Technical support is a demanding and rewarding career that offers an individual with the right technical, personal, business, people and problem-solving skills a fantastic career. Solving business problems, and grabbing business opportunities, is fun. The role and skills needed change all the time. Key is to get ahead of the business and by that I mean: Deliver a stable environment so the business does not need to worry about IT working. Understand the business and deliver great tech that augments business people before they even ask, Train people how to use it and answer their questions as best as humanely possible. Learn continuously and share that learning. Deliver business outcomes and remove any distractions that prevent those.

Practice without theory as they say is blind. Having a good foundation in IT basics is super important. Today there are a variety of online courses classes and if you have a tight budget there's always a fountain of info on YouTube. That being said, its also good to have real world examples. Years ago setting up your own lab required having tons of computers and monitors in your bedroom or apartment. Fortunately today with computer virtualization its very easy to setup a small lab of several computers to apply the skills attained. You may not always have all the answers but remember, companies aren't looking for perfection. They are looking for someone who is resourceful enough to figure it out.

You need two things: - Knowledge of the subject matter: the topic is vast and in constant evolution. You will therefore need to be supported by a genuine interest in the subject you are supporting. The best ones consider this subject a personal passion that occupies them in their spare time, too. - Knowledge of the support frameworks: you and your organization need to avoid reinventing the wheel. Support scenarios have changed in the last twenty years but not as much as one would think. Guidelines like ITIL are still very relevant. Get a certification or at least some exposure to ITIL concepts. Last but not least, make sure that your organization accepts to work following ITIL guidelines: you cannot be alone in this.

In customer service, top-notch communication and soft skills come first. They're the keys to supporting customers well. Mastering these basics paves the way for building expertise and growing in the field.

I totally agree with the above statements. In addition one should be logical. Logical skill not only would be a plus and handy to make you think outside the box and helps you in relating stuff.

These are skills which cannot be learned from a book. It requires the ability to speak to people. People who may know less than you, people who may know more than you. People who may be frustrated with the problem, but take it out on you. Knowing how to empathize and relate to people can sometimes be one of the most important things in maintaining a successful career in any job not just IT. But its well worth the time!

2 great books I've read that greatly improved my communication skills are "Captivate" by Vanessa Van Edwards and "Never Split the Difference" by Chris Voss. They both teach how to be empathetic, pick up on non-verbal cues and ask the right questions to get to a solution.

Communication is bridge between you and user - Identify problem : Sometimes user might not be able to frame issue correctly, You need to ask questions and identify correct issue. - Resolution : At times there might not be resolution for a particular problem, How you communicate the same to user is important. You can practice improving communication using various ways.

From personal experience, I would say always focus on the person before the problem. And don’t be afraid to go off “script”. Always remember you are taking on a support call, the person already has a problem, don’t be the person that adds to it.

Penso que o suporte técnico precisa muito mais saber entender o problema, do que a soluçao em si, pois uma vez que você entendeu claramente a dor do cliente, você consegue orientá-lo, e caso não consiga orientar no momento, você saberá buscar a melhor resposta, assim não passar nenhuma informação equivocada ou precipitada Uma dica é ir do macro ao micro, e afunilando as possibilidades.

The best way to improve your problem solving skills is to keep solving problems. I have seen it everyday in IT, you get a call or a ticket involving something that you never dealt with. "I've never supported that.." Is something I have heard or even said to myself in the past. Right away your brain starts to panic. But the truth is that problem may not be any different than the last problem you resolved. Its just different. You can apply the same skills to any new problem as long as you know how to decide what is the best route or if something else may be needed to resolve it instead. Learning this is how you enhance from issue to issue, from organization to organization.

The incorporation of creativity in problem-solving, often overlooked, is crucial. It transcends traditional logical paradigms, inviting a blend of divergent and convergent thinking—key concepts in cognitive psychology. Moreover, the implementation and testing of potential solutions are akin to the scientific method.This methodical approach ensures that solutions are not only effective but also replicable and generalizable, hallmarks of scientific inquiry. Documentation and follow-up, often relegated to the periphery, are, in fact, central to the process. Documenting the problem and solution contributes to a collective knowledge base, fostering a culture of learning and continuous improvement.

Talking to other people in your industry is also another great way to expand your knowledge. While you may only surround yourself daily with those whom you share job titles, asking and conversing when you're elsewhere can open you up to new technologies as well. It also adds to your communication skills.

Expanding your knowledge is must to survive in any industry. Specifically in Technical Support. After few years if you decide to move into leadership roles. You need to learn and understand what is happening at process level. Learning is the way ahead. Keep doing relevant courses and certifications in your area. Keep hands on practice by spending sometime on tickets.

E muito importante se manter atualizado, buscar conhecimento e estar atento as novas técnicas e técnicas, para estar sempre pronto para novos desafios

Even if your organization doesn't implement feedback, its always good to periodically check in with folks you support or report back to making sure they know you are interested in how you handled a problem. Its only by asking questions and being humble enough to take criticism where we grow the most in our careers.

Skills can be developed based on clear understanding of basic, routes. Have a deep analysis of the subject for which you are assigned for technical support. Refer technical papers. One more way to sharpen your skills is to record and keep yourself updated on feedback. Be in regular touch with subject experts to broaden the thinking horizon. Competency on the other hand is to be consistent with out of box thinking. Never confine with limited thoughts and directions. Competency comes by handling different and challenging topics. This will mold you to become competent with skills.

It is more important to know what questions to ask than to know what all the answers all. By focusing on the questions you can be more understanding of the problem and can more quickly find the troubleshooting steps needed to begin solving it. Ask about what happened when the issue initially started, and if the user has done anything since (with the problematic feature/thing). Reiterate some of the things a user/client says so that you show understanding/care for the issue and iron out vague details. Lastly, remember to keep good notes so your team can make informed decisions to troubleshoot better.