IT Resume Workshop

Step 7: Projects / Labs Section

A Projects/Labs section is how you prove capability when your job titles don’t fully match your target role yet. Done right, it makes you look like you’ve already been doing the work.

Principle

Treat labs like projects. Give them a clear outcome, include the tech, and show evidence (GitHub, write-up, or a short link).

Where this section belongs

  • If you’re early career or changing roles: place Projects/Labs above Education.
  • If you’re mid-career with strong experience: Projects/Labs can be shorter and placed below Experience.
  • Keep it tight: 2–4 projects max (high signal only).

What a “resume-ready” lab looks like

You want each project to read like something you could have done at work — even if it was built in a lab environment.

Project entry format

Project Name — Tech stack (link)

  • 1–2 bullets describing what you built and why (outcome + scope)
  • 1 bullet describing how you validated it (testing, monitoring, documentation)
  • Optional: one metric (time saved, #users, #resources, etc.) if applicable

Avoid

  • “Homelabbed Active Directory” (too vague)
  • Long paragraphs explaining every step
  • Listing tools without outcomes (“Used Azure, AD, DNS, DHCP…”)

Examples (copy/paste starters)

Example 1 — AD / Windows Admin

Active Directory Lab Environment — Windows Server, AD DS, DNS, GPO (GitHub / write-up)

  • Built a domain controller and configured DNS/DHCP with standard organizational OU structure.
  • Created and tested GPOs for workstation hardening and user policy enforcement.
  • Documented setup steps and validation checks to make the build repeatable.

Example 2 — Azure / Cloud

Azure VM + Network Build — Azure, VNets, NSGs, RBAC (GitHub / write-up)

  • Deployed a secure lab network with segmented subnets, NSGs, and least-privilege RBAC access.
  • Implemented baseline hardening and validated connectivity + access paths with test scenarios.
  • Captured architecture notes and diagrams for quick rebuild and troubleshooting.

Example 3 — Automation

Onboarding Automation Script — PowerShell, AD, Group-based Access (GitHub)

  • Automated user provisioning (user creation, group membership, baseline access) with PowerShell.
  • Reduced manual steps and standardized access by enforcing a consistent group-based model.
  • Added validation and logging output to support troubleshooting and repeatability.

Tip

If you have a public link, include it. If you can’t share code publicly, include a short write-up or a sanitized diagram instead.

Action

  1. Pick 2–4 labs/projects that match your target role (from Step 6).
  2. Rename each one to a “work-sounding” project title (clear + specific).
  3. Write 2–3 bullets per project using the same impact mindset as experience bullets.
  4. Add a link: GitHub, portfolio, or a short write-up (even a single page is fine).