Cognizant Apprenticeship Program - IT Support Technician

Cognizant; Marlborough (CT); On-site; USD 41,000 - 52,000; Full time

Job summary

An innovative apprenticeship program offers a unique opportunity for aspiring IT Support Technicians to gain hands-on experience in a dynamic environment. This one-year paid program combines technical training with real-world client interactions, ensuring participants develop essential skills in system and network administration. As part of a supportive team, apprentices will receive mentorship and coaching to help them achieve their career goals. With a focus on professional growth and technical proficiency, this program is ideal for individuals eager to launch their careers in IT and make a meaningful impact in the industry.

Benefits

Medical/Dental/Vision/Life Insurance

Paid holidays plus Paid Time Off

401(k) plan and contributions

Long-term/Short-term Disability

Paid Parental Leave

Employee Stock Purchase Plan

Qualifications

• Associate degree required in an IT related field such as Computer Science or Information Systems.
• 1-2 years of experience in end-user support preferred.

Responsibilities

• Provide first level support for clients, troubleshooting hardware and software issues.
• Work on IT onboarding and asset retrieval during offboarding processes.

Skills

End-user support

Analytical skills

Troubleshooting

Communication skills

Multitasking

Time management

Education

Associate degree in IT related field

Tools

Microsoft Office Suite

Customer relationship management software

Job description

Cognizant Apprenticeship Program – IT Support Technician

Apprenticeship: Program Overview

Cognizant Apprenticeship Program is officially registered and recognized by the Department of Labor (DOL). Every graduate of our Registered Apprenticeship program receives a nationally recognized credential from the DOL.

The IT Support Technician apprenticeship program is a one-year paid learning experience; in which new hires are required to successfully complete specific learning hours and on-the-job training to ensure success in their new role and pass technical assessments along the way.

Upon graduating and receiving a certificate from the apprenticeship program, Associates will be eligible for continued employment with Cognizant based on education, work experience, technical assessment, performance evaluation, and client engagement.

Position Overview

By joining Cognizant as an IT Support Technician Apprentice, new hires will work within the Cloud, Infrastructure & Security (CIS) practice to provide professional and technical support for clients across all industries and their systems and networks in the following areas: general system administration, network administration, cloud administration, and end user systems and application support. This is a client-facing role including regular interactions with various client managers.

New hires will get trained in specific technical skills to enhance core competency skills and grow their career. Throughout the first year at Cognizant, we will closely monitor progression and offer coaching, training, and support to help achieve long-term career goals at Cognizant.

Responsibilities

• Open to relocating within the U.S. for future assignments as required by business needs
• Willing to work based on client needs
• Willing to work onsite all five days, Monday through Friday
• Work in a 24/7 rotation shift, meaning shift start and end times will vary and will often commence and/or end outside of normal business hours
• Provide first level support and resolution for Cognizant products, internal associates, and clients – including working on assigned tickets with a focus on account provisioning and troubleshooting
• Troubleshoot hardware & software related issues on Laptop, desktop, Display monitors, Docking station and all Peripherals.
• Work on New Employee IT Onboarding process by preparing their laptops, Desktops & Peripherals to be ready on Day 1 of their employment.
• Work on IT Asset retrieval from Users during their offboarding process.
• Answer and respond to inbound calls or electronic requests from end-users regarding incidents and log and track all incidents and requests
• Create detailed notes of the problem the user is experiencing, find steps they can take to fix the issue, manage the flow of incoming support requests, and update into the service desk tracking software
• Update general knowledge of current corporate, division, and facility-specific products; in addition to improving the ability to resolve requests on first contact
• Ability to create tickets, categorize and prioritize open items in action log and ensuring timely delivery across the organization
• Escalate production issues quickly and drive resolution while communicating status and resolution path to client
• Follow up with reported complex incidents to ensure they are resolved, requests are filled, and the customer communication is complete
• Undergo training based on project requirements

Qualifications

• Associate degree required in an IT related field; such as Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Software Engineering, Information Systems
• CompTIA and/or AWS certification(s) preferred
• 1-2 years of experience working in end-user support and IT performance analysis role preferred
• Experience working in 24/7 operations (i.e. call Centers in a voice support process)
• Comprehensive and up-to-date understanding of computer hardware and software
• Knowledgeable in Windows operating systems
• Proficient with task management, customer relationship management software; with good understanding of Microsoft Office suite
• Excellent communication skills and ability to work in a team
• Strong multitasking skills handling voice calls and document records simultaneously
• Excellent time-management, organizational skills, and customer management
• Self-motivated individuals with strong analytical, troubleshooting and problem-solving skills with the passion and appetite to learn newer technologies

Location(s)

New hires will be deployed to specific client sites and those locations will be discussed through the application process. While Cognizant will make reasonable efforts to accommodate your location preference, please note that final assignments will be based on business needs. The one-year apprenticeship program is subject to relocation.

Start Date(s)

New hires will start in July 2025. While we will attempt to honor candidate start date preferences, business need and position availability will determine final start date assignment. Exact start dates will be communicated with enough time for you to plan effectively.

Why Choose Us?

Cognizant delivers solutions that draw upon the full power and scale of our associates. You will be supported by high-caliber experts and employ some of the most advanced and patented capabilities. Our associate’s diverse backgrounds offer varied perspectives and fuel new ways of thinking. We encourage lively discussions which inspire better results for our clients.

If you’re comfortable with ambiguity, excited by change, and excel through autonomy, we’d love to hear from you.

Salary and Other Compensation

The base salary for this position is $20/hour (annum $41,600.00) and is eligible for a progressive pay increase after 11 months to $25/hour (annum of $52,000.00) based on performance and skills obtained.
This position is also eligible for Cognizant’s discretionary annual incentive program, based on performance and subject to the terms of Cognizant’s applicable plans.

Benefits

Cognizant offers the following benefits for this position, subject to applicable eligibility requirements:

• Medical/Dental/Vision/Life Insurance
• Paid holidays plus Paid Time Off
• 401(k) plan and contributions
• Long-term/Short-term Disability
• Paid Parental Leave
• Employee Stock Purchase Plan

Disclaimer

The salary, other compensation, and benefits information is accurate as of the date of this posting. Cognizant reserves the right to modify this information at any time, subject to applicable law.

Work Authorization

Due to the nature of this position Cognizant cannot provide sponsorship for U.S. work authorization (including participation in a CPT/OPT program) for this role.