Are you curious about Information Technology (IT) but not sure where to start? Explore IT fundamentals and gain job-ready skills in this introductory course. These beginner-friendly materials provide you with the basics you need to jump-start your career in IT or help you converse knowledgeably with your IT peers regarding technical support roles and responsibilities, infrastructure, and tools used commonly in the field.

You’ll hear from industry experts discussing career opportunities and pathways; and the technical and soft skills you need to develop for success as an IT support specialist. You will gain insights into performance evaluation, career paths, and the industry-recognized certifications that can propel your technical support career forward.

By taking this course, you learn about how service-level agreements (SLAs) underlie exceptional support experiences for customers and vendors. You explore ticketing systems, a fundamental tool for directing workflow in the IT ecosystem, and their features, benefits, and the lifecycle of a ticket or a support issue. Moreover, you'll immerse yourself in tech support methodologies, frameworks, and the art of effective documentation. The course wraps up with a project using a ticketing system hands-on and simulates the work that IT support specialists and helpdesk technicians perform.

After taking the course, you will have assets to build your portfolio that showcase your analytical skills through practice labs and activities. This course provides hands-on experience with a real-world project to add to your portfolio, demonstrating your expertise in support tools, issue escalation, and resolution.

Course Syllabus

Module 1: Technical Support Fundamentals

Becoming a Technical Support Professional
Insiders' Viewpoints – Background for Tech Support
Career Opportunities in Technical Support
Insiders' Viewpoints – Getting Started in Tech Support
Technical Support Roles and Responsibilities
Activity: Identifying Technical Support Responsibilities
Median Salary Ranges in Technical Support
Introduction to IT Infrastructure
Summary & Highlights
Practice Quiz: Industry Professionals’ Guide to Technical Support
Graded Quiz: Industry Professionals’ Guide to Technical Support

Module 2: Technical Support Skills and Opportunities

Technical Support Soft Skills
Technical Support Professionalism
Insiders' Viewpoints – Customer Support Mindset
Basics of Technical Skills
Activity: Identifying Skills in Technical Support
Performance Evaluation of Technical Support Professionals
Insiders' Viewpoints - Feedback and Rewarding Experiences
Career Paths and Progression in Technical Support
Insiders' Viewpoints – Career Paths in Tech Support
Industry Certifications for Technical Support
Insiders' Viewpoints - Skills for Success in Technical Support
How to Increase Your Salary as a Tech Support Professional

Module 3: Support Tools, Support Tiers, and Service-Level Agreements

Overview of Support Channels
Remote Support Tools
Remote Access
Activity: Connecting to a Computer Remotely
Future of Technical Support Tools (Emerging Trends)
Insiders' Viewpoints – Remote Support
Levels of Technical Support
Activity: Classifying Support Levels for Resolving IT Issues
Service-Level Agreements (SLAs)
Insiders' Viewpoints – What are SLAs?
The Escalation Matrix
Activity: Managing Your Escalations
Summary & Highlights
Practice Quiz: IT Support Tiers and Service-Level Agreements
Graded Quiz: IT Support Tiers and Service-Level Agreements

Module 4: Ticketing Systems

What are Ticketing Systems?
Features and Benefits of Ticketing Systems
Activity: Exploring the Lifecycle of a Ticket
Popular Ticketing Systems
Insiders' Viewpoints - Ticketing Systems
Activity: Logging a Support Ticket
Introduction to Troubleshooting
Tech Support Methodologies & Frameworks
Insiders' Viewpoints – Advances in Technical Support
Effective Documentation & Communication
A Day in the Life of a Technical Support Specialist
Cheat Sheet for Logging a Ticket

What You'll Learn

Differentiate among terms like technical support, IT support, customer support, service-level agreements, and escalation matrix.
Develop both the soft and technical skills required to launch a career in technical support.
Explore the features and benefits of ticketing systems.
Describe popular technical support methodologies and frameworks.

Recommended Skills Before Taking this Course

This course is suitable for beginners. No prior IT skills are required other than basic computer literacy to take an online course. Also note that this platform works best with current versions of Chrome, Edge, Firefox, Internet Explorer, or Safari.

Technical Support Fundamentals

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