System Administrator Resume: Templates & Top Tips

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Ready to configure your career’s next big upgrade with a System Administrator role? The first step is ensuring your resume doesn’t just ping the servers but truly connects with potential employers. 

In this guide, we’ll help you assemble a resume that outperforms the rest, like a well-tuned network operating at peak efficiency. You’ll learn:

• How to write a professional resume summary for System Administrator job applications
• What writing choices do and don’t work (with the help of System Administrator resume examples)
• What the best resume format for System Administrators is 
• Which system administration skills are highly sought after by employers
• How to refine your resume with relevant bonus sections

Looking to dip your toes in a related profession or get more specific advice for your dream job? Check out these similar resume guides and samples for more inspiration:

• Software Developer Resume
• Web Developer

Before we dive into the specifics of writing your resume, check out this example:

resume Example

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[Gordy Curry]

[Junior System Administrator]

[ New York, NY 23451 |   123-456-7890  |   gordy.curry@andomemail.com ]

Summary

Experienced System Administrator with 2 years of experience and expertise in cost reduction, system optimization, and team training. Achieved a 15% cost reduction at Redline, Inc. and saved $30,000 annually through automation. Skilled in network design, server maintenance, troubleshooting, and system backup. Founder of System Administrators Network of New York and Red Cross Society volunteer. Passionate about enhancing IT efficiency.

Skills

• Hard Skills: Software administration, System and data recovery, Backup administration, Database management, Network monitoring, Network security
• Technologies: Transact-SQL, Apache Maven, Nagios, UNIX Shell.

Experience

System Administrator

Redline, Inc. | New York, NY

2022 – 2024

• Achieved a remarkable 15% reduction in system administration costs by meticulously identifying and promptly decommissioning redundant hardware resources.
• Utilized advanced monitoring tools and strategies to pinpoint inefficiencies and streamline resource allocation.
• Generated annual savings of $30,000 by spearheading the planning and implementation of a new system design which automates system monitoring.
• Enhanced system efficiency and reduced downtime by leveraging cutting-edge cloud computing technologies and best practices. 
• Mentored and trained a team of 10 system administration interns, equipping them with the skills to proficiently manage web application servers such as Tomcat, PeopleSoft, and Apache.
• Improved team cohesion through collaborative training sessions and knowledge sharing.

Education

Bachelor of Science in Computer Science 

Merigold University | New York, NY

2018

• Graduated magna cum laude with a GPA of 3.83.
• Relevant Coursework: Computer Science, Systems and Architecture, Algorithms and Data Structures, Basic Programming

Certifications

• Red Hat – RHCSA and RSCE, 2022
• Cisco-Certified Network Administrator (CCNA) Security, 2020

Other Activities

• Founder, System Administrators Network of New York: Established and led a community network for system administrators to share knowledge and resources.

We hope this basic system administrator resume template is just what you need to help you get going with your own document. Now, let’s dive into more tips and our guide for each section.

In most cases, the best format to adhere to is reverse chronological but with the skills you want to highlight listed below your resume summary.

• Emphasis on skills: System Administration is a highly technical field, this format allows candidates to showcase their technical skills prominently. 
• Highlighting achievements: You can include a separate section for accomplishments with specific metrics and details, or include these with the most recent first in your Work Experience section.
• Relevant experience: This format allows candidates to provide a brief overview of their professional background, highlighting the roles and companies they’ve worked for.
• Visibility of soft skills: Soft skills can be showcased in the summary or work experience entries in a reverse chronological resume, highlighting a candidate’s qualifications.

In today’s job landscape, a well-crafted resume summary is much like a smoothly running system – highly favored and essential, especially in the tech world.

While it’s tempting to make your goals clear with a resume objective, these are losing favor among hiring managers. If you’re in doubt about which is preferred, it’s best to write a resume summary that shows you have the qualifications for the role.

Let’s now take a look at both.

Using a resume objective is an option for junior and entry-level System Administrators because it makes it easy to shine a light on their willingness to grow and gain new experiences on the job. 

In about three sentences, mention your desired job title, two to three relevant skills and achievements, and close off with your career intentions. 

🌟 Featured Content: Writing a resume summary or objective requires focus and reflection. It culminates everything documented in your resume: experience, skills, and education. Because of this, it’s not a bad idea to leave this section for last. That way you have plenty of time and opportunity to brainstorm what to include from your resume.

A resume summary, on the other hand, briefly explains your professional profile. It summarizes everything in your system admin resume and points to specific achievements that make you stand out from the crowd.

Think of your resume summary as your front-end interface, presenting a snapshot of your skills, accomplishments, and what makes you qualified for the role, uniquely configured to capture the attention of potential employers.

Unlike a System Administrator resume objective, which shows what direction your career is taking, a summary showcases what you have achieved up to this day.

System Administrator Resume Objective Example

As a junior or entry-level System Administrator, it can be tricky to know what to include in a resume objective. But the key is to focus on what you know to be your strongest points.

Here’s what a career objective for a position in system administration should not look like:

This example doesn’t get specific with what experience you do have, no matter how small. 

A better example would be this fresher System Administrator objective:

So, what makes this resume objective better?

The first phrase, “experienced system administrator,” will immediately set a good first impression. Later, as a system admin, you’ll do a lot of solving problems and troubleshooting, so it was a good choice to mention these skills.

Starting right off the bat that you’re interested in finding unique solutions tells them that you aren’t the type of admin to sit around waiting for answers. Instead, you go after the solution once there’s a problem. 

As resume summaries are nowadays the preferred recruiter’s choice, let’s take a closer look at those too.

Senior System Administrator Resume Summary Example

Crafting a System Administrator resume summary can feel like configuring a complex network – it needs precision and clarity. Your summary should effectively showcase your skills and experience, even if you’re at the beginning of your career.

Here’s what your resume summary should not look like:

his example is too vague and lacks specifics. It doesn’t highlight any particular skills or achievements, and the open-ended approach might signal a lack of direction or specific interest in system administration.

A more effective resume summary would be:

Why does this example stand out?

This summary effectively captures the extensive experience and advanced skill set of a senior System Administrator. It highlights a significant achievement (40% reduction in system downtime) that demonstrates impact and expertise. 

The mention of specific advanced tools and leadership experience further emphasizes the candidate’s suitability for a senior role, positioning them as a proactive and results-driven professional.

Before you begin to write anything in your experience section, take out a fresh sheet of paper (or start a separate document) because it’s time for some reflection. 

Carefully read the job description you’re interested in and reflect on the experiences you’ve had working as a system administrator or in a similar role.

Write out what you did, how you did it, and what the result of those actions was.

Did you fill in as a help desk technician, or were you the Sys Admin for a popular SaaS business? What was your role there, and how did you perform exceptionally?

Here are a few things to keep in mind when writing your system administrator job description resume section:

• Stay on topic. Cross-check with the job description to be sure the content of your resume is relevant.

• Use action verbs. Create a positive association between what you did and the results it produced by using more powerful words. Dump the “responsible for” and use “created, planned, trained,” etc.

• Keep it brief. Though it may seem better to be as detailed as possible, long descriptions might not work in your favor. Showcase your relevant accomplishments under each job title with approximately three to five bullet points.

Senior System Administrator Resume Examples: Experience

It’s time to look at some examples of how to describe your work experience on your sysadmin resume. Let’s begin with a sample for more experienced candidates.

This candidate has strong system administration experience and knows how to show it.

The example quantifies the experience, uses action verbs, and shows the result of their actions. 

When you implement everything done in the above example, you will have a higher chance of landing an interview compared to the following example:

This is a common mistake in many resumes. Giving a list of responsibilities is simply not enough to grab the attention of employers.

Of course, it shows you the skeleton of what they did, but it doesn’t provide further detail like the previous example. 

There aren’t any measurable results. It almost seems like they copied the job description without designing it to fit their personal work experiences.

Entry-Level System Administrator Resume Example: Experience

Now, let’s turn our attention to an entry-level sample, illustrating how even at the beginning stages of a career, a System Administrator can make a significant impact:

Example

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Experience

Tech Solutions, Inc

Junior System Administrator Intern 

2023 – Present

• Spearheaded the migration of company data to a cloud-based system using AWS, resulting in a 20% increase in data retrieval efficiency.
• Implemented network security measures that decreased vulnerability to cyber threats by 15%, utilizing tools like Cisco and Fortinet.
• Collaborated with the IT team to streamline software deployment processes, which reduced setup times for new employees by 25%.

This entry-level experience example showcases a proactive approach and tangible contributions, even at an early career stage. The use of specific metrics provides concrete evidence of the candidate’s impact. 

Familiarity with essential tools like AWS, Cisco, and Fortinet demonstrates practical, hands-on experience. This combination of quantifiable achievements and relevant tool expertise effectively communicates the candidate’s ability to contribute meaningfully to a System Administrator role.

For System Administrator roles, a bachelor’s degree in IT, networking, or computer science is commonly preferred, though some employers may accept an associate’s degree or relevant certifications.

 Relevant degrees include:

• Network Systems Administration (Associate’s degree)
• Computer science
• Network engineering
• Information assurance
• Systems engineering
• Information technology
• Computer engineering
• Information systems

If your degree directly relates to the job, highlight it in your resume. Including tech-related extracurricular activities, like participation in tech clubs or hackathons, can also be beneficial. 

For career changers or those in entry-level roles, listing non-tech activities can increase your chances of landing an interview too. 

For example, if you were the captain of the football team, make sure you mention it in your resume as it shows potential employers you have valuable leadership skills.

Other details that you may want to include if they’re relevant to the job include:

• Relevant coursework
• Academic honors and achievements
• Extra- and co-curricular activities

System Administrator Resume Education Section

Let’s take a look at an example. Notice the date is not listed. You do not have to include the dates of your education, as this may lead to age discrimination.

Example

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Education

Bachelor of Science in Computer Science 

Merigold University | New York, NY

• Graduated magna cum laude with a GPA of 3.83
• Relevant Coursework: Computer Science, Mathematics, Systems and Architecture, Algorithms and Data Structures, and Basic Programming

This education section is brief enough to be skimmable but also provides details that flesh out the candidate in question.

The skills section of your resume is where you display your most relevant skills to show you’re the person for the systems admin job. 

Aside from your education section, this is where you show the hiring manager that you’ve got the technical and interpersonal skills to get the job done and help their organization flourish. 

When reeling out your skills, avoid listing them out like a long line of error codes. Instead, create sections or columns for your skills. 

Remember, only include relevant skills for the employer. A simple hack would be to examine the job description posting again for keywords and see how you can match them on your system administrator skills resume section.

Skills related to AI are becoming more and more crucial in IT roles, so if you have knowledge of machine learning, automation, and reinforcement learning, make sure you include these.

And remember, don’t lie on your resume about the skills you have, it’s best to say you are open to learning rather than saying you are already proficient in something you are not.

Here’s an example of what to include in the skills section of your System Administrator resume.

Your soft skills should be woven throughout your resume and demonstrated in other sections. They will probably include problem-solving, collaboration, decision-making, customer service, adaptability and flexibility, attention to detail, and solid communication skills.

Senior System Administrator Skills to List on Your Resume

If you have a few more years under your belt in this role you can stand out as a candidate by incorporating more advanced skills on your resume. 

Senior System Administrator skills typically encompass a blend of advanced technical abilities, leadership qualities, and strategic thinking. You can weave some of these throughout your experience section and pick the strongest of them for your summary.

Here are some key skills often associated with senior candidates targeting Senior System Administrator roles:

• Advanced Network Management, including knowledge of network protocols, firewalls, and VPNs
• Google Cloud Platform
• Security protocols, threat mitigation, and data protection strategies
• Automation tools, such as Ansible, Puppet, or Chef
• Disaster Recovery and Business Continuity Planning
• Team leadership
• Vendor management

Senior System Administrators are expected to have a solid foundation in these areas, combined with practical experience and the ability to adapt to new technologies and challenges in the IT field.

Some people believe that once you’ve got your work experience, academic qualifications, and skills down on paper, you don’t need to worry about anything else. 

But that’s not true.

Whether you’re writing an entry-level System Administrator resume or one for a senior role, you would do yourself a big favor by including an additional section. 

So, exactly what can go into this “Extra” section?

You might remember relevant industry certifications being mentioned in the education section. Here is another great opportunity to list all those industry-standard certifications you’ve gathered. 

Examples of certifications System Administrators may utilize include:

• Cisco Certified Network Professional (CCNP)
• Cisco Certified Network Administrator (CCNA) Security
• CompTIA Server+
• Red Hat – RHCSA and RSCE
• ServiceNow Certified System Administrator

🌟 Featured Content: An effective additional section shows your potential employers that you’re much more than your degree and that you’re ready to learn and grow on the job while not leaning on old or stale information. Make them count by emphasizing parts of your potential that you feel aren’t popping elsewhere on your resume.

System Administrator Resume Sample Extra Sections

An additional section is your chance to show the hiring manager that you’ve got more reasons for them to hire you. 

Here are some more items you can include as an additional section:

• Training and coursework
• Relevant volunteer work
• Hobbies
• Relevant software 
• Publications
• Awards

Not sure how to put these into your sysadmin resume? Take a look at our example IT Systems Admin extra resume sections:

Example

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Other Activities

• Founder, System Administrators of New York
• It Systems Training Volunteer, Red Cross Society, 2022

Certifications

• Red Hat – RHCSA and RSCE, 2023
• Cisco Certified Network Administrator (CCNA) Security, 2022

Awards

• Finalist, Junior SysAdmin Awards, 2021

Hopefully, you’ve been able to learn a few things about system administrator resumes and how to write one that’s better than any other in the pile. 

Some key points to note from this guide include:

• Read the job description carefully. The job description will tell you exactly what your potential employer is looking for – do both of you a favor by ensuring that these details come up in your resume!
• Reflect on your past experiences, write them down, and choose which of them are relevant to the job you’re applying for.
• When listing work experience, focus on process and results, not the responsibility, to 
• help you create specific and unique points.
• Choose the reverse-chronological resume format to highlight your skills and experience more effectively.
• A well-targeted extra section might be the tipping point that gets you your dream system admin job.

Our resume builder tool is a great resource that can help you piece together all we’ve learned here and create a finished product that will get results. Try it today so you can focus your energy on what really matters: describing who you are and where you want to be!