Over the years, the work of a network administrator has become more complex and demanding. Networking once met, coordinating an internet server, print server, and perhaps a few more hosts. Today, you must have the skills required to ensure connectivity and security across multiple physical, virtual, and cloud-based servers — all bundled into one complex environment.
Fortunately, you have the skills to do that, what you’re missing is a rewarding job that compensates you well. Network administrators earn a median salary of $60,000 per year. Though compensation varies a lot by location and company type. If you are ready to move to a more prestigious employer, you’ll need an awesome network administrator resume.
You’ve come to the right place. We’ve compiled some great tips for you to use when writing your resume. Read all the way to the end to see a top-notch network administrator resume example.
Always Use A Skills Section
Even if you have significant work experience, you should enhance your resume by adding a detailed skills section to the top of your resume. By doing this, you can give your most relevant skills, based on the job listing, top-billing. Further down, you can contextualize those skills in the employment history section of your resume.
Organize Your Skills By Type
Rather than simply using a lengthy, bulleted list of your skills, make things a bit easier to read and interpret. For example, you could group your skills by operating system, languages, networking tools, administrative skills, and soft skills.
Enhance Your Resume Summary With Keywords
Write a concise professional summary that details how you will use your skills and experience if you are hired to do this job. Then, add in some relevant keywords to grab the hiring manager’s attention. Pull these directly from the job listing, so the hiring manager sees your resume and realizes you are a “fit”.
Apart from the summary and skills secretions, sprinkle in some left-over keywords throughout the copy too. But keep the usage moderate. You want to sound like an actual human being, not a computer algorithm.
Add In Some Action Words
Try using a few of the words from this list to make your resume a bit more dynamic:
- Maintain
- Configure
- Establish
- Create
- Maintain
- Support
- Analyze
- Repair
- Design
- Research
- Monitor
- Calculate
- Upgrade
- Install
These action-oriented words will add more impact to your resume. We also have a separate list of jumbo-sized action verbs and nouns to strengthen your copy even further!
Leave Off Unnecessary Information
Your resume may already be in danger of being too long. After you include your skills, education, certifications, and other important points, your resume may already be a page long at least. Don’t add to that by including unnecessary biographical information or irrelevant hobbies and interests.
Remember That Design Is A Selling Point
Your resume should be attractive and easy to read. Someone skimming your resume should be able to find the information they want quickly. Use formatting techniques to enhance readability. Add bullet points, subheadings, bold print, and plenty of white space. You can also save yourself the time it takes to create your own resume layout and use a professional resume template.
Focus on Responsibilities and Accomplishments
Don’t make the mistake of listing all of your duties for each job. Instead, take a results-oriented approach. What were you in charge of, and what did you accomplish?
For example, don’t write that you installed and updated firewall software? Instead, write that you were responsible for maintaining the security and operability of your company’s internet server.
Resume Example for a Network Admin (Word version)
Here is a resume sample for an experienced network administrator. Feel free to use it as a guide. It showcases some excellent practices.
Download resume example (.docx)
Network Administrator Resume Sample (text version)
Professional Summary
Experienced, dedicated network administrator with proven ability to maintain complex, mission-critical networks while maximizing availability, and ensuring scalability. Looking to join a growing organization that is in need of my skills
List Of Skills
- Window And Unix Server Administration
- Ethernet
- X.25
- Network Monitoring
- Performance Analysis
- Upgrades/Maintenance/Moves
- Network Tools
- Cisco Certified
- Microsoft Certified
- SNA
- Frame Relay
- ISDN
Work Experience
Cleveland Library District
Network Administrator
July 2012 to Present
- Administered 40+ Servers in a Mixed Environment
- Provided Solutions For Connectivity And Performance Issues
- Supervised Network Updates
- Ensured IT Staff Remained Compliant With Company Networking Policies
- Conducted Regular Security And Usability Tests
- Created A Disaster Response Plan
University Of Iowa
Certified Networking Technician
April 2010 – July 2012
- Configured And Implemented 20 Servers In Support Of A Campus Expansion
- Worked With Network Administrator To Troubleshoot Performance And Security Issues
- Ensured The Integrity And Security Of User Devices
Education
Billings Technical Institute
Certification Of Completion
Network Administration
March 2010
GPA: 3.98
Member of the IT Security Student Association. Obtained A+ certification, MCSE, and CCNA certifications as well.
Final Thoughts: Check Your Spelling
It’s such a simple thing, but many people carelessly skip this step. Use your spellchecker, and manually double-check your writing as well. When you ensure that your resume is free from errors, you give a big indication that your work as a network admin will be just as focused, with no tolerance for inaccuracies.