System administrator resume
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Key skills for a system administrator resume
Terms that job ads ask for and ATS filters look for. Only include the ones you master.
- Linux
- Windows Server
- Virtualization (VMware, Hyper-V)
- Active Directory
- Networking and firewalls
- Backup and recovery
- Monitoring
- Scripting (Bash, PowerShell)
- Cloud (AWS or Azure)
- Automation (Ansible)
Tips for your system administrator resume
- Show the size of the infrastructure: servers, users, sites or data centers.
- Name specific technologies: Linux distributions, VMware, Azure, Veeam, Zabbix or Ansible.
- Describe projects such as migrations, consolidations or disaster recovery plans.
- Add results: uptime, recovery time or tasks you automated.
- Mention on-call duty and how you handle critical incidents.
- List certifications with their exact names.
System administrator resume summary examples
Adapt these examples with your real details: years of experience, industry, tools and certifications.
System administrator with 7 years of experience running Linux and Windows infrastructure for 1,500 users across 12 sites. I manage 200 virtual servers on VMware, backups with Veeam and monitoring with Zabbix. I automated server provisioning with Ansible, cutting it from a day to an hour.
IT graduate with an internship at a hosting provider, where I installed Linux servers, configured backups and reviewed alerts. I run a home lab with Proxmox. Looking for my first system administrator role.
Other job titles
Search for them too and use the one in the job ad on your resume.
- Sysadmin
- Systems engineer
- Network administrator
- Linux administrator
- Infrastructure administrator
- IT operations engineer
How to write a system administrator resume step by step
Write a short summary
Three or four lines with your years of experience, infrastructure size, technologies and one result.
Detail your experience
In “Experience”, add the company, infrastructure, technologies, duties and projects.
Add education and certifications
In “Education”, your degree. In “Certificates”, systems and cloud certifications.
Show projects
In “Projects”, describe migrations, automation or recovery plans you led.
Tailor your resume to the job ad and download it
Paste the job ad into Beatjob: the AI improves the wording with the keywords your experience backs up. Then download the PDF.
More resume examples
Frequently asked questions about a system administrator resume
What education do system administrators need?
They typically need a bachelor's degree in a field related to computer or information science. Some employers accept a postsecondary certificate or an associate's degree.
Do system administrators need certifications?
Employers may require certification in the products they use. Vendor and vendor-neutral certifications are common.
Should I mention on-call duty?
Yes. Many system administrator jobs include on-call rotations, so it is useful to show how you handle critical incidents.
Sources
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