Computer Science Resume Examples and Templates
4 Best System Administrator Resume Examples and Templates for 2025
By Andrew Stoner
, Executive Resume Writer and Career Coach
Andrew Stoner
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Executive Resume Writer and Career Coach
Last Updated:
March 17, 2025
System Administrator Resume Templates and Examples (Download in App)
- System Administrator
- IT System Administrator
- Linux System Administrator
Network Systems Administrator Resume Example
A good system administrator resume focuses on your relevant skills like user support, server maintenance, or network security protocols. Give examples of your success as a system administrator or in similar roles, and show your knowledge base by citing any degree or certificate programs you’ve done. This guide provides expert tips to help you create a persuasive resume showing your best system administrator qualifications.
Key takeaways:
- Brainstorm details about your work history on a separate document or sheet of paper. Then, identify the most relevant ones to feature in your experience section – this helps you focus your resume on the system administrator role.
- Use bullet points to display your achievements. Start each bullet point with a strong verb like “Created” or “Enhanced.”
- Spell out the positive impact of your work as a system administrator. Describe how your efforts helped the wider organization achieve its goals.
How To Write a System Administrator Resume
A template can help you organize your career information for an effective system administrator resume. Your system administrator resume should usually include these sections:
- Contact information
- Profile
- Key skills
- Professional experience
- Education and certifications
Before starting work on your resume, jot down your preferences for your target job duties, industry, company size, or work culture. These notes will help you determine and emphasize your best career details as you develop each section.
1. Share your contact information
Give your full name, phone number, email address, location, and links to any online professional profiles. Ensure your current contact information so employers can reach you for an interview.
Example
Your Name
(123) 456-7890 | email@example.com | City, State Abbreviation Zip Code | LinkedIn
2. Craft an outstanding profile with a summary of your system administrator qualifications
Impress hiring managers at the top of your resume by giving the three to five primary reasons you can excel as their next system administrator. Consider what sets you apart from other candidates, such as your:
- Years of related work experience
- Main strengths or specialties
- Work style or approach (efficient, diligent, collaborative…)
- College degree(s) or certifications in your field
Example
A seasoned information technology (IT) system administrator with proven experience managing and monitoring systems and infrastructure, identifying and resolving performance bottlenecks, and enhancing network security at leading tech companies. Certified in Azure Administration, Network+, and Information Systems Security.
3. Showcase your system administrator experience
For each job in your recent work history, brainstorm your (possibly various) duties and achievements on a separate document or sheet of paper. Then, review your notes in light of your target job, and choose the most relevant ones to feature as bullet points in this section. You can create a detailed and focused experience section by filtering your information.
Example
Senior Linux System Administrator, International Business Machines (IBM), New York, NY | June 2016 – Present
- Maintained and optimized over 100 Linux servers, resulting in a 20% improvement in overall system performance
- Implemented a new security protocol that reduced system breaches by 30%
- Developed a comprehensive backup and recovery system, which has ensured 100% data recovery in instances of system failures
Resume writer's tip: Quantify your experience
When possible, cite relevant performance data and metrics to show the results you’ve achieved as a system administrator. Hard numbers put your work in context and give recruiters a better sense of your scope and impact.
Resume writer's tip: Tailor your resume to each application
For each job posting you respond to, note any details about the hiring organization’s size, industry, customer base, or products and services. How do these areas compare to your recent experience? You can make a stronger first impression on the hiring manager by citing these similarities in your profile.
For instance, say the company is in manufacturing. You could enhance your profile by changing your first line from “Manager with seven years of experience” to “Manager with seven years of experience including three years in manufacturing.”
What if you need to gain experience as a system administrator?
Writing a resume can be hard if you don’t have real-world experience. But remember, you still have valuable skills and knowledge from your education and training. Include any relevant coursework you’ve done or certifications you’ve earned. Also, describe volunteer work or internships you’ve completed in your field, and emphasize your work ethic and willingness to learn. By focusing on these qualities, you can show you’d be an asset to any team.
4. Outline your education and system administrator-related certifications
With the education and certifications sections, you can show you have a strong knowledge base in your field. Cite any credentials you’ve earned that speak to your abilities as a system administrator. Below are templates and examples to help you organize this information on your resume (note, years are optional).
Education
Template:
[Degree Name], [School Name], [City, State Abbreviation] | [Graduation Year]
[Relevant coursework or honors]
Example:
Bachelor of Science in IT, Stanford University, Stanford, CA
Certifications
Template:
[Certification Name] | [Awarding Organization] | [Completion Date]
Examples:
Cisco Certified Network Professional (CCNP), Cisco
5. Outline your most useful system administrator skills and proficiencies
A skills section lets you quickly show how to add value to an organization. It also helps your resume perform well on applicant tracking systems (ATS) employers use to screen candidates. Below, you’ll find some key terms and skills to consider for this section:
| Key Skills and Proficiencies | |
|---|---|
| Database management | Network configuration and management |
| Network maintenance | Network security protocols |
| Policy development | Security management |
| Server maintenance | Shell scripting and automation |
| System backup and recovery | System monitoring |
| System upgrades | Technical troubleshooting |
| User support | |
Resume writer’s tip: Use common action verbs
One of the best ways to enhance your resume is by starting each bullet point with a strong action verb. Dynamic verbs help you make your resume clearer, more concise, and more engaging than with nouns or noun phrases.
Do
- "Managed and motivated a 12-person team "
Don’t
- "Responsibilities included management of a 12-person team "
The following list can help you find a good mix of action verbs for your system administrator resume:
| Action Verbs | |
|---|---|
| Created | Decreased |
| Enhanced | Fostered |
| Generated | Grew |
| Improved | Increased |
| Introduced | Lowered |
| Managed | Prevented |
| Ranked | Reduced |
| Streamlined | Updated |
| Won | |
How To Pick the Best System Administrator Resume Template
The best resume templates are simple and easy to edit. Choose one that lets you quickly add, delete, flesh out, rearrange, and reorder sections. With a flexible design, you can tailor and optimize your resume for each job application.
System Administrator Text-Only Resume Templates and Examples
Yaling Zhang
Seattle, WA 12345 | (123) 456-7890 | email@example.com | LinkedIn
A highly skilled system administrator with a strong educational background in computer science and IT from prestigious institutions and over four years of experience in top tech companies like IBM and Google. Proven track record in network maintenance, system monitoring, user support, and database management, with significant achievements in improving system efficiency and reducing failures.
Education
Bachelor of Science in Computer Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA
Bachelor of Science in IT, Stanford University, Stanford, CA
Master of Network Administration, University of California, Berkeley, CA
Key Skills
- Network maintenance
- System monitoring
- User support
Professional Experience
Senior System Administrator, IBM, New York, NY | June 2017 – Present
- Maintained and optimized the company’s network system, resulting in a 20% increase in system efficiency
- Monitored the system’s performance, identified potential issues, and implemented solutions, reducing system failures by 30%
- Provided technical support to over 500 employees, resolving issues promptly and improving overall user experience (UX)
System Administrator, Google, Mountain View, CA | June 2016 – May 2017
- Managed and configured the company’s network, improving performance by 15%
- Demonstrated expertise in various operating systems (OS), contributing to the smooth running of the company’s IT infrastructure
- Handled database management effectively, ensuring data integrity and security
Professional Development
- CompTIA Server+ Certification, Computing Technology Industry Association (CompTIA)
- Microsoft Certified: Azure Administrator Associate, Microsoft
- Red Hat Certified System Administrator (RHCSA), Red Hat
Why this system administrator resume example is strong:
This resume’s experience section contains impressive performance data, showing how the candidate made a positive impact on past employers.
Frequently Asked Questions: System Administrator Resume Examples and Advice
How do you align your resume with a system administrator job posting?
First, look closely at the job post text and note any repeated or emphasized words. Compare these phrases to the language you're using in your resume, particularly the profile and key skills sections. Then, seek ways to align your resume language with the job posting while not copying phrases or misstating your background. For example, if the organization seeks someone collaborative, call out that aspect of your experience in your profile. Or say the company has many non-English speaking customers. Cite your foreign language skills in your profile and as a separate section farther down the document. With adjustments like these, you can make your resume more relevant to each opportunity.
What is the best system administrator resume format?
The combination or hybrid format merges a functional resume's profile section with a chronological resume's experience section. Most modern resumes (including the ones on this page) follow this format because it gives hiring managers the clearest view of an applicant's strengths and work history.
Expert advice:
Include a cover letter with your resume
A good cover letter can enhance your job application. To write a standout letter, get specific. Tell the hiring manager why you’re interested in their organization and the system administrator role they hope to fill.
Check Out Related Examples
Executive Resume Writer and Career Coach
Andrew Stoner is an executive career coach and resume writer with 17 years of experience as a hiring manager and operations leader at two Fortune 500 Financial Services companies, and as the career services director at two major university business schools.
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