Hardware Technician

Computer users expect to fire up their machines and, with a few keystrokes, have full access to all that computers have to offer. So when the computer malfunctions, it’s equivalent to a car breaking down halfway to work.

Because of this, customers are often frustrated and emotional by the time they get a hold of the Hardware Technician. So when you’re a Hardware Technician, it’s important that you stay calm as you work to diagnose the problem. You ask questions to make sure the problem is hardware-related, offer potential solutions, and estimate the cost for parts and labor.

Sometimes, you’ll have to get your hands on the computer before you can accurately diagnose the problem. The important thing is that you always communicate with the customer so they know what to expect. You explain how long it will take and how much it will cost.

Each project for a Hardware Technician is a little different. While one machine might have problems with a driver, another might need a new disk drive. The one thing your projects have in common is that they all need hardware (in contrast to software), so you keep up to date on the industry’s changes and new products. That’s no easy task considering how quickly things advance.

In addition to repairs, you also improve or upgrade machines to make them more efficient, to increase their memory, or to boost their speed. You might even spend your time on custom-built computers, designed and put together one component at a time to serve particular needs.