IT Support - At the heart of every business
Internal vs. External
At the heart of any business with tech and IT capabilities is the IT Support team. Responsible for configuring computer systems, repairing software and hardware malfunctions, and providing technician support both on-site and remotely, an IT Support Engineer keeps the digital operations of a business running smoothly.
The nature of IT support can be split into two key areas: internal IT
support and outsourced IT support, also known as a Managed Service Provider
(MSP). Internal IT support involves assisting the employees of your own company
- the IT Support Engineer would sit within the wider IT team, and handle any
localised issues or troubleshooting technical problems with employees. For
internal roles, the teams and responsibilities will generally be less defined,
especially in smaller businesses.
Managed Service Providers
As for outsourced IT support, this comes in the form of a Managed Service Provider. This is an
external company paid by a business to handle its IT support and maintenance
needs. They provide fully managed support to their clients, and, since these
roles are much more customer-facing, engineers will be required to communicate
often-complex ideas to a variety of workers. Roles in an MSP are likely to be
more rigidly defined.
Roles we recruit for include, but aren’t limited to:
- 1st Line Support Engineer
- 2nd Line Support Engineer
- 3rd Line Support Engineer
- Desktop Technician/Desktop Engineer
- IT Technician
- Helpdesk Engineer
- Service Desk Analyst
Some things are clearer than others
IT Support has a clear progression pathway, although the responsibilities of each role aren’t always plainly defined. The lines between 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Line Support Engineers are often blurry since the main difference in each is the complexity of the tasks and fixes they’re assigned. This is a subjective decision, so what one business defines as a 2nd Line Engineer, might be considered either a 1st or 3rd Line Engineer in another. Beyond IT Support, a 3rd Line Engineer could even progress into an Infrastructure Engineer or Network Engineer role, in order to access higher salaries and more challenging day-to-day tasks.
At Applause IT, we have over 20 years of experience in IT, digital, and tech recruitment, so there’s no one better to help you find the right fit, whether you’re a candidate seeking your next opportunity or a company looking to grow your team. We know that no two businesses or candidates are the same, which is why our specialist consultants take the time to understand each client's and jobseeker's needs.
To talk through how Applause IT can help to expand your IT Support
team or to find your next Support Engineer opportunity, get in touch with
one of our consultants for a friendly, no-obligation chat.
What is it like searching for your next IT Support role with us?
"After recently moving to a new city I decided it was time to look for a new role close to home. I updated my CV online and within a couple hours Harvey got hold of me to say that there was a job within 5 minutes of where I lived and gave me a detailed description of what the job entailed with complete honesty.
Harvey managed to land me an interview on the same day of contacting me, gave me amazing advice and answered every question I had thoroughly. An absolute delight to talk to over the phone, friendly and informative, 100% the best recruiter I've had the pleasure of speaking to in my career."
1st / 2nd Line Support Engineer
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