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A day in the life
- Respond to support tickets and calls
- Set up laptops, accounts and software
- Diagnose hardware and network faults
- Explain fixes clearly to non-technical users
- Keep records of issues and solutions
Your career roadmap
Every milestone from school to senior. Track progress as you complete each stage.
- 1Usually 2 years at school; adult routes vary
GCSEs / school qualifications
educationBuild English, maths and digital skills through school qualifications, taking computing where available.
- 2Usually 2 years
A levels, T Level or equivalent
educationStudy Level 3 subjects or a technical programme that develops computing knowledge and prepares you for higher-level IT study.
- 3Usually 1–3 years full-time; some degrees take 4 years
IT / Computing higher education
qualificationComplete an IT or computing HNC, HND or degree, choosing modules in networking, operating systems and technical support.
- 4A few weeks to a year, often alongside study
IT support experience
experienceGain hands-on experience resolving user problems, setting up devices and recording support requests alongside or after your studies.
- 5Often 1–2 years before broader responsibilities
Junior IT Support Technician
roleHandle first-line support tickets, reset accounts and configure equipment, escalating complex issues to experienced colleagues.
- 6Often several years; progression varies
IT Support Technician
roleResolve a wider range of hardware, software and connectivity issues, maintain devices and manage support tickets with greater independence.
- 7Varies with experience and opportunities
Senior IT Support / Support Analyst
roleInvestigate complex incidents, improve support processes and mentor colleagues, often taking responsibility for particular systems or services.
- 8Varies by specialism and skills gap
Specialist / progression role
roleMove into infrastructure, networking, cloud, cyber security or support management, building on your technical support experience.
Skills you'll build
- Computer Science
- Network Engineering
- Network Security
- Software Engineering
- Business Information Systems
- Computing / IT support
- ICT systems and principles
- T Level Digital Support and Security
- CompTIA A+
- ITIL Foundation
- Microsoft 365 Fundamentals
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