IT Manager Resume Example, Sample & Writing Tips 2024
Whether the need of the hour is upgrading software or determining the IT needs of the future, IT managers make sure things run smoothly behind the scenes so a company can flourish. If you’ve worked in IT for some time, you might be thinking about moving into a more challenging position in management where you control a team and create solutions.
Once you’ve found a job description that fits your fancy, you need a flawless IT manager resume to show yourself in an excellent light. Your IT operations manager resume has to be even better than all the other ones a company will see in its inbox for the position. It might sound daunting, but we have tips, tricks, and recommendations to help.
This guide will go over how to ensure your resume has the keywords a recruiter wants to see, what sections should be included in the resume, and the formatting that will make you most likely to stand out from the competition. We’ll also share how to create this dream resume
ithout needing to spend a lot of time worrying about fonts, colors, and other design elements.
Sample IT Manager Resume
Whether you’ve never applied for an IT position or you’ve been in your role for a long time, you might not be privy to what is expected on a resume today.
That’s okay!
Throughout this guide, we’ll share an information technology manager resume sample that you can draw inspiration from. Our IT management resume examples will cover the contents and formatting of the resume from top to bottom.
Below, you’ll see the first of our information technology manager resume examples. It gives you an idea of how the resume is put together when all sections are created and have been edited to be the best they can be. Feel free to use the IT manager resume samples to create your own master resume that holds all the details you need to quickly apply to exciting positions.
A master resume is a working document that holds your employment history, educational background, and more. It’s used to quickly fill in specific resumes for positions to give you the best chance of landing an interview. Feel free to build a master resume of your own, so the resume below is easy to construct when you see a position you want.
How to Write a Successful IT Manager Resume in 2024: Tips That Work
There are several things that recruiters wish to see on the resume of an IT manager. These blocks of information can provide a lot of insight into who you are, what experience you hold, and which skills are your strongest. You’ll want to focus on what you’re best at while considering which skills are the most important for a specific position.
All the best IT manager resumes will hold specific details, and this guide will walk you through making sure yours shine and cause hiring managers to pay attention to you. When you peek at a resume for an IT manager, the sections you’ll most often see include the following:
- Contact information
- A resume objective
- Information about work experience
- Details about education
- Pertinent skills
- And references
We’ll explore each of these sections in more detail below. You’ll learn the best way to present yourself to be noticed in positive ways. After we move into the next section of this guide, we’ll focus on all of the resume details you need. From the information you enter to the formatting to use, you’ll be ready to apply for a fantastic new job.
However, there is one other thing to cover before we move to the meat of the guide. Your resume should take into account applicant tracking systems. These systems often “read” your resume before a person does. That’s why adding keywords from the job description can give you a better chance of landing a position.
Section #1: Contact Information
The first place to start with an IT lead resume is with your contact information. So, get Microsoft Word (or another word processing software of your choice) running, and you can get started. This section isn’t challenging and can give you momentum to complete future sections, some of which take more energy and brainpower.
It might seem obvious that you need to include information about yourself, and you might wonder how you could make any mistakes. It’s not common, but typos and errors happen here sometimes. We want to ensure that the resume you send out shows you in the best possible light.
Contact Information Example
The example above shows you all Orion’s contact information and how it all blends together. Most IT manager resume examples will be similar to this one, although the formatting may vary. The best resume will show things like your name, where you are located, and include two ways to contact you. In most cases, that will include your email address and phone number.
This is really all you need to include here, and if you use a resume template, you’ll just need to plug it in. Even if you choose to create a resume by hand, this is one of the more manageable sections to work through. After you complete it, read it over and make sure any typos have been addressed.
While we mentioned having two forms of contact information, you might wonder whether you should include social media, especially forms like LinkedIn. In most cases, it’s okay to add it. However, we recommend sticking to the contact information above unless the job description specifically asks for something else.
How to Format This Section
The hiring manager who looks at your IT manager resume wants easy access to your contact information. As such, the formatting for this section is simple. Make sure you include all the appropriate information and then be certain it’s easy to read. There’s no need to use fancy fonts or add details that aren’t important to a recruiter.
Use a basic font to list your name, location, email, and phone number. For the address section, you can list your street address or simply include your city and state. It’s also a good idea to consider whether you are using a professional email address ideal for a job application.
Section #2: Resume Objective
Now that you have added a way for recruiters to contact you, the next step is to sell yourself a little with an IT manager resume objective. Perhaps this section seems unimportant to you. After all, you can show what you know in the work experience and skills section. However, you need to think like a hiring manager, which means the IT manager resume summary is essential.
You want to show that you have management skills, and this is the best place to do that. Keep in perspective that most resumes are looked at for a minimal time. Your objective comes toward the top of your IT manager resume – so it can be what convinces a recruiter to keep reading.
As you write this section, refer to the job description to decide what you want to say. For instance, if it notes business administration tasks are part of the job, and you have that kind of experience, weave it into the objective. Again, this is a way to add keywords and ensure the hiring person knows what skills you have.
How to Format This Section
The most important thing to remember is that a resume objective should be full of information but remain short. A block of text may not be read all the way through, even if you’ve had several information systems management jobs and experience as a web developer.
Focus on the essential parts of the job description and how you can show you have those skills. For instance, if software development is critical, the following objective might be a good choice:
“5+ years of experience working as an IT manager in software development. Incorporated new systems and practices that increased productivity by 15% over six months. Searching for a challenging position to utilize skills in SQL/LAN/WAN.”
Two to four sentences are standard for this section of the resume. Make sure to highlight the things you are best at that pertain to the job. If you can add descriptive information about how those skills helped past companies, that’s also useful to include.
Section #3: Professional Work Experience
The next part of your entry-level or senior IT manager resume is the professional work experience section. Here, you want to show what you were capable of in jobs you had in the past. This also lists relevant positions you have held, where you worked, and when you are employed in those places.
Consider what you did with team members as you build this section of your resume. But the job description will come into play here, too. If there are specific responsibilities listed that you have done in the past, those need to be included. The more you tailor the resume to a particular job description, the better your chances are.
Curious about what you should do if you’re new to the field? You aren’t out of luck because you are new to a position. You can find things from previous jobs that still pertain to this position. Even those new to the workforce can include volunteer opportunities, internships, or other information.
Work Experience Example
After reading your resume objective, if a recruiter is interested, the work experience section is the next thing to be seen. Orion knows this and makes sure that all the information fits the job description and paints him in the best light. You can see his past experience and why he would be a strong employee.
For example, let’s say you’re making an IT security manager resume. You’ve worked in this kind of position before, so you want to include information about the years of experience you have. In addition, you know what the job entails, so you add in words and phrases that indicate that understanding.
Each position is different, so it’s ideal to look at the information before turning in your resume. There may be specific job responsibilities that you want to include for one job that aren’t overly important to another. When you tailor the resumes to the job descriptions, you have the best chance of getting an interview and moving forward.
How to Format This Section
In most cases, the best resume format is reverse chronological. This will work best for those who have a solid work history, especially if it’s in the same industry. The basic process here is to post your current or most recent job and all its details first. You’ll then move to the next most recent and continue adding relevant (and older) positions you have held.
For those with little to no experience, other formats can be used. For example, a functional resume is based on your skills rather than your employment experience. You can choose to use this format if you are fresh out of school or need to focus more on abilities than past work.
Regardless of what format you go with, make sure to use bullet points to add details about your position. State what tasks you did at your previous jobs, adding numerical data and action words whenever possible. You want to provide as much information as possible without making the section overly long since a resume should be no more than one to two pages in length.
Section #4: Education & Certifications
The following section to focus on when making the best IT manager resume pertains to education. As expected, the education section gives information about what kind of degrees you have, which certifications you have acquired, and when each of those things was bestowed on you. While there is no specific requirement to be an IT manager, you can stand out if you have a bachelor’s degree or a terminal degree.
An associate degree and certifications related to IT management can also be helpful. If you have several types of education, it’s standard to include each of them. It’s imperative to delve into the details of your education if you are trying to move into a new position. It shows you’ve done the work needed to be prepared for the job you are applying for.
Education Example
Orion’s resume above shows that he has a degree and certifications that make him appropriate for a management role. He has a grasp of the operating systems and metrics relevant to the position he wants. Even if you have a drastically different education than he does, you want to pull out all the stops and share that here.
If you are just out of school or moving from an entry-level position, extra information about your education can be helpful. For instance, you might list your GPA, include a list of courses that pertain to the job, or incorporate any honors you had while in school. Even the smallest detail may be enough to get you an interview call before someone else.
How to Format This Section
Whether you’ve studied strategic planning at school or have management experience, the format remains the same for your educational background. The best option is to use the reverse chronological order recommended for your work experience. Make sure you place your most recent certification or degree on top, as well as where you received it. You can also include the years you worked on a degree if you like.
Underneath the essential information is where you would include details like your volunteer experiences in school, how well you did in your courses, and so on. Those with little work experience can flesh out their resume here by adding relevant information that lets an employer better get to know you and what you are capable of.
Section #5: Skills & Abilities
When creating an IT infrastructure manager resume, you need to show off your skills. This includes both hard skills and soft skills. Hard skills are the more technical abilities you are capable of, while soft skills are related to interpersonal skills. Leadership skills and communication skills are good examples of things you might add to this section.
When you look at an assistant IT manager resume sample, you’ll see a lot of skills related to IT abilities, but you want to have a nice mix of that and soft skills. These are often just as important when moving into a management position. You’ll be making decisions, solving problems, and working with a diverse workforce in many cases. Hiring managers want to be sure you can handle the pressure.
Skills Example
You can see that Orion lists various items in his skills section. Your own skills might vary but should show precisely what you can do. It can be a good idea to focus on skills from the job description with several technical skills. For instance, this is the time to explain how good you are at SQL, your understanding of Cisco, or that you have experience with computer systems and connectivity.
Everything from the ability to make disaster recovery plans to experience making presentations can be helpful on an IT manager resume. The one thing to avoid is adding skills you don’t have or aren’t overly proficient in. Lying on your resume will often get you caught and ensure you don’t get the position you want.
How to Format This Section
As an IT manager, your skill set should include problem-solving. This plays well into creativity, which can explain you have skills in troubleshooting, telecommunications, or program management. The best way to approach this is to have a list of your skills. Then, compare those to the job description and add those that overlap.
Adding additional information about skills is acceptable but not necessary. However, you do want to indicate how proficient you are with your various skills.
For example, if you look at Orion’s IT manager resume, you can see that it shows how he ranks himself in the skills he shares with a hiring manager.
Section #6: References
As someone looking to get a position in the IT department, references are crucial. IT professionals in higher ranks need to show professionalism and be capable of handling a variety of tasks throughout the day. While you might find some IT project manager resume samples that do not include references, we believe it’s an essential addition to your document.
References Example
You can see that Orion lists three references on his resume, which is the standard number. You can add up to five, but three is just fine unless the job description indicates otherwise. It’s best to avoid more than five since it might take up too much room on the resume. The references are important but shouldn’t take precedence over skills and prior employment information.
How to Format This Section
Whether your references are aware of your skills in IT services, IT support, IT systems, or all three, this is a simple section to format. It’s similar to the contact information section that we started with, so you can finish off your resume quickly and easily. All you need to do is list the names of your references, where they are employed, and then indicate that you can share contact information on request.
Other IT Resume Templates
There are many IT manager resume templates to choose from, including the one used to make the resume sample in this guide. If you are interested in trying out other templates, use the links below to create an IT project out of your resume by making sure it shows your skills and creativity:
Final Points on Writing a Winning Information Technology Management Resume
Now that you’ve proven how great you are at project management and other IT manager necessities, you’re almost done. Before you send in the IT manager resume to your dream job, all you need to do is type up a cover letter to go with it. This is also an excellent time to read through the entire resume and check for any typos or other issues that need to be resolved.
Using our template and tips, you’ll be prepared anytime you run into a job you want to apply for. With your master resume, all you need to do is tweak things when you place it into the template before firing off your resume. It’s an excellent way to move closer to the job you have always wanted.