Looee,
Was in same position as you a few years ago. Making big bucks at what I was doing, couldn't really afford a career change at my age, always played homeowner/electrician.
Left the trade I was in, read newspapers daily, grabbed the phonebook and called/visited all the listings I found. Always asked if union or not first. When I found a somewhat interested response or not right now, those were the places I harassed the the most, guess what, persistence and us older guys seem to make quite an impression.
As with most jobs of today, attitude, punctuality, non stop eagerness sure can pay off.
The worst thing is to be idle at anytime, the show of work ethic will show through in the persistence to get the job in the first place.
