Ask the Recruiter

A master's degree in public administration should be a good complement to your experience as a police officer, so I suspect you are correct in thinking that part of the problem is largely a matter of positioning. Take the time to list all the individual duties you performed as a police officer, and then highlight those that have an administrative component. This could include writing reports, coordinating with governmental or community agencies, supervisory oversight, or budgeting. Next, re-write your resume so that these administrative duties are listed prominently and categorized under an administrative heading.

Part of the difficulty you've been running up against over the past two years might be a function of municipal budgets getting squeezed by the weak economy. Especially if you are in a depressed area of the country, consider the possibility of relocating to areas that are experiencing population growth, and thus should be seeing job growth in the public sector. Also, don't neglect to consider private sector opportunities. Private sector jobs were harder hit by the recession than public sector jobs, but the private sector still represents a much larger job market. For the time being, a private sector job could provide you with a paycheck, while helping you get the administrative experience employers require.