Changing careers at 16 years into a job, is it realistic? - what worked for you?

I want to move from home health aide to something with more stability. I am in Knoxville, in case local advice matters. I have good customer skills and I am comfortable with spreadsheets. Did you take a pay cut?

I began with informational chats, then a short online course, then a related entry-level role. It took about 8 months.

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