22221 User support technicians

What this occupation covers

User support technicians provide first-line technical support to computer users experiencing difficulties with computer hardware and with computer applications and communications software. They are employed by computer hardware manufacturers and retailers, software developers, in call centres and in information technology units throughout the public and private sectors. They are also employed by independent technical support companies or they may be self-employed.

Official main duties

The NOC profile lists 8 main duties for this code.

• Communicate electronically and in person with computer users experiencing difficulties to determine and document problems experienced
• Consult user guides, technical manuals and other documents to research and implement solutions
• Reproduce, diagnose and resolve technical problems encountered by users
• Provide advice and training to users in response to identified difficulties
• Provide business systems, network and Internet support to users in response to identified difficulties
• Collect, organize and maintain a problems and solutions log for use by other technical support analysts
• Participate in the redesign of applications and other software
• May supervise other technical support workers in this group.

Do not copy these lines into your reference letter. The letter has to describe what you actually did, in your employer’s words. DUTYPROOF flags wording lifted from the NOC as something to review, and an officer reading a letter that mirrors the NOC reads it the same way.

What DUTYPROOF screens for

This is DUTYPROOF’s screening threshold, not IRCC’s decision. For this NOC, screening requires at least 2 of its 8 official duties to be evidenced in your own words, plus the required letter elements. IRCC asks that you performed the actions in the occupation’s lead statement and a substantial number of its main duties — so treat the duty coverage as the number that matters, not the badge.

Codes this one is confused with

The NOC profile names these itself. Choosing the wrong code of a look-alike pair is the most common way genuine work experience fails to establish eligibility.

• 22220 Computer network and web technicians
• 21230 Computer systems developers and programmers
• 21220 Cybersecurity specialists
• 22222 Information systems testing technicians

Excluded from this code

• Computer network and web technicians (See 22220 Computer network and web technicians)
• Computer systems developers and programmers (See 21230 Computer systems developers and programmers)
• Cybersecurity specialists (See 21220 Cybersecurity specialists)
• Information systems testing technicians (See 22222 Information systems testing technicians)

Job titles filed under this code

A title on this list does not by itself put your experience in this code — the duties in your letter decide that.

application support analyst · call centre agent - technical support · client support representative - systems · computer help desk representative - systems · computer help desk supervisor · computer technician · deskside support technician · desktop support analyst · hardware installation technician · hardware technical support analyst · help desk analyst - systems · help desk specialist · help desk technical agent · help desk technician · information technology (IT) support analyst · information technology (IT) support technician · personal computer (PC) support analyst · service desk analyst · software installation technician · software technical support analyst · systems support representative · systems technical support analyst · technical help desk agent · technical support agent

Employment requirements

• Completion of a college program in computer science, computer programming or network administration is usually required.
• College or other courses in computer programming or network administration are usually required.
• Certification or training provided by software vendors may be required by some employers.