IT Support Professional Certificate

IT stands for information technology and refers to the use of computers and other devices to create, process, store, secure, and exchange electronic data. IT support specialists troubleshoot problems so computers and networks run correctly.

IT support is troubleshooting and problem solving in the field of information technology, including setting up computers for users within an organization, overseeing computer systems, and debugging whenever a problem arises.

Businesses, nonprofits, school systems, and government organizations all rely on technology. Computers break, systems fail, phones die—when that happens, we need experts to fix them. IT support is all about troubleshooting and problem solving when the tech fails, and providing great customer service along the way. A job in IT support can mean in-person or remote help desk work in a range of organizations across many different industries.

With entry-level jobs in IT fetching an average salary of $52,000 per year, starting a career in IT can be extremely lucrative and have a high potential for growth.

In the U.S., there were over 86,500 open entry-level IT support roles in 2020, and jobs in this field are projected to grow 8% between 2019 and 2029 — faster than the average of all other occupations. Basic IT skills will position you to secure an introductory-level role to begin your IT career, and from then on, the opportunities are endless.

The stackability of these skills means that after gaining a baseline level of knowledge through the Google IT Support Certificate program, it is easy to pick up more advanced skills or build on those foundations with the Google IT Automation with Python Certificate program.

A career in IT can encompass many different things. Types of careers in IT may include jobs working with…

• Hardware and infrastructure
• Information security
• Cloud computing technologies
• Computer networks
• Storage and data

A job in IT can mean in-person or remote help desk work in a range of organizations across many different industries. In-demand IT jobs include:

• Database administrator
• IT specialist
• Tech support specialist
• Systems analyst
• Network engineer
• Help desk technician
• IT support specialist
• IT technician
• Computer user specialist
• IT assistant

An IT certificate is an end-of-program certification earned by completing a professional training program and demonstrating competency in core areas. A certificate in information technology can be the start of a promising career. The Google IT Support Certificate curriculum is developed and taught by Googlers with years of experience in the field. More than 150 companies in the Google Career Certificates Employer Consortium are committed to considering Google Career Certificate graduates for entry-level jobs.

There are two Google IT certificates available: an introductory-level IT Support Certificate and an advanced-level IT Automation with Python Certificate.

IT courses included in the Google IT Support Certificate curriculum are…

• Technical Support Fundamentals
• The Bits and Bytes of Computer Networking
• Operating Systems and You: Becoming a Power User
• System Administration and IT – Infrastructure Services
• IT Security: Defense Against the Digital Dark Arts

There are no prerequisites for the IT Support Certificate. The program is open to anyone interested in learning the foundational skills of IT support, whether you’ve been tinkering with IT on your own, or even if you are completely new to the field.

The Google IT Support Certificate features practical training and hands-on activities to help you leverage AI in IT support. Learn how to use AI to help with troubleshooting and customer care directly from Google experts.