Explore a Career as an IT Technician

Now let’s talk about a key role of an IT technician: supporting users.

You are the main point of contact for staff within the organization, and they will reach out to you first to help with their various requests.

This chapter will show real-world examples to help you understand how best to perform your role.

Are you feeling motivated? Great, let’s get going!

Manage User Requests and Incidents

In your IT support role, you’ll receive two types of queries to manage: requests and incidents.

A request relates to a change to the IT system that might require creating a new user, granting specific permission to resources, or setting up a new workstation. 

For example, you’ll receive a request if a new employee joins a team or has been promoted to a new role.

An incident is an issue that affects the IT system functions and could result in a service interruption or affected quality. For example, an incident could be defective equipment, application access problems, slow Wi-Fi speeds, etc.  

Companies often use specific applications to turn user requests and queries into tickets that can be assigned to team members associated with SLAs (Service Level Agreements) and report on repeat incidents.

You need to know how to identify different types of tickets because your actions will depend on the nature of the problem.

Identify the Problem

When a user tells you about their problem, you first need to identify what is happening. If you do this right, you’ll be able to quickly categorize it within the ticketing software.

• Is it an incident or a request?

• Does it relate to hardware or software?

By classifying the query, you can then prioritize it depending on how urgent it is. Ask yourself the following questions to determine how critical the ticket is: 

• What’s the impact on the IT services?

• Does this affect one or many services? 

• Is there a threat to IT system security?

According to the urgency, you’ll need to respond or resolve the query within a particular deadline, called the SLA (service-level agreement). These are defined internally in an organization.

Here’s an example of a table that can help to prioritize tickets:

If a problem is assigned to you, first categorize it, and then you can start your investigation.

Diagnose and Resolve Issues

To resolve an issue, work methodically in a step-by-step way to narrow down the root cause of the problem.

Users can spot system faults. However, remember that they don't have the same level of IT expertise as you, so tailor your response using language they will understand.

You must ask precise questions to ensure an accurate diagnosis and avoid a wild goose chase. Using open or closed questions will help steer your investigation.

Remember to repeat what the user says and have them confirm it to be sure that you've understood it.

User: “My application’s not working anymore. It says ‘wrong username or password’”.

You: “Okay, so you can’t get into your application, is that what you're saying?”

Picture it like a map - you need to follow a certain route depending on the answers and information.

Let’s take the example of fixing a problem remotely for a user who has told you that their “computer is no longer working.”

You ask them a series of guiding questions to find out more about the issue. For example, here’s a scenario that you might encounter:

You: “Has the computer frozen, or has it completely switched off?” 

User: “Completely switched off.”

You: “Okay, so currently you have nothing on your screen?”

User: “No, nothing. I was doing my work, and suddenly, it all went black!”

You: “Can you see any little lights on your keyboard or underneath your mouse?”

User: “Ah yes, I can see the “A” on my keyboard is lit. And the mouse has a flashing red light.”

You: “Great. Could you check that the cables from your screen are properly connected to your computer and the power outlet?”

User: “Ah, actually, the lead from the power supply wasn’t properly attached to the back of the screen. It’s fine, it's all working now!”

You: “Great! So,  your computer screen must have had its power supply disconnected, which made it stop working.”

In this fictitious scenario, you asked the user closed questions and gave them limited choices. These were presented logically, which brought you to the root cause of the problem.

You used communication and troubleshooting skills to narrow the problem down.

You’ll be sentenced to a month of getting coffee for the whole IT department! 😝 Only kidding, of course! Let’s move on.

Escalate Tickets

When starting as an IT technician, you’ll work on first-level support, i.e., the simplest tickets.

If the request or the incident falls outside of your skills and knowledge areas, it's not a problem! It happens all the time in large IT departments where work is often spread across team members.

You’re never on your own if you work as an IT technician in an organization. If you can’t resolve a user request or if it goes beyond your responsibilities, you can escalate it.

Provide Ongoing User Support

Helping users isn't just about resolving their tickets. You also need to provide training and advice to help them in their daily work.

When you install a computer or peripheral, you’ll need to explain how to use it, connect to a shared folder, locate departmental files, what a software package is for, how to print two-sided, etc.

You’ll also need to make users aware of IT security risks so they can play their part in protecting the organization’s data.

Make Users Aware of IT Security Risks

IT security is essential and everyone’s responsibility.

Even though you may not realize it, you probably already consider IT security when going about your daily life. For example, you keep your antivirus software updated, choose a password that isn't just your name, avoid clicking on links in suspicious emails, etc. All of these small actions are part of security best practices.

Data protection is vital for all organizations in the modern world, so users must also be aware of IT security risks. It’s up to you to inform them about best practices they can adopt.

Different regional regulators enforce these laws around the world. For example, the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) ensures compliance in the U.K. However, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) takes care of that responsibility in the U.S.

Internal policies governing the use of organizational resources can also provide awareness.

Enforce the IT Policy

Organizations must have an IT policy as part of their internal policies.

This policy lists the rules that apply to the use of the IT system’s hardware and software and also protects the IT department in the event of legal action.

Here are a few examples of statements that can appear on the IT policy:

• The user may not use the provided resources to carry out any illegal or immoral activity.

• The user must not install, copy, modify, or delete any applications without prior authorization by the IT department.

• Access to the internet is permitted from the IT systems. However, access to certain sites may be limited or even forbidden for security reasons.

Let's Recap!

Successfully supporting users requires:

• Categorizing user issues depending on type: request or incident.

• Prioritizing issues depending on how critical they are.

• Resolving user problems in a methodical way by asking targeted questions.

• Establishing an initial diagnosis for hand-off to a technical expert.

• Supporting users when they use IT resources.

• Making users aware of IT security risks and their responsibilities.

Let’s continue exploring the IT technician profession in the next chapter, which covers IT infrastructure management.