll be wearing for most of the night, you log into your terminal and check your e-mail. Since your facility is relatively new, you don't have to share a cubicle or computer terminal with other employees. From what you've heard, many computer support technicians work in less spacious environments.

Aside from a company-wide e-mail that details a new procedure for greeting clients on the phone, your inbox is empty. In fact, you rarely have to field lots of electronic correspondence. Most communication with your colleagues occurs face-to-face or over the phone.

You mark the e-mail as "important" and make a mental note to incorporate its recommendations into your routine. Next, you put on your headset, turn on your receiver, and log in to your company's technical-support interface. When a new customer calls with a hardware issue, you'll enter their information into the interface and save it for future use.

Since it's late at night, you wait for about 15 minutes to receive your first call. While you wait, you make small talk with the four other technicians who work the third shift.

When the phone rings, you dutifully answer in accordance with the new protocols and ask the client how you might be of assistance. She describes a complicated problem that started when her computer froze earlier in the evening. Although the computer is working again, she's having trouble recovering some important files. You carefully note all of this information in the file that you've created for her. As she talks, you make some quick notes about potential solutions to the problem. You ask her some specific questions that will help you get a handle on her problem.

Finally, you figure out what went wrong. Since her problem is fairly tricky, you need to put her on hold as you review some information about her particular computer and operating system. Once you're confident that you have a solution, you bring her back on the phone and give her step-by-step troubleshooting instructions. Speaking slowly and clearly, you wait patiently as she performs each step. After a few minutes, you're delighted to hear that she has found the files. The problem has been solved!

Throughout the night, you repeat this basic procedure several times. By the time you're getting ready to leave, the volume of incoming calls has definitely picked up. Although you can appreciate the downtime that comes with working at night, you'll be relieved when you switch back to the day shift next week.

However, you achieved several breakthroughs tonight. You helped a frustrated customer set up a new operating system, walked another customer through a complicated troubleshooting operation, and gave an over-the-phone tutorial on an important piece of software. This is par for the course at your job: Although you barely talk to anyone in person, you exert a positive influence on your clients' lives every day.