Technical support specialist

Briefly explain what you do for a living.

I am a technical support specialist in a company that develops and sells electronic payment services. My job is to provide support to users and equipment maintenance partners, and to analyse equipment failures. I make suggestions on how to rectify the issue and recommend the necessary spare parts. If there is a problem with the software, I deliver patches and software updates remotely.

How have you ended up in the profession of your choice?

At first, I worked in a sales position in the IT sector. Then I moved on to a telephone service. Once I had accumulated enough experience, I became a helpdesk support specialist.

Describe your typical working day or week.

I am tasked with resolving received tickets, i.e., requests to rectify a fault or a problem. Tickets can take the form of messages and phone calls, for example. I often have to prioritise tickets – I have to choose which cases to deal with first. I also handle many tickets from other Nordic countries, so I need English and Swedish language skills every day.

I will make the necessary corrections if it’s possible. If not, I will forward the ticket to program patching or to a technician who will carry out the service visit at the site. I can also recommend necessary repairs and spare parts. I will also provide technical support to technicians who are servicing equipment. In addition to my other tasks, I create and update our company’s technical guidelines.

What kind of work environment or working hours do you have?

I usually work at the office between 8 am and 4 pm. It is also possible to work remotely. Software distribution tasks must be carried out late in the evening, but they are not very frequent.

What kind of competence or qualities are required in the profession?

Technical support specialists need to have good cooperation and interaction skills and the ability to understand customer needs. I often have to multitask in this work, so a systematic approach and the ability to prioritise tasks are useful. Technical support specialists must understand how the hardware and software used by the company work.

We work in an international environment, which requires precision and using English and other foreign languages every day.

What is the best thing about your profession?

I like solving problems with customers and colleagues. Working independently is also a plus for me.

What are the downsides of the profession or what seems challenging?

In the IT sector, software, hardware and partners change at a fairly fast pace. It is hard to keep guidelines and spare parts lists up to date.

Sometimes the work may feel fragmentary, as the responsibilities are shared by many different parties. Some problems fall within the grey area, and it is difficult to determine who should deal with them. Monitoring and completing these tasks is challenging.

What would you tell a person considering the profession of a technical support specialist?

You will constantly learn something new in a technical support specialist’s profession, and it allows you to follow developments in the IT sector from a close distance. Because the sector is constantly changing, the work requires readiness to keep learning new things.

How do you see the future of your profession?

I am sure that there is demand for technical support specialists. The number of small customers is decreasing, and the number of hardware and software suppliers will become more close-knit in the future. It may be that more and more standards will be set for equipment in the future. It may make it easier to manage guidelines and spare parts.