Top 12 Lan Administrator Skills to Put on Your Resume

In today's competitive IT job market, showcasing the right set of skills on your resume can significantly enhance your prospects as a LAN administrator. This article dives into the top 12 skills that help your application stand out, signaling to hiring managers that you can tame complex networks with calm hands and sound judgment.

LAN Administrator Skills

1. Active Directory
2. PowerShell
3. Cisco IOS
4. VMware ESXi
5. Linux Administration
6. Windows Server
7. Network Security
8. DHCP/DNS
9. Firewall Management
10. Wireshark
11. Azure AD
12. SCCM

1. Active Directory

Active Directory (AD) is Microsoft’s directory service for Windows domains. It centralizes identities, authentication, authorization, and policy enforcement so you can organize users, computers, and resources with structure and control.

Why It's Important

AD underpins identity and access across a Windows-centric LAN. It lets you apply consistent security baselines, delegate safely, and keep the right people accessing the right things—no more, no less.

How to Improve Active Directory Skills

Sharpen AD by tightening security, simplifying design, and rehearsing recovery.

1. Patch domain controllers promptly and keep functional levels current. Disable legacy protocols (SMBv1, weak cipher suites). Enforce LDAP signing and channel binding.

2. Adopt a tiered admin model. Use dedicated admin workstations, separate admin accounts, and Just-In-Time access with privileged groups kept empty by default.

3. Harden authentication. Favor Kerberos, restrict NTLM, enable Protected Users where feasible, and implement MFA for admin access.

4. Modernize password hygiene. Use password protection lists and Windows LAPS for local admin rotation (the newer Windows LAPS, not legacy LAPS).

5. Design clean OUs and Group Policy. Link policies close to targets, avoid filtering gymnastics, and baseline with current security templates.

6. Audit and monitor. Turn on advanced auditing, forward security logs, and alert on sensitive changes (privileged group membership, DC promotions, replication anomalies).

7. Back up system state and test forest recovery. Practice. A runbook beats panic every time.

8. Limit or retire AD FS where possible in favor of modern cloud authentication; if you keep it, harden and monitor it like a crown jewel.

Do this well and AD runs quiet, predictable, and secure.

How to Display Active Directory Skills on Your Resume

2. PowerShell

PowerShell is a shell and scripting language that automates Windows and cross-platform administration. For LAN work, it’s your multiplier—repeatable, auditable, lightning-fast.

Why It's Important

It turns tedious tasks into scripts, raises consistency, and lets you manage fleets—servers, switches, services—without clicking yourself into a stupor.

How to Improve PowerShell Skills

1. Adopt PowerShell 7+ where possible. Use VS Code with the PowerShell extension for linting, formatting, and debugging.

2. Script safely. Use parameters with validation, error handling (try/catch), logging, and verbose output. Sign scripts and store them in source control.

3. Leverage remoting over HTTPS, JEA (Just Enough Administration), and constrained endpoints to reduce blast radius.

4. Know your modules: ActiveDirectory, DnsServer, NetTCPIP, DHCPServer, PSDesiredStateConfiguration, PackageManagement.

5. Build toolkits. Turn repeated sequences into reusable functions and modules. Write idempotent routines.

6. Automate change at scale with DSC or CI/CD workflows for infrastructure scripts.

How to Display PowerShell Skills on Your Resume

3. Cisco IOS

Cisco IOS/IOS XE powers Cisco routers and switches. It’s where you shape traffic, enforce policy, and keep a LAN stitched together without loops or leaks.

Why It's Important

These devices are the network’s spine. Correct configurations mean stability, performance, and safety under load and during faults.

How to Improve Cisco IOS Skills

1. Stay current on stable images and standardize versions. Verify images, enable secure boot where supported, and back up configs before changes.

2. Secure access. Prefer SSH v2, disable Telnet, enforce AAA with TACACS+/RADIUS, use role-based CLI views, and restrict management to dedicated subnets.

3. Harden the plane. Enable CoPP, SNMPv3, authenticated NTP, and log to a remote collector. Disable unused services.

4. Switching sanity. Tune STP (RSTP/MST), set bridge priorities, use BPDU Guard/Root Guard, and enable storm control.

5. Edge defenses. Enable DHCP Snooping, Dynamic ARP Inspection, and IP Source Guard to shut down common L2 attacks.

6. Routings and QoS. Summarize routes where sensible, set ECMP, and prioritize critical traffic with QoS classes and policing/shaping.

7. Templates and gold configs. Use configuration templates and audit for shadowed, duplicate, or dead ACL entries.

How to Display Cisco IOS Skills on Your Resume

4. VMware ESXi

VMware ESXi is a bare-metal hypervisor that slices a physical host into many virtual machines, each isolated, each manageable, each resource-aware.

Why It's Important

Virtualization consolidates hardware, speeds recovery, and scales services. For a LAN, it’s the control room for servers and storage.

How to Improve VMware ESXi Skills

1. Standardize on a supported vSphere release and keep hosts, tools, and firmware patched. Use Lifecycle Manager for consistency.

2. Right-size VMs. Align vCPU to cores, respect NUMA boundaries, and avoid overcommit that triggers ballooning and swapping.

3. Network cleanly. Separate management, vMotion, storage, and tenant traffic. Use NIC teaming, MTU consistency, and secure management ports.

4. Storage discipline. Prefer VMFS6 or vVols where appropriate, enable multipathing, and apply storage policies. Monitor latency, not just capacity.

5. Availability and resilience. Enable HA/DRS, set admission control, test host isolation response, and validate vCenter and backup recovery paths.

6. Security. Use vTPM, VM encryption where needed, lockdown mode on hosts, disable shell/SSH when idle, and forward logs off-host.

7. Observability. Use telemetry and analytics (e.g., Aria Operations) for trend lines, anomalies, and capacity planning.

8. Automate with PowerCLI. Script deployments, snapshots, compliance checks, and drift remediation.

How to Display VMware ESXi Skills on Your Resume

5. Linux Administration

Linux Administration is the craft of installing, configuring, securing, and sustaining Linux systems that deliver services across your LAN.

Why It's Important

Linux runs an ocean of network services—DNS, web, file, monitoring, containers. Keeping them healthy means your network hums.

How to Improve Linux Administration Skills

1. Live in the shell. Master bash, grep/awk/sed, systemd, journald, and scripting. Automate the repetitive, document the clever.

2. Network depth. Know ip, nftables/iptables, firewalld or ufw, bonding/VLANs, and troubleshooting with ss, tcpdump, traceroute, mtr.

3. Security first. Enforce SSH keys, disable root logins, manage sudoers tightly, enable SELinux/AppArmor, and keep packages patched.

4. Package and config management. Use apt/dnf/yum/zypper cleanly. Embrace Ansible for idempotent changes at scale.

5. Monitoring and logs. Wire up node exporters/collectors, rotate logs, alert on disk, memory, and service health. Baselines beat hunches.

6. Backup and recovery. Test restores, not just backups. Use snapshots or image-level backups for critical workloads.

7. Containers and virtualization. Get comfortable with systemd-nspawn, LXC, Docker/Podman, and KVM where they fit.

How to Display Linux Administration Skills on Your Resume

6. Windows Server

Windows Server is Microsoft’s platform for identity, file/print, application hosting, and network services that anchor many LANs.

Why It's Important

It’s the engine room for AD, DNS, DHCP, file services, and more. Get it right and the rest of the stack usually follows.

How to Improve Windows Server Skills

1. Update routinely and track long-term servicing versions (2019, 2022, 2025). Reduce reboots with maintenance windows and staged rings.

2. Minimize surface area. Prefer Server Core, install only necessary roles/features, and manage via Windows Admin Center and PowerShell.

3. Security hardening. Disable SMBv1, enable SMB signing where required, enforce modern TLS, protect LSASS, and audit NTLM usage.

4. DNS/DHCP hygiene. Use secure dynamic updates, DNS scavenging, DHCP failover, and IPAM where available.

5. Backups and replicas. Protect AD with system state backups, maintain offsite copies, and test authoritative restores.

6. Monitoring. Use performance counters, event forwarding, and alerts for disk, CPU ready, service failures, and replication health.

7. Access control. Least privilege everywhere, tiered admin approach, and privileged access workstations for high-risk roles.

How to Display Windows Server Skills on Your Resume

7. Network Security

Network Security is the sum of controls, monitoring, and response that shield your LAN from intrusion, tampering, and disruption.

Why It's Important

Data needs confidentiality, integrity, and availability. Without a security backbone, outages and breaches become expensive inevitabilities.

How to Improve Network Security Skills

1. Patch fast. Maintain an accurate asset inventory and automate updates for network gear, servers, and endpoints.

2. Segment ruthlessly. Use VLANs, VRFs, and ACLs. Contain blast radius. Turn on 802.1X for edge ports where possible.

3. Harden endpoints. Enforce EDR, disk encryption, and strong device baselines. Kill legacy protocols and weak ciphers.

4. Inspect and observe. NetFlow/IPFIX, logs to a SIEM, IDS/IPS where it makes sense. Alert on anomalies, not noise.

5. Access with intent. Enforce MFA, strong passwords or passkeys, and role-based access. Rotate secrets. Monitor admin activity.

6. Encrypt decisively. TLS for services, IPsec where warranted, and careful use of TLS inspection with privacy in mind.

7. Incident readiness. Write an IR plan, test it with tabletop exercises, and keep contacts and playbooks current.

8. Backups that matter. Follow the 3-2-1 rule with periodic restore tests and immutable/offline copies for ransomware resilience.

9. User education. Phishing awareness and clean desk habits beat many fancy tools. Keep it regular and relevant.

How to Display Network Security Skills on Your Resume

8. DHCP/DNS

DHCP automatically assigns IP addresses and options to clients, keeping address management tidy and predictable.

DNS translates names like example.com into IP addresses so people and systems can reach services by human-friendly identifiers.

Why It's Important

DHCP eliminates manual addressing mistakes and speeds onboarding. DNS makes resources discoverable and reliable, which keeps users productive and apps reachable.

How to Improve DHCP/DNS Skills

1. DHCP discipline. Use reservations for critical devices, right-size lease times for your turnover, and enable DHCP failover for continuity.

2. Segment smartly. Map DHCP scopes to VLANs and document scope utilization. Consider IPAM for visibility and planning.

3. DNS robustness. Use secure dynamic updates for AD-integrated zones, enable scavenging to clear stale records, and tune TTLs to balance agility and cache hit rates.

4. Forwarders and caching. Use reliable upstream resolvers and monitor cache performance. Validate recursion policies.

5. Harden the edge. Limit zone transfers, restrict who can update DNS, and monitor for unusual query patterns.

6. Backups and audits. Export zone data regularly and review records for drift or misconfigurations.

How to Display DHCP/DNS Skills on Your Resume

9. Firewall Management

Firewall management is the ongoing design, tuning, and monitoring of policy to control traffic in and out of your network.

Why It's Important

It’s the choke point that grants or denies. A clean policy stops threats without strangling business traffic.

How to Improve Firewall Management Skills

1. Rule lifecycle. Enforce default deny, document every rule’s owner and purpose, recertify regularly, and remove dead rules.

2. Simplify. Consolidate overlapping objects, collapse duplicates, and use groups and FQDN objects where appropriate.

3. Egress control. Filter outbound traffic, not just inbound. Least privilege applies on both sides.

4. Monitor and alert. Track hit counts, log denials, and enable packet captures for investigations. Send logs to a central system.

5. Segment and inspect. Use zones, IDS/IPS where needed, and TLS inspection only with clear policy and privacy guardrails.

6. Resilience. Deploy in HA pairs, test failovers, back up configs automatically, and diff changes.

7. Change safety. Use maintenance windows, staged rollouts, and validated rollback plans for risky updates.

How to Display Firewall Management Skills on Your Resume

10. Wireshark

Wireshark is a protocol analyzer that captures and dissects packets so you can see what’s truly happening on the wire.

Why It's Important

When logs lie or stay silent, packets tell the truth. It’s indispensable for root cause analysis and performance sleuthing.

How to Improve Wireshark Skills

1. Capture wisely. Use capture filters to cut noise, ring buffers to prevent giant files, and proper tap/mirror ports to avoid drops.

2. Work faster. Build profiles, color rules, and custom columns. Master display filters and protocol hierarchies.

3. Performance hints. Increase capture buffers, use packet slicing when you only need headers, and prefer npcap on Windows.

4. Decrypt when permitted. Use key logs for client-side TLS where allowed, or server private keys for legacy ciphers. Respect privacy and policy.

5. Automate the mundane. Use TShark for scripted captures and offline processing; chain with editcap/mergecap for workflow speed.

6. Troubleshooting patterns. Spot retransmissions, zero-window events, slow start effects, broadcast storms, and asymmetric routing.

How to Display Wireshark Skills on Your Resume

11. Azure AD

Azure AD is now Microsoft Entra ID. It’s the cloud identity and access control plane for apps and services across hybrid environments.

Why It's Important

Centralized identity reduces friction and risk. With strong policies, you get secure, seamless access from on-prem to cloud.

How to Improve Azure AD Skills

1. Require MFA with sane methods (number matching, phishing-resistant options). Consider Security Defaults for small environments or tailored Conditional Access at scale.

2. Conditional Access everywhere. Evaluate device compliance, location, risk, and app sensitivity. Block legacy authentication.

3. Protect privileges. Use Privileged Identity Management for just-in-time elevation, approval workflows, and access reviews.

4. Identity Protection. Investigate risky sign-ins and users; automate remediation for consistent response.

5. Lifecycle cleanups. Deprovision promptly, set access reviews, and remove stale guests. Sync only what you must with cloud sync tools.

6. Application governance. Standardize SSO with SAML/OIDC, limit consent, and publish only vetted enterprise apps.

7. Audit and reporting. Stream sign-in and audit logs to your SIEM and alert on unusual patterns.

How to Display Azure AD Skills on Your Resume

12. SCCM

SCCM has been rebranded as Microsoft Configuration Manager, part of the Microsoft Intune family. It manages software deployment, updates, compliance, and inventory across large fleets, with strong on-prem and hybrid capabilities.

Why It's Important

It standardizes endpoints, speeds patching, and keeps configuration drift in check across the LAN and beyond.

How to Improve SCCM Skills

1. Keep it lean. Right-size your hierarchy, tune site roles, and enable site maintenance tasks (DB maintenance, backups, cleanup) on a schedule.

2. Role-based access. Scope access by collections and roles. Separate duties and keep auditable trails.

3. Content flow. Use boundary groups, distribution point groups, bandwidth throttling, and peer cache to spare your WAN.

4. Patch with intent. Configure ADRs for predictable cadence, pilot rings before broad rollout, and measure compliance.

5. Co-management and tenant attach. Pair with Intune for remote and internet-based devices. Use Cloud Management Gateway for secure reach.

6. Insights and monitoring. Act on Management Insights, watch component status, track queues, and alert on backlog growth.

7. Application model mastery. Use requirements, detection rules, dependencies, and supersedence. Retire the old cleanly.

8. Troubleshooting speed. Learn client logs, CMPivot for live queries, and baseline compliance checks for drift.

9. Resilience. Back up the site, protect the SQL instance, and document recovery procedures you’ve actually tested.

How to Display SCCM Skills on Your Resume