Technical Support Basics for Everyone
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BeginnerCourse
Gain insight into the world of IT Support with this course. Learn about career opportunities, support tools, ticketing systems, escalation matrix and more. Get the skills to excel in Technical Support and engage employers.

Language
- English
Topic
- Computer Science & Information Technology
Skills You Will Learn
- Information Technology, Technical Support, Support And Operations
Offered By
- IBMSkillsNetwork
Estimated Effort
- Approx 60 hours
Platform
- edX
Last Update
- February 5, 2025
About this Course
According to Indeed.com in August 2022, the average annual salary for Technical Support is $51,758, though it can go considerably higher. The need for technology is constantly growing, as is the job market for tech support professionals.
In this course you’ll get an insider’s view into IT Support work. Learn about IT Support roles and levels, the support escalation matrix, ticketing systems, common support tools, and remote support software.
To help you with moving into the field, the course covers tech support career opportunities and career pathways from experienced, expert Information Technology professionals.
By the end of this course, you will be able to:
- Describe and develop a customer service and support mindset.
- Explore the features and benefits of ticketing systems.
- Identify support tools and systems used in technical support.
- Define the levels of IT support and the escalation matrix.
- Explore various tech support roles and responsibilities, including service-level agreement responsibilities.
- Recognize the career paths and progression in Technical Support.
- Describe and develop a customer service and support mindset.
- Explore the features and benefits of ticketing systems.
- Identify support tools and systems used in technical support.
- Define the levels of IT support and the escalation matrix.
- Explore various tech support roles and responsibilities, including service-level agreement responsibilities.
- Recognize the career paths and progression in Technical Support.
This course provides several real-world inspired activities to demonstrate your skills in the areas of support tools, resolving IT issues, escalations and ticketing.
These skills will help you engage prospective employers and ask insightful questions that demonstrate your knowledge of the day-to-day role-related responsibilities.
Learning Objectives
Learning Objectives
- Define technical support, tech support, IT support, customer support mindset, the various levels of IT support, and the escalation matrix.
- Discover soft and technical skills required and opportunities available for a career in Technical Support.
- Explore the features and benefits of ticketing systems.
- Identify the various methodologies and frameworks popular in technical support.
Module 1 - Industry Professionals’ Guide to Technical Support
- Module Introduction & Learning Objectives
- Video: Becoming a Technical Support Professional
- Video: Insider Viewpoint – Background for Tech Support
- Video: Career Opportunities in Technical Support
- Video: Insider Viewpoint – Getting Started in Tech Support
- Video: Technical Support Roles and Responsibilities
- Activity: Identifying Technical Support Responsibilities
- Reading: Median salary ranges (Bureau of Labor Statistics)
- Video: Introduction to IT Infrastructure
- Reading: Summary & Highlights
- Practice Quiz: Industry Professionals’ Guide to Technical Support
- Graded Quiz: Industry Professionals’ Guide to Technical Support
- Discussion Prompt: Introduce yourself
Module 2 - Technical Support Skills and Opportunities
- Module Introduction & Learning Objectives
- Video: Technical Support Soft Skills
- Video: Insider Viewpoint – Customer support mindset
- Video: Basics of Technical Skills
- Activity: Identifying Skills in Technical Support
- Video: Performance Evaluation of Technical Support Professionals
- Video: Career Paths and Progressions in Technical Support
- Video: Insider Viewpoint - Career Paths in Tech Support
- Video: Industry Certifications for Technical Support
- Video: Insiders' Viewpoints - Skills for Success in Technical Support
- Reading: How to Increase Your Salary as a Tech Support Professional
- Summary & Highlights
- Practice Quiz: Technical Support Skills and Opportunities
- Graded Quiz: Technical Support Skills and Opportunities
- Discussion Prompt: Describe a positive customer support experience
Module 3 - Support Tools, Support Tiers, and Service-Level Agreements
- Module Introduction & Learning Objectives
- Video: Overview of Support Channels
- Video: Remote Support Tools
- Activity: Connecting to a Computer Remotely
- Reading: Future of Technical Support Tools (Emerging Trends)
- Video: Insider Viewpoint – Remote Support
- Video: Levels of Technical Support
- Activity: Classifying Support Levels for Resolving Technical issues
- Video: Service-Level Agreements (SLAs)
- Video: Insider Viewpoint – What are SLAs?
- Video: The Escalation Matrix
- Activity: Using an Escalation Matrix
- Summary & Highlights
- Practice Quiz: IT Support Tiers and Service-Level Agreements
- Graded Quiz: IT Support Tiers and Service-Level Agreements
Module 4 - Ticketing Systems
- Module Introduction & Learning Objectives
- Video: What are ticketing systems?
- Video: A Day in the Life of a Technical Support Specialist
- Video: Features and Benefits of Ticketing Systems
- Activity: Exploring the Lifecycle of a Ticket
- Video: Popular Ticketing Systems
- Video: Insider Viewpoint – Ticketing Systems
- Activity: Logging a Support Ticket
- Video: Tech Support Methodologies & Frameworks
- Video: Effective Documentation & Communication
- Reading: Cheat sheet for Logging a Ticket
- Reading: Summary & Highlights
- Practice Quiz: Support Tools and Ticketing Systems
- Graded Quiz: Support Tools and Ticketing Systems
- Discussion Prompt: Technical problem-solving experiences
Final Hands-on Project and Quiz
- Module Introduction & Learning Objectives
- Final Project - Working with Ticketing Systems
- Final Quiz
- Summary & Highlights
Course Wrap Up
- Insider Viewpoint – Tech Support: A Great Career Choice!
- Thanks from the Course Team
- Congrats & Next Steps

Language
- English
Topic
- Computer Science & Information Technology
Skills You Will Learn
- Information Technology, Technical Support, Support And Operations
Offered By
- IBMSkillsNetwork
Estimated Effort
- Approx 60 hours
Platform
- edX
Last Update
- February 5, 2025