COBOL job in the U.S. ??

I am a 43 year old american that has been living and working
in France as a COBOL IBM mainframe programmer since May of
1998.

Prior to coming to France at that time, I had spent about 12
years working in the U.S., and wanting to live and work in
France.  With the arrival of the Euro and the Year2000 bug,
suddenly it was fairly easy to find a consulting company in
France that would want me, and obtain all the needed "working
papers" for me.

Even now, about six and 1/2 years later, I am still working here,
in spite of the big changes in the market for COBOL programmers.
But, in truth, I am not really making very good money here, and
I need to start thinking more seriously about my long-term
retirement plans.

Bottom line is that I am really ready to think about returning
to the U.S., to finish off the rest of my career years.

I realize things are different though now. But for somebody that
has a lot a good experience with COBOL, IMS DB and DC, DB2, and
CICS ... plus solid PC/Internet programming skills, maybe I could
find something in the U.S. ?

1dmark2 "at" wanadoo.fr is my email address, but I will be reading
the forum again now, for a few ws at least.  So a reply, or
any comments, is fine in here as well.

Thanks !

1dmark2 wrote:

>I am a 43 year old american that has been living and working
>in France as a COBOL IBM mainframe programmer since May of
>1998.
>
>
>
Nothing specific, but I'm zeroing in on your time in France. I hope to
God you weren't one of those 'Anglos' who ignored French. Are you pretty
passable in spoken and written French ?

Taking N. America as a whole, can you think of any software houses/sites
which might have a need for somebody who is bi-lingual. The US Feds in
Washington DC - any requirement there for French.

Long shot, because it isn't exactly 'home', depending upon where you
*really* wanted to live in the States. Quebec - I'd guess they would
love you being bi-lingual, rather than 'perfide Albion'. Longer shot -
Canadian Federal Government in Ottawa - it's a must to be bi-lingual to
be a civil servant, and assuming security wise there's no problem on
your nationality.
As regards Quebec, chances are the big outfits are in Montreal. However,
associated with the offshore oil/gas on our Eastern Coast - fair chance
Quebec computer companies provide services to support the East Coast
exploration, although possibly most of that support comes from here in
Calgary..

Try and play the card you have in US or Canada - *French*  if you are
passably bi-lingual.

and, bon chance !

Jimmy, Calgary AB