Find a mix of old knowledge and new (Score 1)

My usual recommendations for someone in your situation is to try and locate a job that can utilize your existing skills in combination with a more technical role. You don't mention what your previous experience is, but there should be some way to parlay it into a new career. For example, if you have legal experience, perhaps you could find a company that provides technical services to legal firms -- or, if you are an engineer, the IT department of a firm that does engineering. The goal is to leverage your existing knowledge as an entry point in IT, even though you might be lacking in some IT-related skills. The fact is, if you have any technical skill at all, that, in combination with your other knowledge could be just what a particular company is looking for. The term I coined for these types of positions, and the people that fill them, are "high-tech hybrids." They are neither completely IT staffers or another, but uniquely fill a role through their combination of knowledge and skills.

I wrote a column on exactly this topic back in 2003
http://welchwrite.com/dewelch/ce/2003/ce030117.asp

Best of luck with your move. It is possible!

Douglas