Courses

What is IT support? Companies rely on technology everyday, but sometimes that technology fails us. Computers break, systems fail, phones die; and 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.

Google has long faced an issue that many other companies also contend with -- had open IT Support roles, and not enough qualified candidates to fill them. So, a few years ago Google began working with a non-profit organization to build out trainings and pathways to roles in technical support at Google. This way we  learned that not only is IT support a highly teachable field, but that we could teach someone completely new to the industry the IT fundamentals in under six months. So, Google built an IT training program on Coursera, created entirely by Googlers who are expert in IT support, so that this training could be available to everyone.

This course is the first of a series that aims to prepare you for a role as an entry-level IT Support Specialist. In this course, you’ll be introduced to the world of Information Technology, or IT. You’ll learn about the different facets of Information Technology, like computer hardware, the Internet, computer software, troubleshooting, and customer service. This course covers a wide variety of topics in IT that are designed to give you an overview of what’s to come in this certificate program.

By the end of this course, you’ll be able to: 

• understand how the binary system works. 
• assemble a computer from scratch. 
• choose and install an operating system on a computer. 
• understand what the Internet is, how it works, and the impact it has in the modern world. 
• learn how applications are created and how they work under the hood of a computer. 
• utilize common problem-solving methodologies and soft skills in an Information Technology setting