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Resume · System Administrator

System Administrator resume: the keywords, bullets and skills to prove.

Built from what the job actually involves: the core duties, the skills and tools rated most important, and bullet formulas you fill with your own numbers. No made-up example person.

Updated Oct 24, 2026 · Data: O*NET 31.0

[Your name]

System Administrator · [city] · [email] · [phone]
Experience
[Employer] · System Administrator · [dates]
  • Planned, coordinated, and implemented network security measures to protect data, software, and hardware for [scale: how many, how often]; [result you can prove].
  • Performed data backups and disaster recovery operations for [scale: how many, how often]; [result you can prove].
  • Diagnosed, troubleshooted, and resolved hardware, software, or other network and system problems for [scale: how many, how often]; [result you can prove].
Skills
Ansible software, Microsoft Active Directory, Firewall software, Amazon DynamoDB, Amazon Web Services AWS CloudFormation, Apache Cassandra
Quick answer

A strong System Administrator resume proves the core duties of the job with results: perform data backups and disaster recovery operations; configure, monitor, and maintain email applications or virus protection software; and confer with network users about solutions to existing system problems. Name the tools employers look for, such as Ansible software, Microsoft Active Directory, Firewall software, inside the bullets where you used them. The skills rated most important for the role are troubleshooting, judgment and decision making and systems analysis (O*NET).

Annotated

Why these lines work

Data Each line maps to a core task rated important by workers in the role. Hover or tap a note.

  1. 1
    Core duty, provenPlan, coordinate, and implement network security measures to protect…Rated one of the most important tasks for the role (O*NET). The bracketed parts are where your own numbers go.
  2. 2
    Core duty, provenPerform data backups and disaster recovery operationsRated one of the most important tasks for the role (O*NET). The bracketed parts are where your own numbers go.
  3. 3
    Core duty, provenDiagnose, troubleshoot, and resolve hardware, software, or other…Rated one of the most important tasks for the role (O*NET). The bracketed parts are where your own numbers go.
Advice Section order for this role
  1. Summary
  2. Experience
  3. Skills
  4. Education
  5. Licenses and certifications

Experience leads because the role is Job Zone 3: employers expect proof of prior work.

Weak vs strong

System Administrator bullets, rewritten

  • Plan,Responsible for plan, coordinate, and implement network security measures to protect data…Planned, coordinated, and implemented network security measures to protect data, software, and hardware, [how many / how often], which [result: time saved, errors cut, revenue, people served].
  • PerformResponsible for perform data backups and disaster recovery operationsPerformed data backups and disaster recovery operations, [how many / how often], which [result: time saved, errors cut, revenue, people served].
  • Diagnose…Responsible for diagnose, troubleshoot, and resolve hardware, software, or other network and…Diagnosed, troubleshooted, and resolved hardware, software, or other network and system problems, [how many / how often], which [result: time saved, errors cut, revenue, people served].
  • MaintainResponsible for maintain and administer computer networks and related computing environments…Maintained and administered computer networks and related computing environments, including computer hardware, systems software, applications software, and all configurations, [how many / how often], which [result: time saved, errors cut, revenue, people served].

Advice Fill every highlighted bracket with something true and checkable. If you can't, choose a different duty.

Keyword map

Words that belong on a System Administrator resume

Data Tools reported for the role (with O*NET demand flags), the most important skills and knowledge areas. Use the ones that are true for you.

  • Ansible softwareTool · In demand
  • Microsoft Active DirectoryTool · In demand
  • Firewall softwareTool · In demand
  • Amazon DynamoDBTool · Hot technology
  • Amazon Web Services AWS CloudFormationTool · Hot technology
  • Apache CassandraTool · Hot technology
  • Apache HadoopTool · Hot technology
  • Apache HiveTool · Hot technology
  • Apache Subversion SVNTool · Hot technology
  • Atlassian JIRATool · Hot technology
  • TroubleshootingSkill · importance 4.0/5
  • Judgment and Decision MakingSkill · importance 4.0/5
  • Systems AnalysisSkill · importance 4.0/5
  • Systems EvaluationSkill · importance 4.0/5
  • Active ListeningSkill · importance 4.0/5
  • Complex Problem SolvingSkill · importance 3.9/5
  • Computers and ElectronicsKnowledge
  • TelecommunicationsKnowledge
  • Customer and Personal ServiceKnowledge
  • English LanguageKnowledge
  • Administration and ManagementKnowledge
Skills to prove

How central each skill is to the job

Data O*NET importance, 1 to 5.

Troubleshooting
4.0
Judgment and Decision Making
4.0
Systems Analysis
4.0
Systems Evaluation
4.0
Active Listening
4.0
Complex Problem Solving
3.9
Reading Comprehension
3.9
Before you send it

System Administrator resume checklist

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FAQ

Common questions

What skills should I put on a System Administrator resume?
Lead with the skills O*NET rates most important for the role: Troubleshooting, Judgment and Decision Making, Systems Analysis, Systems Evaluation, Active Listening. Show each one inside a bullet, not only in the skills list.
What keywords should a System Administrator resume include?
Tools and terms from the job description first. For this occupation the commonly reported tools include Ansible software, Microsoft Active Directory, Firewall software, Amazon DynamoDB, Amazon Web Services AWS CloudFormation, Apache Cassandra.
Should I use a resume template?
A simple single-column layout with standard headings is safest for applicant tracking systems. Design matters less than what each bullet proves.
Method

How this page is built

Duties, skills, knowledge and tools come from O*NET 31.0 for the occupation. Bullet scaffolds rewrite O*NET task statements in the past tense and leave every number for you to fill in. Section order follows the role's O*NET Job Zone.

What this page can't tell you
  • What a specific employer screens for: always mirror the job description.
  • Your results: we never invent numbers.
Sources
  1. O*NET 31.0 Database, U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. TryHired selected, ranked and combined the data; O*NET is not responsible for these pages.
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