Top 12 IT Support Skills to Put on Your Resume

In today's fast-paced tech environment, possessing a robust set of IT support skills is crucial for standing out in the job market. This article spotlights a dozen skills that catch hiring managers’ eyes and prove you can wrestle with gnarly issues while keeping systems humming.

IT Support Skills

1. Active Directory
2. PowerShell
3. Linux
4. Windows Server
5. Cisco Networking
6. VMware ESXi
7. AWS Cloud
8. Office 365
9. SQL Server
10. Python
11. ITIL Framework
12. Azure Cloud

1. Active Directory

Active Directory (AD) is Microsoft’s directory service for Windows domains. It centralizes identity, authentication, and authorization, making it easier to manage users, computers, and resources across an organization. In hybrid setups, it often pairs with Microsoft Entra ID (formerly Azure AD) for cloud identity.

Why It's Important

AD is the backbone for sign-on, policy enforcement, and access control. Centralization reduces chaos, tightens security, and speeds up day-to-day support.

How to Improve Active Directory Skills

Harden it, keep it tidy, and automate the boring parts.

1. Patch relentlessly: Keep domain controllers and OS builds updated to close holes and stabilize performance.

2. Strong authentication: Enforce robust password policies and require MFA. In hybrid, use Conditional Access in Entra ID.

3. Audit everything: Turn on advanced auditing, forward logs to a SIEM, and review sign-in anomalies and privilege changes.

4. Reduce attack surface: Remove stale accounts, disable then delete, and enable AD Recycle Bin for safer recoveries.

5. Structure with care: Use OUs and targeted GPOs. Keep GPOs lean, documented, and tested before broad rollout.

6. Least privilege: Apply a tiered admin model and Privileged Access Workstations for admins.

7. Resilience: Take regular system state backups and rehearse authoritative and non-authoritative restores.

8. Advanced protections: Deploy Microsoft Defender for Identity and smart lockout to detect and blunt attacks.

9. User education: Train people to spot phishing and report odd sign-in prompts immediately.

These habits make AD sturdier, faster, and less nerve-wracking to manage.

How to Display Active Directory Skills on Your Resume

2. PowerShell

PowerShell blends a command shell with a powerful scripting language. It’s a force multiplier for system administration, automation, and troubleshooting across Windows, Microsoft 365, Azure, and beyond.

Why It's Important

Automation wipes out repetitive toil, shrinks error rates, and speeds incident response. One script can touch a thousand machines without leaving your chair.

How to Improve PowerShell Skills

Write often, read more, and test like a skeptic.

1. Master the core: Pipelines, objects, cmdlets, providers, error handling. Live in Get-Help and Get-Command.

2. Module mindset: Learn to discover, install, and import modules. Build your own utility modules as you go.

3. Editor and tooling: Use VS Code with the PowerShell extension, PSReadLine, and script analyzers for linting.

4. Test and document: Add Pester tests, comment-based help, and examples to every meaningful script.

5. Secure by default: Sign scripts, restrict execution where needed, and apply Just Enough Administration (JEA).

6. Automate reality: Target daily tasks—account provisioning, patch checks, log parsing—and script them into muscle memory.

Consistency turns fragments into frameworks. Your future self will thank you.

How to Display PowerShell Skills on Your Resume

3. Linux

Linux powers servers, containers, and embedded gear everywhere. It’s stable, secure, and flexible—perfect for keeping critical services upright.

Why It's Important

It reduces downtime, scales without drama, and runs a broad swath of open-source and commercial software. A solid Linux hand makes mixed environments easier to tame.

How to Improve Linux Skills

Get comfortable on the console and build instincts for troubleshooting.

1. Command-line fluency: Files, permissions, processes, networking, packaging. Bash, grep, awk, sed—your toolbox.

2. System services: Manage with systemd. Use journalctl for logs. Understand boot targets and service dependencies.

3. Networking: ip, ss, nmcli or netplan. DNS basics, routing, and firewalling with firewalld or ufw/nftables.

4. Storage: LVM, filesystems, mounting, and backups. Know how to recover when disks misbehave.

5. Scripting: Bash for quick wins; Python for bigger lifts. Automate repeatable fixes.

6. Security: SSH hardening, sudo rules, patch cadence, and a working knowledge of SELinux/AppArmor.

7. Troubleshooting: Build lab VMs, break them on purpose, and fix them. Practice makes sticky knowledge.

Momentum matters. Small daily reps compound into real expertise.

How to Display Linux Skills on Your Resume

4. Windows Server

Windows Server anchors many corporate networks, hosting apps, files, identity services, and more.

Why It's Important

It offers a stable, scalable platform with deep management hooks and strong security capabilities, all familiar to enterprise teams.

How to Improve Windows Server Skills

Focus on hygiene, hardening, and observability.

1. Update cadence: Apply cumulative updates and security patches on a predictable schedule with rollback plans.

2. Role minimalism: Install only necessary roles/features. Fewer components mean fewer vulnerabilities.

3. AD best practices: Healthy DNS, time sync, and GPO discipline. Protect domain controllers like crown jewels.

4. Security baselines: Start with recommended baselines and tailor. Enable Microsoft Defender Antivirus and tamper protection.

5. RDP hardening: Require Network Level Authentication, limit exposure, and monitor sign-in events.

6. Monitoring: Performance Monitor, Event Viewer, and central log collection. Establish alerts on leading indicators.

7. Backups: Use Windows Server Backup or enterprise tools. Test restores—not just jobs—regularly.

8. Automation: Use PowerShell and, where appropriate, Desired State Configuration to keep fleets consistent.

A well-tuned server estate stays quiet. That’s the goal.

How to Display Windows Server Skills on Your Resume

5. Cisco Networking

Cisco gear—routers, switches, firewalls, and software—moves packets, shapes traffic, and secures the perimeter and core.

Why It's Important

Reliable networks keep apps responsive and users happy. Solid Cisco skills keep the lights green and the helpdesk quiet.

How to Improve Cisco Networking Skills

Learn the fundamentals, then practice until it’s reflex.

1. Foundations first: Subnetting, VLANs, STP, routing protocols, NAT, ACLs. Get these wired in your head.

2. Hands-on labs: Use Packet Tracer or a home lab to configure, break, and fix topologies.

3. Configuration hygiene: Standardize templates, version-control configs, and schedule backups.

4. Security: Port security, 802.1X, secure management (SSH, AAA), and sane default denies at boundaries.

5. Stay current: Track new features and recommended designs. Certs like CCNA/CCNP can give structure to your learning.

Repetition builds intuition. Intuition fixes things fast.

How to Display Cisco Networking Skills on Your Resume

6. VMware ESXi

VMware ESXi is a type-1 hypervisor that consolidates workloads onto fewer physical hosts, saving resources and simplifying lifecycle management.

Why It's Important

Virtualization boosts density, resiliency, and speed. IT support can snapshot, migrate, and recover workloads with far less friction.

How to Improve VMware ESXi Skills

Stability, performance, and recovery—dial them in.

1. Stay current: Use the latest supported ESXi and vCenter versions and patch with vSphere Lifecycle Manager.

2. Tune I/O: Configure Network I/O Control and Storage I/O Control. Right-size datastores and align queues.

3. Guest optimization: Install VMware Tools, keep VM hardware versions updated, and right-size vCPU and memory.

4. Lock it down: Role-based access control, Lockdown Mode, Secure Boot, TPM 2.0, and sensible certificate management.

5. Backup and DR: Use vSphere Replication and image-based backups from VADP-compatible tools. Test restores and failovers regularly.

6. Visibility: Enable vCenter alarms, centralize logs to syslog, and watch capacity trends.

When hosts behave and storage breathes, everything gets easier.

How to Display VMware ESXi Skills on Your Resume

7. AWS Cloud

Amazon Web Services (AWS) delivers on-demand compute, storage, databases, and more—global scale without the hardware headache.

Why It's Important

IT support can provision, monitor, and troubleshoot quickly, scaling up or down as demand whipsaws. High availability becomes achievable, not aspirational.

How to Improve AWS Cloud Skills

Security first, cost-aware always, automation everywhere.

1. IAM discipline: Least privilege roles, short-lived credentials, MFA, and guardrails with service control policies.

2. Observability: CloudWatch metrics, logs, and alarms. Centralize logging and create sane, targeted alerts.

3. Cost control: Budgets, Cost Explorer, rightsizing with Compute Optimizer, and reserved/savings plans where it pays.

4. Resilience: Automated backups, cross-Region replication where required, and disaster recovery runbooks you actually test.

5. Threat detection: Enable GuardDuty and review findings. Use Security Hub to aggregate posture across accounts.

6. Support and learning: Keep pace with service updates and consider a support plan for critical workloads.

Good tagging, clear naming, and IaC make multi-account setups sane.

How to Display AWS Cloud Skills on Your Resume

8. Office 365

Office 365—now Microsoft 365—bundles productivity apps, email, storage, and collaboration into a subscription you can manage from anywhere.

Why It's Important

Teams collaborate faster, data lives in secure cloud storage, and IT gets centralized controls to keep everything compliant and available.

How to Improve Office 365 Skills

Push adoption, tighten security, and streamline admin.

1. User enablement: Offer short, targeted training. Focus on Outlook, Teams, OneDrive, and SharePoint basics that save time.

2. Admin center habits: Monitor service health, message center updates, and release changes. Communicate what matters.

3. Security posture: Enforce MFA and Conditional Access. Track progress with Microsoft Secure Score. Use Defender for Office 365 protections.

4. Performance: Baseline client and network performance and review periodically. Fix routing, DNS, or proxy snags early.

5. Automation: Use PowerShell and Power Automate for onboarding/offboarding, license assignments, and policy enforcement.

6. Feedback loop: Run simple surveys, review usage analytics, and iterate on training and governance.

Small nudges compound into noticeable productivity gains.

How to Display Office 365 Skills on Your Resume

9. SQL Server

Microsoft SQL Server is a relational database engine for storing, querying, and protecting critical data across applications and analytics.

Why It's Important

Data runs the business. SQL Server provides reliability, security features, and performance tooling that keep apps responsive and trustworthy.

How to Improve SQL Server Skills

Tune queries, maintain indexes, and watch the right metrics.

1. Index strategy: Create, drop, or adjust indexes based on workload. Rebuild or reorganize as fragmentation creeps in.

2. Query tuning: Read execution plans, avoid RBAR patterns, and prefer set-based operations.

3. Statistics: Keep stats fresh. Enable auto update and supplement with targeted manual updates when needed.

4. Maintenance: Schedule DBCC CHECKDB, backups, and index maintenance during appropriate windows.

5. Monitor health: Use DMVs, wait stats, and Performance Monitor counters to spot bottlenecks.

6. TempDB: Size appropriately, add multiple data files, and separate disks where possible.

7. Resources: Set max server memory and watch CPU pressure. Separate noisy neighbors when necessary.

8. Partitioning: For very large tables, partition to improve manageability and, sometimes, performance.

9. Backups that restore: Full, differential, and log backups aligned with RPO/RTO. Test restores regularly.

10. Advisor tools: Use Database Engine Tuning Advisor carefully and validate suggestions against real workloads.

Measure, change, measure again. Guessing is expensive.

How to Display SQL Server Skills on Your Resume

10. Python

Python is a clear, expressive language that shines for automation, data wrangling, APIs, and quick tools—ideal for IT support.

Why It's Important

It slices repetitive work down to minutes, integrates with countless services, and makes scripting less brittle and more readable.

How to Improve Python Skills

Write code that solves your real problems, then polish it.

1. Core fluency: Data types, control flow, functions, modules, and virtual environments.

2. Standard library first: logging, pathlib, subprocess, argparse—lean on batteries-included before adding dependencies.

3. Automation targets: Build scripts for ticket triage, log parsing, REST API calls, and inventory collection.

4. Quality: Add unit tests with pytest and keep style consistent with tools like black and flake8.

5. Packaging: Structure repos with setup files or pyproject.toml, pin versions, and document usage.

6. Iterate: Start small, ship, gather feedback, and refine.

Practical projects teach faster than any course.

How to Display Python Skills on Your Resume

11. ITIL Framework

ITIL provides a common language and set of practices for delivering, supporting, and improving IT services. The ITIL 4 model emphasizes value co-creation through the Service Value System and a flexible set of practices.

Why It's Important

It aligns IT work with business outcomes. Incidents get handled consistently, changes become less risky, and customers notice the difference.

How to Improve ITIL Framework Skills

Make it practical, measurable, and alive.

1. Assess reality: Map current processes, pain points, and handoffs. Prioritize what hurts users most.

2. Service mindset: Gather feedback, define SLAs/OLAs that matter, and publish clear, human-friendly service catalogs.

3. Blend methods: Integrate Agile and DevOps with ITIL practices so speed and stability reinforce each other.

4. Right tools: Use a capable ITSM platform to automate workflows, approvals, and knowledge sharing.

5. Continual improvement: Track MTTR, change failure rate, CSAT, and backlog health. Run regular retrospectives and iterate.

6. Risk-aware change: Calibrate CAB involvement to risk. Standard changes flow fast; high-risk changes get deeper scrutiny.

Lightweight, outcome-focused ITIL beats checkbox ITIL every time.

How to Display ITIL Framework Skills on Your Resume

12. Azure Cloud

Microsoft Azure delivers compute, storage, networking, analytics, and more across a global platform tightly integrated with Microsoft 365 and on-prem ecosystems.

Why It's Important

Support teams can scale apps, enforce policy centrally, and troubleshoot with deep telemetry—while keeping availability high and costs under control.

How to Improve Azure Cloud Skills

Design for observability, security, and spend clarity.

1. Monitor deeply: Use Azure Monitor and Log Analytics for metrics, logs, and alerts. Build dashboards that surface what matters.

2. Harden posture: Use Microsoft Defender for Cloud recommendations, Just-in-Time VM access, and strong Conditional Access with Entra ID.

3. Cost management: Set budgets, tag resources, rightsize VMs, and consider reservations or autoscale for steady workloads.

4. Automate: Schedule runbooks with Azure Automation. Manage resources with ARM/Bicep or Terraform. Enforce guardrails with Azure Policy.

5. Governance: Organize subscriptions, management groups, and RBAC roles. Keep naming and tagging standards tight.

6. Keep learning: Track service updates and practice with sandboxes so changes don’t surprise production.

Good foundations prevent late-night firefights.

How to Display Azure Cloud Skills on Your Resume