SYNOPSIS
A PC Specialist, also known
as a computer technician, desktop support specialist, assistant system
administrator or junior network administrator, is an IT professional who
manages an organization’s PCs, including client and server computers, laptops
and handhelds.
Duties of a PC specialist
include: the installation, configuration and upgrading of PCs; diagnosing and
troubleshooting problems with PCs; performing preventative maintenance on PCs;
connecting PCs to both the local network and the Internet; setting up printers;
tweaking settings and adding hardware on PCs to improve their performance; and
enabling peripherals on PCs. A PC specialist is a somewhat technical role. Also
some operating system knowledge is a big asset. Quite strong interpersonal
skills are also important, as the PC specialist must be a patient and careful
listener in order to quickly and accurately get to the source of a user’s
problem. Moreover, a PC specialist should be an adequate writer for recording
PC settings and solutions to problems, and well organized so that he or she can
easily find these documents, as well as manufacturer manuals, at a later date.
A person may consider
entering this field after attaining a non-technical university degree or a one
or two year computer diploma from a local technical institute. However, a
person with a Computer Science or Computer Engineering university degree won’t
regret the solid hands on experience that a PC specialist job will provide at
the start of a technical career. Also, some formal training and certification
in particular products or technical areas is highly recommended. The aptitude
to troubleshoot problems under pressure, and the tact to politely train users
to be smarter about how they use their PCs, are also valuable traits.
A talented PC specialist
will generally soon move on to more advanced technical roles, such as system or
network administrators and engineers. This person’s salary should advance in
lock step with his or her newer job roles.
Salary information is so
dependent on an IT professional’s particular skill set, experience and geographic
location. However, fairly experienced PC specialists can attain salaries around
$40,000 to $50,000 USD.  |
