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This free ATS resume checker for system administrators compares your resume with the 20 keywords that appear most often in System Administrator job posts, then checks your sections, formatting, contact details and bullet points. Paste a real job description in the tool for an exact match.
System administrators keep servers, users and infrastructure running for companies of every size. ATS filters look for Windows Server, Linux, Active Directory, virtualisation, backups, networking and increasingly cloud (Azure, AWS) and Microsoft 365. Recruiters want the size of the environment, uptime, patching and backup success, and automation that saved time. Certifications such as RHCSA, MCSA-era Microsoft certs, AZ-104 and CCNA strengthen applications.
Top 20 System Administrator resume keywords
These are the skills and tools the checker looks for when you don't paste a job description. Add the ones you genuinely have to your Skills section and use them in bullet points.
- Windows Server
- Linux
- Active Directory
- Group Policy
- Virtualization
- Backup and Recovery
- Patch Management
- Networking
- DNS
- DHCP
- Shell Scripting
- Monitoring
- VMware
- Hyper-V
- Microsoft 365
- Azure
- AWS
- PowerShell
- Bash
- Veeam
Sections to include in a System Administrator resume
Use standard headings so the ATS can map your information correctly. For system administrators, these sections matter most:
- Summary: Mention environment size (servers, users, sites), OS mix and cloud exposure.
- Experience: Quantify uptime, patch compliance, backup success, tickets and automation savings.
- Certifications: RHCSA, AZ-104, AWS SysOps, CCNA — list with year.
- Skills: Separate OS, directory/identity, virtualisation, cloud, backup and scripting.
Common System Administrator resume mistakes
- No environment size or scale.
- Missing cloud and Microsoft 365 skills that modern JDs expect.
- No automation or scripting examples.
- Leaving out backup and disaster recovery work.
- Listing desktop support tasks as the main experience for a server role.
Sample System Administrator resume bullet point
Administered 120 Windows and Linux servers and 1,500 user accounts across 4 offices with 99.9% uptime.
Why it works: it starts with an action verb, names the tools a System Administrator ATS search looks for, and ends with a measurable result. Rewrite your own bullets in the same shape — action + tool or skill + result. Find more examples on our System Administrator keywords page.