Career change after a layoff, where to begin? after 6 years as an IT help-desk technician

My layoff made me rethink whether to stay in my field. I have read a lot of threads here and could not find my exact situation. I have good customer skills and I am comfortable with spreadsheets. Did you take a pay cut?

I took a small pay cut for a year, and it was worth it for the growth afterwards.

I began with informational chats, then a short online course, then a related entry-level role. It took about 9 months.