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Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for IT Assistant

💰 $ - $

ITHelp DeskTechnical SupportDesktop Support

🎯 Role Definition

The IT Assistant (also known as Help Desk Technician or IT Support Specialist) is responsible for delivering timely and professional technical support to employees and stakeholders, maintaining day-to-day IT operations, and assisting with IT projects. This role serves as the first point of contact for troubleshooting desktops, laptops, mobile devices, printers, and software; administering user accounts; and coordinating with senior engineers for escalations. The position emphasizes strong customer service, accurate documentation, procedural compliance, and continuous improvement of support workflows to reduce mean time to resolution (MTTR) and increase end-user satisfaction.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

  • Desktop Support Technician
  • Help Desk Intern / Student Technician
  • Retail or Customer Service role with technical aptitude

Advancement To:

  • IT Support Specialist / Systems Administrator
  • Network Technician / Network Administrator
  • IT Operations Analyst / IT Coordinator

Lateral Moves:

  • Application Support Analyst
  • Endpoint Management Specialist
  • IT Asset Manager

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

  • Serve as the first-line contact for internal users by receiving, diagnosing, prioritizing, and resolving IT tickets through the ticketing system (e.g., ServiceNow, Jira Service Desk, Zendesk), ensuring timely updates and documentation for each interaction.
  • Troubleshoot desktop and laptop hardware failures including diagnostics, component replacement, peripheral setup, and warranty coordination to restore user productivity with minimal downtime.
  • Install, configure, and support operating systems (Windows 10/11, macOS) including OS updates, security patches, driver installs, and standard corporate images using tools like Microsoft Intune or SCCM.
  • Provide application-level support for Microsoft 365 (Outlook, Teams, OneDrive, SharePoint), standard productivity suites, and line-of-business software; perform installations, licensing checks, and application updates.
  • Create, modify, disable, and audit user accounts and group memberships in Active Directory and Office 365; manage password resets, account unlocks, and appropriate access provisioning following least privilege principles.
  • Configure and support network connectivity issues for wired and wireless environments (Wi-Fi troubleshooting, VPN access, DHCP, DNS basics), including assisting remote users with home office connectivity and corporate VPN clients.
  • Deploy and maintain endpoint protection and antivirus solutions, monitor alerts, and escalate security incidents to the security team following incident response procedures and company policies.
  • Maintain and manage desktop imaging and deployment processes, including creation and updating of standard images, driver packages, and scripted provisioning for new hires and replacement hardware.
  • Support printer and multifunction device troubleshooting, network print queue configuration, toner/consumables coordination, and vendor escalations for repairs or service visits.
  • Perform hardware asset lifecycle management: inventory tracking, tagging, receiving, staging, imaging, deployment, return-to-vendor (RMA) processing, and secure disposition of retired devices.
  • Assist in onboarding and offboarding processes by preparing equipment, provisioning accounts, conducting orientation for IT systems, revoking access, and ensuring secure data handling for departing employees.
  • Provide remote support using remote control tools (e.g., Remote Desktop, TeamViewer, AnyDesk) to diagnose and fix user issues efficiently across geographically distributed sites.
  • Maintain comprehensive technical documentation, how-to guides, and knowledge base articles to enable self-service and improve team knowledge sharing and SLA adherence.
  • Participate in scheduled maintenance windows to apply patches, perform routine system health checks, and conduct preventative hardware and software maintenance to minimize outages.
  • Monitor monitoring dashboards and alerts (system health, backups, endpoint status), escalate critical events, and assist in basic troubleshooting to ensure systems remain within defined service levels.
  • Assist with backup and recovery tasks for user data and local systems, including restoring files from backup systems, verifying backup integrity, and following data retention policies.
  • Support basic network device configurations under supervision, including switches and access point reboots, VLAN checks, and port mapping with proper ticket documentation and escalation when needed.
  • Coordinate with vendors and third-party service providers for warranty repairs, software licensing, procurement, and onsite technical servicing while ensuring fulfillment aligns with company security and procurement policies.
  • Execute routine audits for software licensing compliance, workstation security settings, and asset inventory accuracy; report discrepancies and implement remediation steps.
  • Participate in IT projects such as hardware refreshes, software rollouts, and office moves by preparing equipment, assisting with testing, and supporting end-user adoption and troubleshooting.
  • Ensure compliance with corporate IT policies, data privacy standards, and regulatory requirements in day-to-day support activities and access management.
  • Provide exceptional customer service by managing expectations, communicating clearly about status and timelines, and following up to confirm issue resolution and user satisfaction.

Secondary Functions

  • Contribute to continuous improvement initiatives by identifying recurring incidents, proposing automation or process changes, and assisting in the creation of runbooks and SOPs.
  • Assist with basic scripting tasks (e.g., PowerShell) to automate repetitive support tasks, user provisioning, or bulk updates under guidance from senior engineers.
  • Support asset procurement and vendor evaluation by gathering technical requirements, comparing quotes, and coordinating deliveries with the procurement team.
  • Participate in team training sessions and cross-training to broaden skill set across endpoints, networking, and collaboration tools.
  • Participate in disaster recovery and business continuity drills, providing hands-on support during test recoveries and documenting lessons learned.
  • Help maintain the IT knowledge base and internal wiki to improve new hire ramp-up and reduce escalations.
  • Provide assistance for AV setups and conference room technology during meetings or events, ensuring collaboration systems function properly.
  • Support mobile device management (MDM) tasks such as enrollment, policy enforcement, and basic troubleshooting of iOS/Android devices.
  • Assist in basic reporting tasks, including ticket trends, inventory status, and SLA compliance metrics for weekly or monthly IT operations reviews.
  • Liaise with HR and Facilities to streamline asset allocation, workspace provisioning, and user access alignment during organizational changes.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

  • Proficient troubleshooting of Windows 10/11 and macOS endpoints, including OS repair, driver management, and patching.
  • Hands-on experience with Active Directory user and group management, password resets, and basic GPO understanding.
  • Practical knowledge of Microsoft 365 (Exchange Online, Teams, OneDrive, SharePoint) administration and user support.
  • Familiarity with IT ticketing platforms such as ServiceNow, Jira Service Desk, Zendesk, or Freshservice and strong ticket lifecycle management.
  • Experience with endpoint management tools like Microsoft Intune, SCCM/ConfigMgr, or JAMF for macOS.
  • Basic networking knowledge: TCP/IP, DHCP, DNS, VPN configuration and troubleshooting, Wi-Fi connectivity basics, and LAN/WAN concepts.
  • Endpoint security fundamentals: antivirus/EDR tools, patch management, and following security policies and incident escalation paths.
  • Proficiency with remote support tools (Remote Desktop, TeamViewer, AnyDesk, Microsoft Quick Assist) and remote troubleshooting workflows.
  • Hardware skills: laptop/desktop repair, component replacement, BIOS/UEFI configuration, and peripheral setup (printers, scanners, docking stations).
  • Familiarity with imaging and deployment tools and processes, including Windows imaging, sysprep, and hardware staging best practices.
  • Basic scripting ability (PowerShell or Bash) to automate routine tasks and perform bulk user or device updates.
  • Experience with mobile device management (MDM) platforms and supporting iOS/Android device enrollment and policies.
  • Knowledge of backup and restore procedures for user data and familiarity with common backup tools and retention concepts.
  • Comfortable using collaboration tools (Teams, Slack) and documenting resolutions in a knowledge base or internal wiki.

Soft Skills

  • Strong customer service orientation: patient, professional, and focused on delivering clear, empathetic communication to non-technical users.
  • Excellent verbal and written communication skills for explaining technical issues in plain language and producing accurate documentation.
  • Solid problem-solving and analytical thinking with the ability to triage incidents and prioritize tasks under pressure.
  • Time management and organizational skills to handle multiple concurrent tickets and support requests while meeting SLAs.
  • Team player attitude, willing to collaborate with engineers, network teams, and vendors for escalations and project work.
  • Attention to detail to ensure accurate asset records, configuration consistency, and security compliance.
  • Adaptability and continuous learning mindset to keep pace with new technologies, software updates, and evolving security threats.
  • Discretion and confidentiality when handling sensitive user information and access credentials.
  • Initiative and ownership: proactively identifying opportunities to reduce repeat incidents and improve user experiences.
  • Resilience and customer-centric conflict resolution skills for de-escalating frustrated users and ensuring follow-through.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

  • High school diploma or equivalent. Associate degree or technical certification preferred.

Preferred Education:

  • Associate or Bachelor's degree in Information Technology, Computer Science, Information Systems, or related field.

Relevant Fields of Study:

  • Information Technology
  • Computer Science
  • Network Administration
  • Cybersecurity
  • Management Information Systems (MIS)

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range:

  • 1 to 3 years of hands-on IT support, help desk, or desktop support experience in a corporate or enterprise environment.

Preferred:

  • 2+ years supporting end-users with desktops/laptops, Microsoft 365, Active Directory, and ticketing systems; prior exposure to endpoint management (Intune/SCCM), basic networking, and asset lifecycle management preferred. Certifications such as CompTIA A+, Microsoft 365 Fundamentals, or a related certification are a plus.
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