The Google IT Support Professional Certificate is the most accessible pathway into Australian technology for people with no prior IT experience. If you have always been the go-to person when technology fails, if computers genuinely interest you, or if you want a stable technology career in an industry with a genuine skills shortage — this certificate is built for you.
IT support roles exist in every Australian city and every industry. Hays 2026 identifies IT professionals as among the most in-demand workers nationally as organisations continue their digital transformation programs. Every business that uses technology needs IT support — and every business now uses technology.
Backgrounds that transition well include: customer service, administration, retail, hospitality, telecommunications, healthcare administration and any role requiring problem-solving under pressure with clear communication of technical concepts to non-technical people.
IT support professionals keep organisations' technology running. Day-to-day: diagnosing slow computers, setting up new employee workstations, troubleshooting network connectivity issues, responding to security alerts, managing user accounts and documenting solutions. Entry-level (Level 1) roles involve resolving common issues following procedures. More experienced roles handle complex troubleshooting and infrastructure management.
IT support also serves as the primary on-ramp to specialised, higher-paid technology careers — cloud engineering, cybersecurity, network engineering and systems administration are all commonly entered through IT support experience.
Course 1 — Technical Support Fundamentals: How computers work, hardware components, operating systems overview. Course 2 — Bits and Bytes of Computer Networking: TCP/IP, DNS, DHCP, VPNs, wireless networking and troubleshooting. The most directly relevant course to real IT support work. Course 3 — Operating Systems — Becoming a Power User: Windows and Linux command line, file permissions, user management, scripting basics. Course 4 — System Administration and IT Infrastructure: Servers, Active Directory, cloud basics, disaster recovery. Course 5 — IT Security: Cryptography, authentication, network security and malware defence. Security knowledge is increasingly required even in general IT roles.
Entry-level IT Support Analysts: $55,000–$75,000. With 2–3 years: $75,000–$95,000. Senior roles: $90,000–$120,000+. Government is one of the largest IT support employers — federal agencies, state departments and local councils all maintain substantial IT teams with structured career paths and strong job security. Google's Australian employer consortium includes Australia Post, Accenture, Woolworths and Optus.
Approximately $39 USD per month on Coursera — one of the most affordable professional certificates available. Five to six months at 5–7 hours per week. Total cost approximately $195–$234 USD ($300–$365 AUD). Seven-day free trial available.
Apply for entry-level IT support roles immediately while pursuing CompTIA A+ — the industry-standard IT support certification widely required in Australian job ads. Having both the Google certificate and CompTIA A+ dramatically strengthens your application for any IT support position.
Pros: Designed for complete beginners. Practical labs built in. Google brand recognition. One of the most affordable Coursera certificates. Clear next steps. Available nationally, not just major cities. Cons: Entry-level salaries are modest relative to specialised tech careers — treat this as the start, not the endpoint. Linux content benefits from additional practice beyond the course. Networking concepts are abstract without hands-on lab work.
Do I need any IT background? None whatsoever. The first course starts with what a computer is and how binary works.
How does this compare to a TAFE IT qualification? TAFE Certificate IV in IT ($3,000–$5,000, 12–18 months) is more widely recognised for formal government roles. The Google certificate is faster, cheaper and equally effective for private sector entry-level roles. They complement each other.
What certification should I pursue after this? CompTIA A+ is universally recommended as the immediate next step. Then choose: Network+ for networking, Security+ for cybersecurity, or AWS Cloud Practitioner for cloud computing.
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