June 18, 2011. Paul Hixon
Finding roles where you fix computer problems for a living is made more difficult due to the lack of standardization with job titles. Here I’ll show you how to make the most out of your job search by focusing less on job titles and more on skill sets.
The simple fact is that two people could be doing the same computer service technician work but have completely different titles. Depending on your firm and locale, this may be referred to as a PC service technician, computer repair engineer, computer support specialist, etc.
As a result, you need to keep your online job searches as broad as possible and not start filtering results according to the job title. Doing so could in fact cut out some of the roles you may be suitable for. Instead, use keyword searches in job search engines relating to your skills. Focus on the capabilities required to fix computer issues in general.
In addition to this, you should also realize that a computer service technician can work within a number of different types of companies. You are not restricted to working for a PC repair shop or service.
It is also worth targeting larger companies where technicians are required to support and administer their various e-mail systems, PCs, networks and database systems. This could apply to any industry (e.g. financial, pharmaceutical, etc.) and could even include IT consultancy firms. Many consultancy projects incorporate a computer service technician role when based on site for any period of time.
Finally, if you have several years experience and are able to fix computer issues that generally occur (e.g. losing Internet connections, data recovery, memory upgrades) then you could also consider starting out as a freelance computer repair specialist. You wouldn’t even need to set up your own shop initially and could work from home repairing PCs belonging to members of your area.
Updated June 18, 2011. Published February 9, 2011. Paul Hixon
