Top 5 Skills Necessary to Become An IT Technician

I will tell you for a fact that Information Technology (IT) is one of the fastest growing fields in the employment world today. That is why it is important to know what skills you will need to clinch that technician job. There are many skills that are necessary to be proficient in an IT technician role, however most of these are content and knowledge based. Ironically, to become an IT technician, you will need more than just knowledge to pan out. This is a list of the top five skills necessary to become an IT technician.

5. Desire to Help People Less Fortunate: In the corporate world, there are those who know how to use technology and embrace it, and there are others who get frustrated and cannot keep up with the times. If you are a helpful, charitable person by nature, then this may just be the job for you. It is always good for many businesses to have an IT technician on staff who is willing and able to drop everything and help his fellow co-worker or customer at all times.

These are the IT technicians who get promoted to Network Administrator positions, Security Technician positions, and can receive glowing recommendations to get a job elsewhere. All you have to do is be ready and willing to help the technology-illiterate read between the lines. If you do not have the desire to give a helping hand, this is certainly not the job for you.

4. Knowledge of the Personal Computer: This could have readers scratching their heads: knowledge at #4? You would think that knowledge of computer systems would be the most important skill for an IT technician to have, and to a point, you have to know what you are doing. However, once you join the field, you will learn that knowledge will give way to several other qualities in many situations. Of course, knowledge is important, so that you know what to try when repairing a computer or what to look for when things go amuck. However, you will notice that knowledge is only power if you know how to use it in this field.

3. Customer Service/Communication Skills: How you talk to and treat the customer is one of the most important things to keep in mind as an IT technician. Keep in mind that the customer is already annoyed that they are being inconvenienced by a problem, so make sure to stay calm with them, and start by asking them open-ended questions, ones that they should be able to answer by explaining the situation to you. After you feel you have a good grasp of the situation, follow up with closed-ended questions, gathering more specific information and requiring only a simple yes/no from the customer.

It is in this way that the customer feels that you are listening to what they have to say and that you are knowledgable on the subject matter that needs to be attended to. You want the customer to feel like they are being helped adequately, and therefore, proper communication skills and customer service skills are one of the most important attributes to have. Without them, you are an IT technican who will hopefully receive no calls or problems at your desk.  

2. Ability to Troubleshoot Problems: On the technical end of an IT technician's skill set, this is the most important one. Sure, it is great to have knowledge, but troubleshooting is the art of applying that knowledge and actually taking care of what needs to get done. What is the point of having knowledge of the personal computer or network, but not being able to figure anything out using it? That is why troubleshooting is an important asset to any IT technician.

Sure, you can have the willingness to help the customer, the knowledge available, be able to talk a good game, but all of this does not matter if you cannot figure out how to fix the problem. The moment you cannot fix the problem, all of that goes out the window and the customer is angry. When the customer is angry, they eventually complain to your boss. Too many interruptions to the supervisor could cost you your job. The ability to fix problems and troubleshoot effectively is extremely necessary for any IT technician. The way you should think of it is: an IT technician that cannot effectively troubleshoot is just another receptionist or secretary.

1. Unending Patience: Patience is a virture, and probably the most important skill you can ever acquire to become an IT technician. There will be days when you will have thirty people needing your help and your boss coming down on you to get a job done. The hardest part of the job is keeping your composure and professional nature through all of the angry customers, needy customers, and complete annoyances all around. Therefore, without patience, you will blow your top on the job, and who honestly wants to hire a loose cannon? In the end, to be able to take care of all the demands that fly in onto your desk, and to be able to troubleshoot the problem without getting extremely frustrated, unending patience is required.