Changing careers at 5 years into a job, is it realistic? - what worked for you?

My layoff made me rethink whether to stay in my field. I am in Atlanta, in case local advice matters. I have good customer skills and I am comfortable with spreadsheets. How did you start?

I began with informational chats, then a short online course, then a related entry-level role. It took about 12 months.