Career change after a layoff, where to begin? (Fresno)

After 17 years as a customer-service rep I am thinking about moving into a different field. This is my first time dealing with any of this. I have a little time and a small budget for training. Did you take a pay cut?

Try a small project in the new field before committing. It told me a lot about whether I would enjoy it.

Keep everything in writing and save the confirmation numbers. It saved me later.