I have been a Cobol computer programmer for 22 years.  My career started in 1986. From 1986 through1999 I never had trouble getting Cobol contract or permanent programming jobs.My Cobol career was hot at that time.

 Well, things changed drastically for me.  In September 1999, I was working as a Cobolcontractor and my contract came to an end. This is normal because contractseventually come to an end. And so I figured I could just get another Cobolprogramming contract or permanent job like I usually do.

 Well, to my surprise, I couldn’t get any Cobol programmingjobs at all. In fact, I was unemployed for 15 months from September 1999 throughDecember 2000. I never been unemployed this long before. It was terrible. I wasgoing through some major depression.

 During those 15 months, I realized why I couldn’t getanother Cobol job. It was because the entire computer industries changed. Cobolprogramming wasn’t a hot career anymore. Every shop that had Cobol was eitherbeing replaced by Java, Visual Basic, ASP or C++. This was the main reason Iwas knocked out of my career at this time.

 Anyways, during the 15 months of being unemployed, I thoughtit would be a good idea to go back to school to upgrade my computer skills inorder to keep my career alive. I wanted to go to school thinking that once Ilearned these newer computer languages that were taken the place of Cobolcomputer skills then I should be able to get another programming job with ease,especially since I already am a computer programmer.

 Well, I went through a certificate program at a very good schoolto learn these new computer skills. The program was accelerated and was only 3months long. This program started in March 2000 and ended in June 2000. Igraduated from this program in June 2000.

 Anyways, to get right to the point, from June 2000 throughcurrent times today, March 4, 2008, I never got a chance to get a job using thenew skills that I learned. The reason I never got a job with these new skillsis because I don’t have “actual working experience” with them. So no one wantsto hire me at all because I don’t have working experience with the new computerlanguages, skills that I learned at school. You would think because I have beena Cobol computer programmer right along that some company would hire me to workwith these new skills but this hasn’t been the case.

 Anyways, after I graduated the program in June 2000, Ieventually got another computer job in December 2000 but it was a job for theold skills, the Cobol skills. And just to let you know that  there are only a handful of companies thatare still using Cobol today. Not many companies use Cobol anymore. So FromDecember 2000 through today March 4, 2008, I would have a Cobol programming jobhere and there.  And I have beenunemployed again. And when I have been unemployed, it always takes me yearslater to get another computer programming job because hardly no one uses Cobolanymore. I am so aggravated that I wasted my time and money to learn the newskills which I never got a chance to work with and get actual workingexperience with. The program was $8,000.00 dollars. What a big waste of moneythat was.

 Anyways, sorry for this long drawn out story but I need yourhelp and advice.  Just to let you know,currently I am once again unemployed because of being stuck with my Cobolskills which no one hardly uses. I realize now that I have to go into anothercareer. I need to make a total career change. But see, I am 55 years old and Idon’t know what to do?   I really don’t think it is a good idea to goback to school to learn a new career now because I figure when I graduate, Iwould be close to 60 years old to start my new career. And also with alreadywhat I have been through wasting my money and never getting a chance to gethired to use the new computer skills that I learned, maybe the same thing willhappen to me again if I go back to school to make a total career change. I amthinking I could go to school to learn a new career but what happens again if Inever get a chance to work in this new career because I don’t have workingexperience? Then I wasted time and money in school again. I really wouldn’twant to go to school again.

 I really need your help. I don’t know what to do?  The only thing I possibly could do in orderto keep living and paying my bills is to find some kind of career where I couldget on the job training. But most good paying jobs don’t have on the jobtraining.

 One other thought I had was to buy a franchise or own abusiness or have an internet business. This would be a great idea but I don’thave the money for a down payment to buy a business. I have been using all mysaved money every time I am unemployed. Remember, when I am unemployed I gothrough long periods of not having jobs only because now my computer Cobolskills are not in demand. Plus, the way the economy is, I would be afraid tostart a business anyways.

 So please, if anyone can lead me in the right direction, Iwould really appreciate it. I hope to be hearing back from you with some solidadvice. Thank you very much.