Changing careers at 17 years into a job, is it realistic? - any advice?

My layoff made me rethink whether to stay in my field. I worked as a paralegal before this. My family is supportive but nervous. Did you take a pay cut?

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

Thanks for writing this out. I went through something close to it last year, and it got easier once I kept a simple log of every call and form.