Computer installation and repair technology programs prepare people to install, maintain, and repair computers. Students learn how to program and network computer systems. They learn about computer components such as power systems, chips, and buffers.
It can be exciting to purchase a new computer. More memory, more RAM, better graphics, more bells and whistles! Yet it can also be intimidating to bring that big box home and try to set it up. You need to make sure that the monitor, CPU, keyboard, and mouse all "talk" to each other the right way. And then there's the issue of setting up your Internet and e-mail access and getting connected to your printer. Sometimes, you think, it'd just be so much easier to pay someone else to do this for you!
What if you had to set up computers for a whole company? So many employees, so many computers! Not to mention the fact that each terminal must connect to the others so that files and information can be shared. And what if one computer breaks down? What happens if you need an important document that happened to be stored on that computer's hard drive?
Enter computer installation and repair technicians. These are the people who can help. They've studied how computers are put together and how to fix common computer problems. They aren't afraid of handling memory problems, error messages, or setting up your new personal digital assistant (PDA) so that it can upload files from your desktop. They understand how things connect and what phrases such as "network interface cards" and "computer architecture" mean.
In computer installation and repair programs, you learn how to put together and take apart different kinds of computers. You also learn how to install, operate, maintain, and repair them. You take courses about electronics, operating systems, and programming. You also study computer networks, memory, and peripheral equipment (e.g., PDAs, printers). You learn how to fix common computer problems and how to interact with clients.
Computer installation and repair technology programs are offered at about 25 community colleges, technical institutes, vocational centers, and occasionally through high schools. They typically take from two months to a year to complete. In addition, some schools offer associate degrees in this field. These usually take one to two years to complete. However, most programs are at the certificate level. As with many jobs, people with degrees in the field are usually able to advance to higher level positions.
With a background in computer installation and repair, you can work nearly anywhere that computers are used. You can work for large or small businesses as part of the team that handles the computer network. Many people start their own business or become independent contractors. This means that you work for hire.