Whole sector shrinking, should I change fields? after 12 years as a sales associate

Many of the people I know in my field were laid off this year, including me as a sales associate. I have read a lot of threads here and could not find my exact situation. I am open to a pay cut if the field is stable. How did you choose?

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

Talk to people in the field you are considering. Two coffee chats changed my mind about one option.