Whole sector shrinking, should I change fields? - what worked for you?

Many of the people I know in my field were laid off this year, including me as a dental hygienist. Any experience at all would help. I have transferable skills but no direct experience elsewhere.

I moved into operations work. The skills carried over and there were more openings than in my old field.

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