The Role Of The Computer Service And Repair Technician

As a computer service and repair technician you will be responsible, either on your own, or if you are working in a large company, as part of a team, for the preventive maintenance and computer systems and peripherals as well as doing repairs when the need arises. This could involve looking after a series of PCs and laptops to overseeing a network or looking after servers. Alternatively you could be self employed and run you own service and repair business.

As a self employed computer service and repair technician you will be able to earn a regular income from schedule service and maintenance work and not just when repairs are needed. But since you are responsible for the maintenance, any breakdown in the computer you are maintaining is a major cause for concern. The same applies if you are employed. A service and repairs career gives you more responsibility and scope for advancement, as compared to a simple computer repair technician career, but when things go wrong, you are the person who should have prevented it from happening. The computer user never admits that he did anything wrong!

What The Job Of A Computer Service And Repair Technician Entails

While the job specifications will depend on whether you run your own shop or are employed by a company, among the responsibilities of a computer service and repair technician are:

Routine scheduled maintenance of computers and peripherals
Doing repairs when systems and peripherals fail
Installing new systems and peripherals
Upgrading hardware and software
Preparing estimates of installation costs for new equipment
Administration duties
Visits for on site maintenance and repairs.
Training staff on the use and care of computers and peripherals

A computer service and repair technician with very good verbal communications skills can make a career for himself in customer support

Prospects For Computer Service And Repair Technicians

As more and more homes and small businesses install computers and small networks, the scope of business for a self employed computer service and repair technician is going to grow and the prospects of becoming a business big enough to employ others is very good.

If you are employed in a company, remember that a computer service and repair technician is always in demand. When times are good and business is booming new systems will be added that require you to look after them. And when times are bad and when business is slow, when new computers are not being bought and old ones need to keep working, your role becomes critical to ensure the smooth running of the business.

As a computer service and repair technician, you combine two roles – those of service and repair. This obviously gives you more responsibility and opportunities for growth as compared to a technician with just one of these job functions. But keep in mind that this dual responsibility means double the work pressure and when things go wrong, there is no one else you can blame, since the maintenance and service that should have prevented the failure was your responsibility too. If you are able to cope, being a computer service and repair technician can be a rewarding career.