Pivoting from sales associate to something new - any advice?

After 18 years as a sales associate I am thinking about moving into a different field. Any experience at all would help. I have good customer skills and I am comfortable with spreadsheets. 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.

You likely have more transferable skills than you think. Write down what you did, not what the job title said.