DL, I feel for you. Mitel (SX10 to EL 19) for 20 years, assorted TIE, Nitsuko, NEC, Intertel, ITT, OPUS, Iwatsu, certifications. Boom, "Most expensive expendable", goodbye. Just before 9/11. Found new work twice with hospitality service companies. WRONG branch of telecom, no one stayed in motels for 2 years! Finally took serious pay cut, and responsibilities, and went to work for a general telecomm outfit. Don't give up, there's work out there, but you may have to move. But, first, step back and consider all of you finances. Can you pay off the outstanding bills if you get into your savings? How long can you collect unemployment? Can you re-arrange your financial condition to step into a different field. This is where I made my mistake. I panicked because I was 55 and afraid I wouldn't be able to get another job. If I had just 'stepped back' I'd be a LOT better off today!
I owned 75% of 3 different nice houses, that I could sell at any time. I had no significant CC or other debt. 1 Paid for car, in excellent condition. Mom was working, making enough to pay utilities and day to day necessities. I could have gone to work passing out shopping carts @ Wal-Mart, but Nooooo, I HAD to get back into my field of work. BIG MISTAKE. Moved 1500 miles, lost one of the houses to foreclosure, two companies I went to work for went toes up (One of which I tried to bail out, idiot move), bad sickness in family. STEP BACK AND LOOK BEFORE YOU LEAP!!!
John C.