What does a Support Specialist do?
Support specialists work with end-users of software and systems to provide technical support and assistance for their software, hardware, or technical problems including connection, slow performance, inability to access data, or inefficient programs. They walk customers through software installation and launch newly-installed programs for the first time. They send technical documentation to customers and end-users and make recommendations to employees or customers for hardware changes if a computer cannot support a particularly needed software program.
Support specialists elevate difficult cases that they cannot resolve to support technicians or a senior analyst and sometimes remotely take over the control of a user's computer. They provide technical support to organizations by managing, maintaining, and troubleshooting their IT systems and communicate with co-workers to diagnose problems. They prioritize a workload to ensure the most critical issues are resolved first and document standard support procedures that co-workers may follow. Support specialists need a degree in computer science or information technology and program certification.
- Assist clients to identify their individual goals and interests.
- Serve as backup for the intake scheduler when needed.
- Retrieve incoming mail. open, stamp received, and distribute to staff.
- Initiate action plans to improve or maintain product performance.
- Directly manage and lead senior, mid and junior developers.
- Assist in various office procedures. i.e. copying, faxing, typing.
- May create or enhance documentation throughout the support process.
- Retrieve messages left overnight with the answering service.
- Ensure adherence to industry and government standards while identifying exceptions.
- Prioritize work and complete assignments in a timely manner.
- Order paper, toner, and other supplies per site par levels.
- Analyze and recover failed batch processes and scheduling issues as required.
- Coordinate customer upgrades, track products and revise and repair history.
- May review daily processing logs and may set or revise schedules.
- Prepare and monitor assigned budgets.
- Maintain tidiness and stock supplies in common work areas.
- Perform transportation needs for clients on an as needed basis.
- Support security maintenance, including anti-virus software updates and patch management.
- Bachelor's or Graduate's Degree in business or computer science, or equivalent experience.
- Comfortable gathering and disseminating information.
- Computer literacy and attention to detail.
- Can interface with a variety of personalities and rank and file employees.
- Dedicated to problem solving and process analysis.
- Demonstrated leadership skills and able to work in a group or alone.
Support Specialist Salaries near United Kingdom
Average Base Pay
Support Specialist Career Path
Learn how to become a Support Specialist, what skills and education you need to succeed, and what level of pay to expect at each step on your career path.
Years of Experience Distribution
Support Specialist Insights
IGM Financial“Good employment opportunities where to work and be good and work so hard and smart to achieve your goals”
Recovery Centers of America“Manager on the Detox unit was amazing and she made working there worth it and fun.”
Collabera“They don't find you a good position that will pay what you are worth.”
Capita“Money was good but not worth it for me as it was affecting my mental health.”
State of Georgia“Upper leadership is not the best and do nothing to mitigate the stressors that comes with the job.”
Tyler Technologies“Merit raises happen only once a year and the increases are not the best in the industry.”
Heaven Sent Home Care“They make me feel important and I love being able to help others and having clients who are so grateful.”
Stevens & Bolton LLP“I worked within a great team and the fee earners were on the whole very good to work with.”
Frequently asked questions about the role and responsibilities of support specialists
A typical day of a support specialist includes educating customers and employees, answering questions, troubleshooting computers, and resolving problems related to technology-based products or services. Support specialists apply their knowledge of computer systems, software applications, and electronic systems to ensure proper performance. They also conduct regular maintenance to existing hardware.
Being a support specialist is ideal for those who enjoy working with computers and problem-solving and those who like the social aspects of working with others. The work environment for most support specialists is in a typical office atmosphere or computer lab.
The average pay for a support specialist in the UK is £35,888. Salary for a support specialist varies depending on experience, level of education, and certifications held. It also depends on their particular skill set, expertise, and needs of a company.
Working as a support specialist can be challenging, as many of them work with a variety of individuals on a daily basis. Support specialists typically have a few projects to work on simultaneously and are also responsible for resolving company and employee technology issues. A skilled support specialist must be good at multitasking and balancing several responsibilities at the same time.