I have five years of experience as an IT technician across three jobs and a bachelor's degree in Computer Information Technology. My background includes imaging, hardware and software troubleshooting, Active Directory, some scripting, Microsoft 365, and SCCM. I've also taken classes covering Azure, Entra, Intune, Google Cloud, and similar platforms, but I haven't had much hands-on responsibility with them.
I'm trying to move into a systems administrator role, but job postings often ask for several years of cloud, identity, endpoint management, networking, virtualization, or Linux experience. It's discouraging to apply and receive no response, and I'm unsure whether certifications would make a meaningful difference. Should I focus on certifications, build a homelab, look for junior systems administrator or managed service provider roles, or try to gain more responsibilities in my current job? I'd appreciate advice on how to present my existing experience and bridge the gaps employers are looking for.
5 Answers
A managed service provider can be a useful bridge because you’re likely to encounter servers, networking, backups, identity, endpoint management, and cloud systems in the same role. Smaller internal IT teams can provide similar exposure. Also search specifically for junior systems administrator, infrastructure technician, endpoint administrator, and escalation technician positions instead of applying only to jobs titled “systems administrator.” You aren’t expected to design an entire environment from scratch in a junior role.
Certifications won’t replace experience, but they can help your resume pass screening and show that you have a focused plan. Since your background already includes Microsoft technologies, consider a targeted certification such as AZ-104 for Azure administration or MD-102 for endpoint management. A networking certification like CCNA can also help if networking is a weakness. Avoid collecting broad certifications without building practical experience alongside them.
Exactly. Configure things such as Entra identity, conditional access, Intune policies, device enrollment, and a few PowerShell automations. Document the goal, steps, security choices, and outcome so it demonstrates more than simply completing a course.
The lack of responses may be more about resume positioning and automated screening than your qualifications. Tailor each resume to the posting and use accurate keywords for the tools you have actually used. Describe projects and outcomes rather than listing only duties. Cloud administration is also a possible long-term path without waiting for a perfect traditional sysadmin job first; you can build cloud experience through labs, targeted projects, and entry-level cloud or endpoint roles while continuing to apply for junior infrastructure positions.
Hands-on practice will help turn your broad knowledge into evidence. A home lab can cover virtualization, Windows Server, Active Directory, DNS, DHCP, Group Policy, PowerShell, Linux, and basic networking. You should also look for opportunities to work with firewalls, VLANs, storage, backups, Hyper-V or VMware, and monitoring. Start with PowerShell because it connects directly to your existing AD and SCCM experience, then add Linux, Python, and Git as you move toward infrastructure or cloud roles.
Rework your resume so it highlights systems-level work rather than only frontline support. Instead of saying you troubleshot user computers, emphasize the broader impact: managing Active Directory groups and policies, deploying software through SCCM or Intune, automating account or device tasks, and supporting changes that affected many users. If you’ve taken on responsibilities beyond your official title, describe those clearly and quantify the results where possible.
I’m currently studying for AZ-104. Would the best approach be to build a small lab, document what I configure, publish the write-ups or scripts in a code repository, and link that from my resume?