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A senior system administrator oversees the systems administration department within an organization. They are responsible for overseeing the networks and computer systems a company uses to conduct business. They may map out improvements to established networks, help troubleshoot complicated issues, and manage systems administrators who oversee day-to-day problems and maintenance. This is a managerial role that requires leadership skills and demonstrated experience in systems administration.
To become a senior system administrator, you should have a relevant bachelor’s degree in IT or computer science. Hiring managers will be looking for several years of previous experience in related roles such as experience as a computer systems analyst or system administrator. Hiring managers will also be looking for someone with technical skills in repairing and troubleshooting network issues. The ideal candidate for this role will have important soft skills, such as leadership abilities, superb problem-solving skills, and communication skills.
The biggest difference when making a jump from a system administrator to a senior system administrator is that you will be responsible for overseeing a team of staff. For this reason, it’s important to demonstrate your leadership abilities, as well as previous experience hiring, training, and developing junior-level staff, on your resume.
As the senior system administrator, you will be responsible for communicating with other internal stakeholders about new initiatives or improvements that need to be made. As such, it’s important that senior system administrators are able to convey technical concepts to others with varying levels of comprehension. Showing that you have successfully collaborated internally to fix network issues in the past on your resume is important to land this role.
A Senior System Administrator is part technical expert and part manager. In this role you’ll be configuring new systems, monitoring progress and overseeing other employees and teams. Because this is a senior level role, you’ll want to draw attention to your career progression, emphasizing promotions and leadership experience. You should also focus on specific project experience that the job will require or that are transferable skills or areas.
When applying for senior and higher level positions, it’s important to use past promotions and growth to show your progression in the field. This will also show employers that you are serious about advancing in your career and will demonstrate your ability to take on additional responsibilities and continue to develop.
Sometimes, it’s useful to call out your most relevant or most high-profile experiences to the job you’re applying to. The “Selected Project Experience” highlights experience with specific systems and projects, like SuSE, RedHat, and Solaris.”
As a hiring manager who has recruited Senior System Administrators for companies like Google, Microsoft, and Amazon, I've seen countless resumes over the years. The best ones always stand out by showcasing the candidate's technical expertise, problem-solving skills, and ability to manage complex systems. In this article, we'll share some tips on how to create a compelling Senior System Administrator resume that will catch the attention of hiring managers and help you land your dream job.
Emphasize your proficiency in the key technologies and tools required for the role, such as:
Also, showcase any relevant certifications you have earned, such as:
A resume summary, also known as a professional summary or career summary, is an optional section that appears at the top of your resume, just below your name and contact information. While it's not a mandatory section, a well-written summary can help you stand out from other candidates by highlighting your most relevant qualifications and experiences.
When deciding whether to include a summary on your resume, consider your level of experience and career goals. If you have several years of experience in system administration or are applying for a senior-level position, a summary can be an effective way to showcase your expertise and accomplishments. However, if you're a recent graduate or entry-level candidate, you may want to skip the summary and focus on your education and relevant skills instead.
It's important to note that you should never use an objective statement in place of a summary. Objective statements are outdated and focus on what you want from an employer, rather than what you can offer them. Instead, use your summary to demonstrate how your skills and experiences align with the job requirements and can benefit the company.
Your work experience section is the heart of your resume as a senior system administrator. It's where you show hiring managers how you've applied your technical skills to real-world problems and delivered results. It's also the perfect place to highlight your career progression and the increasing levels of responsibility you've taken on.
In this section, we'll break down step-by-step how to write an effective work experience section that will impress hiring managers and increase your chances of landing an interview.
When describing your work experience, choose powerful action verbs that are specific to your field and show the impact of your work. Generic verbs like 'managed' or 'responsible for' don't give hiring managers a clear picture of what you actually did. Instead, use verbs that are relevant to system administration and showcase your technical skills.
Here are some examples of strong action verbs to use in your work experience section:
The education section of your resume for a Senior System Administrator position should be concise and relevant. It's an opportunity to showcase your academic background and any specialized training or certifications you've obtained. Let's break down the key steps to crafting an effective education section.
The skills section is a critical part of your senior system administrator resume. It's where you showcase your technical expertise and demonstrate that you have the right skills for the job. When writing your skills section, focus on hard skills that are relevant to the role, such as specific operating systems, networking protocols, and scripting languages. Avoid including soft skills or generic skills that don't directly relate to the job.
Here are examples of popular skills from Senior System Administrator job descriptions that you can include on your resume.
This word cloud highlights the important keywords that appear on Senior System Administrator job descriptions and resumes. The bigger the word, the more frequently it appears on job postings, and the more likely you should include it in your resume.
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