How to create a systems analyst resume that converts (with examples)

A systems analyst role is a job that pays well. Median salaries are around $99,000 and the one thing good pay attracts is a lot of competition.

When the competition’s high, every bit helps. Yes, ultimately it’s your knowledge and skills that’ll get you the job, but there are so many things that you can do to help your cause.

A great resume is one of those things. Applying for a job five years ago and today isn’t the same. Remote jobs that pay well attract the highest competition in tech jobs. A good resume will not only help you stand out from the competition but will present you as the best person for the job.

Unlike a lot of guides online, we won’t focus on templates.

We are a job board and we speak to companies that are hiring systems analysts. Our information comes from companies. So, this guide is more about how to write a systems analyst resume that companies will like.

We’ll look at the structure of a good resume, what you need to beat the ATS, how to present your skills and experience, and quite a few examples of well-written resume sections.

Let’s get started.

Steps to create a great systems analyst resume:

Read the job description thoroughly

A lot of candidates simply don’t read the job description thoroughly. And it’s a hugely important first step. The job description isn’t just a list of responsibilities and requirements. It’s so much more than that. It can quite accurately tell you whom the company is looking for. Job descriptions can clue you in about the company’s culture, as well. That is why it’s so important to spend some time reading the job description.

Actually, let’s look at two job descriptions. They’re both for systems analyst roles and they’re both in the Finance sector. You might think the job is for a similar person, but you’ll see that they both want very different things.

How are these job descriptions different?

While both roles require a bachelor's degree in a related field and a few years of experience in financial IT, the specifics of what they're looking for vary based on the nature of their businesses:

The Systems Analyst at XYZ Bank needs to have knowledge of core banking systems and a clear understanding of banking regulations. They need to be able to work closely with banking professionals, suggesting a more collaborative role.

In contrast, the Systems Analyst at ABC Investment Firm needs to have experience with financial analysis tools and portfolio management systems.

They need to understand financial markets and investment strategies, suggesting a role that's more focused on financial analysis. Additionally, the emphasis on cybersecurity measures indicates that data security is of high priority in this role.

There you go. Two roles for the same designation in the same industry and yet, the same resume wouldn’t work for both companies.

Why not?

Well, for starters, they’re looking for different skills but more importantly, the same resume wouldn’t pass the ATS screening for both jobs.

What’s ATS, you ask?

Let’s take a look.

Understand how ATS works

ATS stands for Applicant Tracking System.

Consider this: a company wants to hire a systems analyst and posts an ad on three job boards. If the job pays well and is remote, they can expect to see literally thousands of applications. There’s no way that Bob in HR can go through every single application.

That’s where ATS comes in. It’s a piece of software that collects all the applications, ‘reads’ them, and then decides which ones are good for the next round (for Bob to read) and which ones to discard.

Not so fun fact: Most resumes are never seen by a human. They don’t make it that far at all. They’re rejected by the ATS.

So, how does the ATS work? The ATS is fed ‘keywords’. These are the words or phrases that it has to look out for.

For example, for a systems analyst role, these might be the keywords:

Mind you, it won’t be all of these keywords and it won’t just be simple keywords like these. They might also look for experience, for example.

But, essentially, the ATS will look for these keywords and if they’re present in a resume, they’re forwarded to the next round.

This is why it’s so important to tailor your resume for every single job that you apply. We have a great guide on how to tailor your resume for a job. You can read it here.

If you’re more focused on beating the ATS, read our ATS guide here. We go into more detail about the type of templates that you should use, the fonts that work best, and more.

Structure your resume correctly

Most ATS software can’t read fancy resumes. Resumes with multiple columns, fancy fonts — these are a no-go.

Simplicity is the key. Here’s a simple structure for your systems analyst resume:

1. Contact information

2. Summary or objective

3. Work experience

4. Skills

5. Education and certifications

It’s that simple. Now, let’s take a look at each one of these.

Contact information — Keep it clear

The starting point of your resume is your contact information. This should include your full name, professional email address, contact number, and LinkedIn profile if applicable. Ensure the details are correct and professional.

More importantly, make sure that it’s easy to find your contact information on a resume. Recruiters sometimes have just a few minutes (literally) to go through a resume. If they can’t see how to contact you, they’re simply going to move on to the next candidate.

Resume summary or objective — convey the important points

Resume Summary:

The Resume Summary is a brief 3-4 line synopsis that highlights your key skills, experiences, and achievements. It's designed to grab the employer's attention and provide an overview of why you are the right candidate for the job.

Example:

Highly skilled Systems Analyst with over 8 years of experience in IT systems engineering and project management. Proficient in SQL, Python, and UML, with a proven track record of designing and implementing IT solutions to improve business efficiency and productivity. Decreased system downtimes by 30% at XYZ Corp.

Resume Objective:

A Resume Objective is a short, clear statement about your career goals and what you hope to accomplish in the particular role. This is more suited for entry-level candidates, career changers, or those targeting a specific job.

Example for freshers:

"Motivated Computer Science graduate with a solid understanding of systems engineering concepts, seeking to apply my analytical and problem-solving skills as a Systems Analyst. Strong team player, eager to learn, and committed to helping businesses optimize their IT systems."

Example for career changers:

Experienced professional in the IT sector, seeking to leverage project management and team leadership skills to transition into a Systems Analyst role. With an ability to quickly adapt and learn, I am keen on utilizing my analytical skills to assess and improve business systems.

Should you use a resume summary or resume objective?

If you're an experienced Systems Analyst with a clear record of achievement or possess specific expertise that aligns directly with the job description, a Resume Summary will serve you better. It enables you to showcase your key accomplishments upfront.

Conversely, if you're a fresh graduate, switching careers, or your experience doesn't align perfectly with the job description, a Resume Objective is a better choice. It allows you to focus on your transferable skills and how your career goals align with the company's objectives.

Work experience — know what to say and how to say it

This is the heart of your resume. This is the make-or-break section for most applicants.

So, how do you write a great work experience section? Here are a few tips before we look at some examples:

1. Structure it right: Start by listing your most recent job first (reverse chronological format). Each job should include the job title, company name, location, and dates of employment

2. List relevant projects and details: Don’t write down every single thing you did at your previous job. Write down things that matter. Instances where you used skills that will be relevant to the job you’re applying for.

3. Add detail where necessary: Don’t limit yourself to bullet points. If there’s a highly relevant point that you want to include, be descriptive and go for it.

4. Use action verbs: This is a big one. Action verbs are important. Always use words like 'Managed', 'Led', 'Developed', 'Implemented', etc. Moreover, quantify your achievements wherever possible to lend credibility to your claims.

5. Numbers are everything: Don’t say “Improved system efficiency”. Go with “Improved system efficiency by 25%”

Let’s look at a few examples:

This applies in interviews, as well. Always, always quantify your achievements and progress. Objective data is always better than rhetoric.

If you're interested in the questions companies are currently asking in systems analyst interviews, check out our blog on 10 important systems analyst interview questions (and answers).

Skills — it’s all about relevancy

Technical skills:

For Systems Analysts, essential technical skills typically include knowledge of programming languages (such as SQL, Java, or Python), experience with databases and networks, and an understanding of systems engineering concepts. It's important to list those skills that are relevant to the job you're applying for and to which you can demonstrate real competence.

Soft skills

While technical skills are fundamental for a Systems Analyst, soft skills like problem-solving, teamwork, and communication are equally vital. They allow you to work effectively within a team and can often be a deciding factor in hiring decisions.

If you want to read more about the skills you need, here’s an in-depth article on systems analyst skills.

Education and certifications and projects

This part is pretty straightforward. List your education, certifications, and any projects you might have done. When you do, make sure you talk about the skills you’ve acquired that are relevant to the job description.

This is also where you can add extra information that could make your resume stand out. Awards, recognition, bootcamps, hackathons — they all go here. If you speak multiple languages, make sure you mention it.

There are a lot of multinational companies where teams from multiple countries work on the same project. So, if you know another language, mention it here.

Common Mistakes in Systems Analyst Resumes and How to Avoid Them

Vague or Generic Descriptions:

Being a Systems Analyst is a demanding job that requires a specific set of skills and experiences. When job descriptions on your resume are too vague or generic, you run the risk of underselling yourself and your capabilities.

For instance, using phrases like 'handled IT duties' or 'worked with software' doesn't provide a clear picture of your role or skills. It's like saying a chef 'prepared food'; it doesn't tell us anything about the complexity of their dishes or their culinary skill.

How to Avoid:

Be specific about your responsibilities and the systems you've worked with. Instead of saying you 'handled IT duties', specify that you 'led an IT project to migrate the company's data to a new cloud-based system, resulting in a 30% reduction in data retrieval times'.

Lack of Quantifiable Achievements:

Many candidates fail to quantify their achievements, leaving hiring managers to guess at their effectiveness.

If you improved system efficiency, by how much? If you led a project, what was the budget? How many team members were there? Numbers provide context and scale, making your achievements more tangible and impressive.

How to Avoid:

Always include numbers where possible. Instead of saying you 'improved system efficiency', say you 'increased system efficiency by 20% by implementing a new algorithm'.

Listing Irrelevant Skills:

While it's important to showcase a wide range of skills, including those that are not directly relevant to the job can detract from your relevant qualifications. Mentioning your proficiency in skateboarding might be a fun fact, but unless the job actually involves skateboarding, it's best to leave it off.

How to Avoid:

Keep your skills section focused and relevant. Tailor this section to match the job description, and only include the technical and soft skills that the employer is looking for.

Grammatical Errors and Typos:

Spelling, grammar, or punctuation mistakes can create an unfavorable impression about your attention to detail and professionalism. It can suggest a lack of care in presenting your credentials.

How to Avoid:

Always proofread your resume multiple times, and consider having someone else check it as well. Use grammar-checking tools like Grammarly to catch any errors you might have missed.

Lengthy Resumes:

In the tech world, brevity is appreciated. A resume that drones on for multiple pages can quickly lose a hiring manager's interest. Remember, they likely have a stack of resumes to go through, so your key achievements need to stand out, not be buried in pages of text.

How to Avoid:

Try to limit your resume to two pages at most. Be concise and focus on your most impressive and relevant experiences and skills. Remember, quality trumps quantity.

Overuse of Technical Jargon:

To be clear, it’s very important to showcase your technical skills but overloading your resume with technical jargon can make it difficult to read and understand, particularly if the first person screening resumes in HR is not as tech-savvy.

How to Avoid:

Strive for balance. Explain your achievements in clear, simple language that anyone can understand.

Not Including Soft Skills:

While hard technical skills are vital for a Systems Analyst, soft skills such as communication, problem-solving, and leadership are equally important. Employers want to know you can work well in a team and handle the pressures of the job.

How to Avoid:

Highlight key soft skills in your resume. This could be in your summary, in the description of your experiences, or in your skills section. But don’t just list them, provide examples that demonstrate these skills.

Write compelling cover letters

A resume is an objective statement of your skills, experience, and work experience. There’s really not a lot of room to inject your personality.

This is where cover letters become incredibly useful. A cover letter is your chance to tell your professional story in a way that’s engaging and relatable. It allows you to provide context for your resume, explain any gaps or anomalies in your career history, and express your motivation for wanting to join the company.

Importantly, it's also another opportunity to highlight the skills and experiences that make you the perfect candidate for the role.

Here are two generic cover letters for a systems analyst role. Make sure you tailor yours perfectly to the job.

These are, again, fairly generic. Make sure you tailor your cover letter to the job description.

Conclusion

So, there you have it — a complete guide on how to write the perfect systems analyst resume.

Now, if you are looking for a systems analyst job, make sure you check out Simple Job Listings. We only list remote jobs, they’re all verified and most jobs that we post aren’t listed anywhere else.

Visit Simple Job Listings and find amazing systems analyst jobs. Good luck!