Last September, I graduated from a master's in public administration program specializing in health-care administration. Theoretically, I have covered the fundamentals of an administrator ranging from financial planning to human-resource management within the health-care field. I am trying to change careers from technical to administrative. What steps should I take and how do I present my administrative qualities in my resume?
You are in a good position, choosing to work in health-care administration. The opportunities in this field are wide ranging -- not only in terms of settings (hospitals, HMOs, rehabilitation facilities, senior assisted-living and nursing-care homes, etc.) but also in terms of the diverse activities and departments, i.e. marketing, nursing, quality assurance, volunteer coordination, human resources and finance. Another point in your favor is your MPA degree, which may give you some advantage to enter at a middle-management level, rather than starting at the bottom and working your way up.
Now, how do you go about moving from a technical role to an administrative one? There are basically two ways people change their careers -- they either change activity/title or they change field/industry. You want to change activity, which can seem more difficult at times. It doesn't have to be if you apply yourself and do some homework.
To start, find two or three people who now work in administrative positions but came from a technical background. Ask them how they made the transition, what kind of difficulties they encountered and what benefits they experienced by making this kind of change. This information should help you determine a way you can make the switch for yourself. If others can do it (and many have), you can do it.
Another way to approach this challenge is to study the job descriptions of administrative positions that interest you. For each function listed on these descriptions, correlate something you have done that proves you are qualified. This technique is a good one for designing a resume that quickly shows others what you can do (based on what you have done) in a language that is specific to them.
For those functions in which you don't have experience, you can try to gain the skill or knowledge by training or continuing education. You might consider offering your services to a non-profit organization to help them with their administrative tasks for a period of time. Going this extra mile will not only help them, but will give you a depth of experience you may need to make the change you desire.
Remember the old saying: "You will succeed when your desire to succeed exceeds your fear of failing."