Network Administrator Resume Sample & Writing Guide [+20 Examples]

Network administrators are responsible for implementing and maintaining IT network systems. The duties usually found in a network administrator resume include diagnosing company network issues, managing hardware inventory, and creating documentation.

In a second, you'll see an ideal resume for network administrator positions. In less than 5 minutes you'll know how to write one yourself.

But picture this first:

You just found a $100 bill.

What's even better?

Earning that much per hour as a network administrator.

Add benefits, profit sharing, and free food, and you're in systemtopia.

Those jobs exist, but it takes a rare network admin resume to bag them.

This guide will show you:

• A network administrator resume example better than 9 out of 10 other resumes.
• How to write a network administrator resume that lands more interviews.
• Tips and examples of how to put skills and achievements on a network administrator resume.
• How to describe your experience on a resume for a network administrator to get any job you want.

Here's a sample resume for a network administrator made using our resume builder.

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Sample Network Administrator Resume—See more templates and create your resume here.

1

What's the Best Format for a Network Administrator Resume?

Let's say you meet a hiring manager.

Her name's Charlene.

She's looking for a network admin, and the pay is through the roof.

You've got 30 seconds to convince her.

So, you kick back, light a cigarette, and say, "I've led a long and fascinating life."

No.

You must get to the point at 5G speeds.

So, pick the reverse-chronological layout. It's the best network administrator resume format. Why?

Because it front-loads your best achievements.

Use clear fonts (no comic sans). Include white space and big headings to save the manager's eyesight.

Last, should you save your resume as a PDF or MS Word doc?

The old advice says, "Don't submit network administrator resume PDFs."

That's legacy wisdom, from back when PDFs weren't machine readable. Today, they're fine unless the network administrator job description says otherwise.

Pro Tip: How long should a resume be for a network admin? A one-page resume is usually best. If you've got a ton of experience and need to show it, go longer.

Want to cycle through other network admin resume formats? See our guide: 3 Resume Formats: How to Choose the Best One [Examples]

Ever seen a rat's nest of server cables that looks like it could eat a pirate ship?

That's what most resumes look like to a hiring manager.

Clean yours up with a well-written resume summary or resume objective.

A resume summary is for applicants with bundles of experience. It shares a screenshot of your network-admin skills.

A resume objective is for those with unconfigured work histories. It shows energy and passion.

Either way, pack it with enough experience to make Larry Ellison say, "Wow!"

Use these two senior network admin resume examples to guide you:

Network Administrator Resume Examples [Resume Summaries]

Let's say you had to pick from these two network admin resume samples:

That's not exactly "all your base are belong to us," but it won't drench you in interviews either.

Do it like this IT network administrator resume summary instead:

You'd better polish your interview shoes, because you'll be needing them.

When making a resume in our builder, drag & drop bullet points, skills, and auto-fill the boring stuff. Spell check? Check. Start building your resume here.

Create my resume now

When you’re done, Zety’s resume builder will score your resume and tell you exactly how to make it better.

But what if you have less experience than Mr. Bean? Just let these entry-level network administrator resume samples point the way.

Two Entry-Level Network Administrator Resume Objectives

Still a junior network administrator with no experience to list on your resume?

The experts used to say, "then write a resume objective!"

It works by showing passion. Moxie. Chutzpah!

But it works better if you add achievements.

Wow. 500 Internal Server Error, right?

But plug in a few details, and your entry-level network admin resume can start like this:

Zap! The hiring manager is reading your email address.

But wait, how did a noob get that kind of system admin experience?

I'll show that next.

Pro Tip: Don't have a lot of experience? Consider getting a CCNA certification from Cisco. It'll port you ahead of all the other entry-level network administrator resumes.

Put the right accomplishments in your network administrator resume summary or resume objective. You'll get more interviews. See our guides:

How To Write A Resume Summary: 21 Best Examples You Will See

+20 Resume Objective Examples - Use Them on Your Resume (Tips)

How do you prove you're a great network administrator?

You show you've nailed it.

Your network administrator has to do that if you want to get the best jobs.

So, link it to the job description like a T3 line.

How?

By:

• Reading the job offer
• Highlighting the critical keywords in it
• Proving you can deliver in your bullet points.

The senior network admin resume examples below show how.

Network Administrator Resume Examples [Experience]

Look at the first of these senior network administrator resume samples:

The hiring manager just spilled coffee on her copy of Network Warrior. Your A+ network admin resume just rocked her world.

But don't do this:

All blah and no bandwidth. Like an active hub that's gone inactive.

Accomplishments are critical.

Don't have them? Peek at the next two junior network administrator resume examples.

How to Write a Resume for a Network Administrator with no Experience

First the bad news:

Nobody will make you the head network administrator with no experience.

The good news?

You can up your entry-level game. Just add experience to your junior network administrator resume.

Where can you get experience if you don't have it?

• Take a few short-term freelance network administrator jobs. Small companies need network help, especially when setting up.
• Ping local NOCs to see if they need help.
• Sign up as a student admin with your school's IT department.
• Sift through previous jobs to see if you've filled network admin duties. Did you install upgrades, add users, or reset routers? Those are network admin tasks. You can list them on a resume for a network administrator.

You can even make your own test environment and add that as a bullet point.

The next two jr. network administrator resume examples show how.

Two Network Administrator Resume Samples [No Experience]

This first sample network administrators resume is offline:

Argh. System crash.

But install a few details, and you're up and running with a system administrator resume like this:

Nice. You're an accidental administrator.

What achievements can you put in a Windows network administrator resume like that?

Pro Tip: Can't find entry-level network admin resume experience? Hunt for freelance work online. Small companies often need help with even simple networking tasks.

Action words can raise the uptime on your network admin resume. That can mean more interviews. See our guide: +80 Examples of Resume Action Words for Every Profession

The system admin world is littered with big degrees that don't amount to much.

Your network administrator resume must show your education isn't just a piece of paper.

Start with:

• College Name and Location.
• Years in School.
• Degree.

Then read the job description carefully. Find school accomplishments that link to it as if by TCP/IP.

Exhibit A? These computer network administration resume examples:

Network Administrator Resume Examples [Education]

See these two sample network administrator resume sections? They target a position that values Cisco, security, and leadership.

That's not some generic sys admin. It's Brad Hedlund or Dennis Moore fresh out of school.

Now look at the second of our IT network administrator resume examples.

No wonder you're having trouble establishing a connection.

But add a couple details, and you're back up in the Cisco zone.

Pro Tip: You don't need a full network administrator degree to write a great resume. A postsecondary certificate or associate's degree does fine in most cases.

Is listing GPA a system requirement for a good network administrator resume? Find the answer in our guide: How to Put Your Education on a Resume [Tips & Examples]

Remember our hiring manager, Charlene?

She cares about your skills to the exclusion of all else.

But how does she know you have them?

You have to prove them in your network administrator resume.

Take a look at these two system network admin resume examples.

Network Administrator Resume Examples [Skills]

This first sample network administration skill section is so dialup:

Wow, look at all those network skills! It's almost like you just cut-and-pasted them from an article.

In fact, a lot of people do that. Hiring managers can see through it like S.H.E.I.L.D.'s flying aircraft carrier.

But can you really prove you have those skills in a network administrator resume?

Let's say the position values vendor management, Windows 2012 server skills, UPS installation, and efficiency.

List those in your resume. Add a couple more so you're not pandering.

Then you pick your bullet points to match.

Who's this? The guy who wrote the Cisco IOS Cookbook? That's not just a network administrator skills list. It's a ticket to the interview.

Use the skills below to initialize the process.

List of Skills to Put on a Network Administrator Resume

Get started with this IT network administrator resume skills list.

They all make great network administration resume keywords.

Find others in network admin job descriptions on the interwebz.

With the plan above, any resume for a network administrator can look like Vint Cerf wrote it.

Technical skills for network administrator resumes are changing all the time. Double-check the list above against the job description.

Pro Tip: If you're new, level-up your skills with Cisco training. Then apply to smaller companies. You'll be earning an entry-level network administrator salary in no time.

Want to use best practices for your network administration resume skills section? See our guide: +30 Best Examples of What Skills to Put on a Resume (Proven Tips)

The manager will hire you based on your Network+ certification, right?

Well, wrong.

Network administrator certifications aren't the end-all, be-all.

But they do add to a network administration resume. That's especially true for entry-level candidates.

The CCNA cert is probably the best one in the industry.

If you've got it, put it right after your name.

Then add it to your summary.

Last, add it to a special section near the top:

Putting your main cert in multiple locations builds redundancy.

No matter where the manager glances, she can see you've got the bandwidth.

Pro Tip: Want to get your CCNA certification? It looks great on a resume for network administration. Start with the CCENT exam, then take the ICND2.

One slipup on a network admin resume can bork your job search. See our guide: How to List Certifications on a Resume: Guide (+20 Examples)

Let's peek in on our hiring manager, Charlene.

She's not hiring a robot.

She wants experience and education. But she also wants to know your level of commitment.

Show her with special "other sections" in your resume.

These two Windows network administrator resume examples show how.

Network Administrator Resume Examples [Other Sections]

There's nothing wrong with building labyrinths and liking Daenerys Targaryen.

But they don't boot up your network admin powers.

But look at this upgraded network administrator resume example:

Now that's a network administrator you'd want to hire. Even the jogging club helps since it shows leadership and fitness.

But with a little configuring, anyone can have an IT system administrator resume like that.

Pro Tip: There's no "typical day" for a system administrator. So, make sure your network administrator resume shows lots of different accomplishments.

What else belongs on a resume for network administration besides experience and education? See our guide: What To Put On A Resume To Make It Perfect [Tips & Examples]

Should you write a cover letter for a network administrator resume?

So many experts say no.

That's because most cover letters just say, "Here's my resume."

Want to land more interviews? Then don't write a generic network administrator cover letter.

Make yours so personal and passionate that Robert Kahn would hire you.

First, use the hiring manager's name.

Next, show you're synced up with her challenges.

Last, share an achievement that proves how you can help.

Let this sample network administration cover letter guide you:

Network Administrator Cover Letter Example

End your cover letter with an offer. Try something like, "Can we schedule a call to discuss network excellence at Colby-AG?"

Pro Tip: Think interpersonal skills don't count on a resume for network administration? They're huge. Consider taking an online class or reading a few books on EQ.

Plus, a great cover letter that matches your resume will give you an advantage over other candidates. You can write it in our cover letter builder here. Here's what it may look like:

See more cover letter templates and start writing.

Need to start your network administrator cover letter off at Hello World? See our guide: How To Write A Cover Letter in 8 Simple Steps (+12 Examples)

You already know to add:

• Full Name
• Updated Phone Number
• Professional Email Address

Like so:

Steve Ionescu, CCNA, stevezionescu@gmail.com, 630-566-0435

But did you know to add a well-made LinkedIn profile to your resume contact info?

These days, 87% of recruiters use LinkedIn to learn more about job applicants.

Make sure yours is up to par. Take it a step beyond your computer network admin resume. That means it has to prove your Robert Metcalf-level network powers.

How? See our guide to optimizing your LinkedIn profile here.

Pro Tip: Don't let that Dokken vs Slayer argument seven years ago sink your chance at getting hired. Clean up your online presence before recruiters see it.

Need install instructions for an IT network administration resume? See our guide: How to Make a Resume: A Step-by-Step Guide (+30 Examples)

That's all it takes to write a great network administrator resume that gets a ton of interviews. Remember:

• Read the network administrator job description carefully. Highlight all the qualities they're looking for.
• Cram your network admin resume bullet points with achievements. Make sure they match what's in the job offer.
• Add "other" sections that show you fit the job like Star Lord's mask. Those can be publications, conferences, or CCENT exam scores.

Do you have questions on how to write a great resume for a network administrator? Not sure how to describe your skills or achievements? Give us a shout in the comments! Let's start the conversation.