Desktop Support Engineer Job Description & Responsibilities

Any industry that uses IT as a part of its business will have to employ a desktop support engineer for the smooth functioning of its business. These days every sector, including agriculture, chemical industries, construction, education, etc., uses IT as a part of their business to help them work efficiently and make more money. Desktop engineers resolve issues present in the company’s computers; they fix the servers and security problems in a company. 

What is desktop support engineering?

A support engineer is an IT professional that solves various problems that arise in a company’s computer. They install, maintain, and troubleshoot the required hardware and software systems be it onsite or remotely. The leading role of these professionals is to provide and assistance to an organization’s desktop. The roles and responsibilities of a desktop and senior desktop engineer are almost similar as they provide IT solutions to various organizations. Still, a high level of expertise will be needed in this field comparatively. 

What does a support engineer do?

Be it a large organization or a small one, every occupation requires a desktop support engineer to assist in malfunctions. The resolve various issues of a computer to make the user’s experience comfortable. A desktop support engineer has many goals like – assembling and installing desktops and laptops and maintaining all the systems up to date with upgrades and security solutions. In addition, they make an organization’s software system easier and faster to work with. 

Desktop support engineer job duties include:

• Should install and maintain the company’s software and equipment. 
• Identification of problems in computers systems and providing technical solutions.
• Should be able to troubleshoot various technology issues. 
• Help new employees to set up their work station. 
• Should be up to date with the upgrades and maintain the systems updated. 
• Assist new employees o how to use the system software and apps. 

Here are some desktop engineer duties that a person should be able to perform. The day-to-day task of a support engineer includes helping the company’s staff ensure the smooth functioning of the computers, network, and connections. 

Job brief of a desktop engineer

A desktop support engineer should be skilled and solve the hardware and software issues of an organization. The work should be done remotely or onsite as ad when required. Hardware installation, software upgrades, system integrations, and fundamental IT issues are some of the primary responsibilities of a support engineer. An individual should possess good problem-solving skills and knowledge about home and office systems to gain this position. A support engineer template should mainly include the essential tasks and requirements needed by an organization. The requirements of various companies will differ according to their size and nature of work. 

Responsibilities of a desktop support engineer 

Although desktop engineers have to resolve all IT related issues of a company, here are some crucial responsibilities that one needs to possess: 

• Should respond to the client’s support requests. 
• Be able to travel to the client’s location or connect through a remote link when needed. 
• Should advise the organization based on the latest updates available. 
• Should provide basic training in computer operation and management. 
• Maintaining job reports to have a detailed record of the business. 
• Should order supplies as and when required. 
• Should monitor the performance of a company’s desktop and suggest measures to improve its efficiency.   

Requirements for desktop support engineer job

Here are a few basic requirements needed by an individual to get a support engineer job in a company 

• Should have a bachelor’s degree in computer science, information technology, or related fields. 
• Work experience as a desktop support engineer or support technician with valid proof.
• Excellent knowledge about software systems, chipsets, peripherals, and memory modules to quickly resolve issues.  
• Should have the ability to solve complex hardware and software issues. 
• Should be flexible to work after hours and travel if necessary. 
• Sound knowledge of operating systems, software applications, and connecting systems. 

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Average salary for support engineers 

Key skills of a desktop support engineer 

As a support engineer, you need to have both hard and soft skills. Here are a few of them an individual needs to get a support engineer job – 

• Problem-solving skills. 
• Good communication and interpersonal skills. 
• Teamwork and coordination skills. 
• Technology skills. 
• Good skills with Windows operating system, Antivirus knowledge, cloud computing, etc. 

Why pursue a career as a desktop support engineer

1. Educational benefit

Most companies do not require a bachelor’s degree for entry-level desktop engineers. If you are an experienced person and have excellent skills, then there is a high chance that you will get hired by a company. But having a degree improves your qualification, and if you want to get promoted to mid-level or senior level, then a degree will become a must.

2. You can switch between companies

If you want to grow as a desktop support engineer, you will have t switch between companies In a short period to gain experience and increase your salary. However, if you work in the same company and position for three or more years, you will find yourself stuck and will not have the opportunity to grow as others.

3. Plenty opportunities  

A career as an It or desktop engineer will open the door to almost any tech industry. It will help you gain good experience and improve your technical skills. If you have dreamt about making a career in IT, this is the best way to start.

How to become a desktop support engineer?

1. Get a bachelor’s degree to improve your qualification

Recent studies have shown that 53.3% of people have a bachelor’s degree, and for higher education, only5.3% of desktop engineers have a master’s degree. So, if you want to become a support engineer, the first thing you need to decide is how much you want to study. If you directly want to start after your 12th, you can start gaining experience. Still, if you wish to get a degree, you can opt for like computer science, information technology, or other related fields. 

2. Try for the senior-level position

After you start gaining experience, the next step is to level up your career from a desktop support engineer to a senior-level position. You need to have a solid technical background in several areas, including networking and administration, to bag this position. In addition, you will have to act like an It professional and resolve various issues. 

3. Pursue certifications

Earning a certification in any field will give legitimacy to your skills and qualifications. They are many fields where you can earn certificates as a desktop engineer. You will have to choose your specific path and, according to that, gain the respective certification to increase your reputation and to get an edge over the competition. Pursuing a career in IT will open up windows to a lot of career options. A desktop support engineer is a great way to start that path and pave your starting steps into this industry. The significant benefit of starting as a support engineer is that you don’t need a degree to step into this field. 

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