I'm an electrician. I started electrical work after a messy divorce. Ex-wife sold the tools I used to be a mechanic and I had to get something else going to pay the bills. A friend of mine was doing commercial electrical work for his father's company and helped me get a job. I had no experience, no tools, no background in the field so I started at the bottom.
Trade work isn't going out of style… Ever! We rarely work on the weekends. If overtime is available, it's optional (unless there's an emergency or something – very rare) and we work 8 hours a day. But most of all, we get respect from our employers because they all know we can easily go someplace else.
I've been doing this for more than 25 years now. I've made a career out of it. There is always demand for new workers. Most of the business owners I know worked in the field before starting a business, so they know what it's like to be in the field. Some of the work is hard, but nothing awful. And it's kept me alive and above water for a long time.
I know for a fact that most commercial electrical companies in my area are starting inexperienced help at $15 an hour. (Raleigh, NC area) They want you to go to school, which they pay for, and you get a raise every time you pass one of your classes.
Other trades are like this too. Plumbers, HVAC techs and electricians. That's where to be.
No shitty customers to deal with. Some foreman are ass-holes, but you only have to deal with that until that project is done. Some places even have unions for their trade workers.
Safety is one of the main points of focus on every job I've been on in the last decade, and I've been with several companies. The experience you get makes you worth more and more. Try a skilled trade. But do commercial work. I tried residential and it sucked.
So, fuck foodservice, fuck retail, fuck all those customers. Work construction.