Here are the keywords and skills that appear most frequently on recent System Administrator job postings. In other words, these are the most sought after skills by recruiters and hiring managers. Go to Sample Templates ↓ below to see how to include them on your resume.
Remember that every job is different. Instead of including all keywords on your resume, identify those that are most relevant to the job you're applying to. Use the free Targeted Resume tool to help with this.
Does your resume contain all the right skills? Paste in your resume in the AI Resume Scan ↓ section below and get an instant score.
Paste your resume below and our AI will identify which keywords are missing from your resume from the list above (and what you need to include). Including the right keywords will help you get past Applicant Tracking Systems (i.e. resume screeners) which may scan your resume for keywords to see if you're a match for the job.
Go through the System Administrator posting you're applying to, and identify hard skills the company is looking for. For example, skills like System Administration, Windows Server and Active Directory are possible skills. These are skills you should try to include on your resume.
The following word cloud highlights the most popular keywords that appear on System Administrator job descriptions. The bigger the word, the more frequently it shows up on employer's job postings. If you have experience with these keywords, include them on your resume.
Here are examples of proven resumes in related jobs and industries, approved by experienced hiring managers. Use them as inspiration when you're writing your own resume. You can even download and edit the resume template in Google Docs.
An IT System Administrator is a specialized System Administrator that is in charge of designing, organizing, changing, and supporting the computer systems, as well as solving problems related to LAN, Wide Area Networks, and other networking areas. Using strong action verbs to convey your leadership will help you to continually advance from junior to senior positions. Also, including the most important IT skills will help your resume to stand out.
Starting your bullet points with verbs such as, “Collaborated,” “Trained,” and “Supported” will show employers that you have solid experience training and managing other teams or employees. By taking on responsibilities like this, you are also showing that you’re capable of advancing and managing at a higher level.
IT System Administrators are more focused on administrative tasks within the IT department so focus on your skills on those. Look at the job description for required skills that you should include in your skills sections and the rest of your resume. For example, in IT, “Linux,” “Networking,” and “SharePoint” are common.
A Junior System Administrator needs to assist other administrators with setting up, maintaining the computer databases and making sure that everything is operating well. In your resume you can use the keyword of the job title you are applying for and add any relevant certifications after the skills section of your resume. Remember you don’t need to include everything, just the jobs, skills, and certifications relevant to the position.
Especially if you don’t have much system administration experience, it might be worth including the specific job role of “Junior System Administrator” at the top of the resume, ensuring that you will pass the automated screeners. In this case, the resume is targeted to this particular role, and focuses on past experience in the exact same position.
If you have a specific certification that is relevant to the position, include it in your resume. This could be an online course or a bootcamp you completed — including an online course is an opportunity to add in relevant sysadmin or networking skills to your resume that you otherwise might not have in your work experience.
Unlike generalist System Administrator roles, a Linux System Administrator is focused specifically on skills involving the Linux operating system — for example, installing and setting up Linux servers and systems. A resume like this can emphasize your advanced education in Computer Science and also references your vast experience working with Linux systems. Your bullet points can draw attention to common industry jargon.
If you have a specific degree that employers are looking for or have an advanced degree make sure that this is emphasized in your education section of your resume. For example, this resume shows both a Bachelor’s degree and a Master’s degree in Computer Science which will certainly impress companies. Remember your degree might be a keyword that the screeners want.
As you can see in this resume, any direct experience should be prominently displayed. For a specialized role like this, use language that is specific to the role or field with metrics and clear examples.
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.”
A Salesforce administrator is an IT professional that helps companies use the software at its fullest potential. Salesforce is not necessarily a complex interface, but it has so many functions that beginners can feel confused and they’re not able to enjoy all its benefits. This is when the Salesforce administrator can help you. They know how the software operates and can help stakeholders transform their needs into handy tools. A Salesforce administrator can create a personalized dashboard, set alerts, create reports, and onboard colleagues on the platform. Their goal is to optimize the sales cycle. To become a Salesforce administrator, you don’t need a tech background. You can learn online through courses or bootcamps. Salesforce offers technical training for complete beginners, so you can begin your journey there.
Salesforce offers certifications that can help you validate your skills. They are highly recognized in the industry, and since it’s provided by a reputable source, you’ll seem more reliable to recruiters. If you have any Salesforce certifications, don’t forget to add them to your resume.
One of the best things you can do to impress recruiters is to show proof of your results with previous clients. You can explain how your work positively impacted sales or how you were able to optimize operations for the sales team.
A junior Salesforce administrator’s duties include providing basic support to customers, entry-level management of Salesforce operations, and maintaining customer data. They can also manage assignments in the platform and profile data for internal users. Junior salesforce administrators are also responsible for generating reports and conducting tests on the platform. Considering this is an entry-level job, junior Salesforce administrators work under the supervision of more experienced colleagues. During their work experience, they will learn from daily operations and can aspire to higher roles in the organization.
As a junior Salesforce administrator, you may not have extensive experience in the industry. That’s why filling the “work experience” section may be challenging. However, it doesn’t have to stop you from getting an entry-level Salesforce admin job. All you need to do is include personal or academic projects you’ve done in the past. This will help recruiters understand your value despite not having much industry experience.
Your transferrable skills can help you highlight your potential, especially if you don’t have relevant industry experience. They are skills that can be used in multiple jobs. Some junior Salesforce administration job posts mention skills such as time management, analytical thinking, and knowledge of tools like Google Drive Suite and Excel.
Some popular System Administrator hard skills are System Administration, Windows Server, Active Directory, Networking, Domain Name System (DNS), Servers, Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) and VMware.
Depending on the job you apply to, skills like Powershell, Windows, Linux, Troubleshooting and Network Administration can also be good to include on your resume.
If you are writing a Learning Management System Administrator resume, try to emphasize skills like Learning Management Systems, E-Learning, Instructional Design, Articulate Storyline, Captivate, Cornerstone, SAP Successfactors and Learning Management.
Similarly, if you are writing a Geographic Information System Administrator resume, emphasize skills like ArcGIS Server, ESRI, Cartography, ArcGIS Products, ArcMap, Spatial Analysis, Spatial Databases and Global Positioning System (GPS).
Depending on the specific role you apply to, you may need to emphasize different skill sets. Here are a few examples:
While the keywords above are a good indication of what skills you need on your resume, you should try to find additional keywords that are specific to the job. To do this, use the free Targeted Resume tool. It analyzes the job you are applying to and finds the most important keywords you need on your resume.
It is personalized to your resume, and is the best way to ensure your resume will pass the automated resume filters.
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Thank you for the checklist! I realized I was making so many mistakes on my resume that I've now fixed. I'm much more confident in my resume now.
