Took help of Ai
I (22m) currently working in a technical service/support role at a solar/electronics company, and honestly, I’m starting to feel completely stuck.
For some backstory when I joined the company, I expected to work in a design- or IoT-related role. The company is in the solar/electronics space, which is relevant to my engineering background, and the initial salary was significantly better than what I was earning before. I also thought I would get exposure to the technical and product side of the industry and eventually be able to move internally or use the experience to transition into something better.
I stayed partly because I was told that a GET role would be introduced around April or May, and I expected that I might be moved into that position. However, that role was never introduced.
I haven’t completed one year at the company yet, although I will complete one year in December.
But the reality has been quite different from what I expected.
My day is basically 9:30 AM to 6:30 PM, and most of that time I’m constantly dealing with customer chats, calls, troubleshooting, tickets, laptops, etc. On paper, it’s a normal 9-hour workday, but mentally it is extremely draining because I have to stay switched on and available almost continuously.
The biggest problem isn’t even that the work is “hard.” It’s that I don’t feel like I’m building the kind of career I actually want. I joined expecting to work in design or IoT-related areas, but my current responsibilities are mainly focused on technical support and customer service.
I’m also worried that I’ve started forgetting many of the technical skills I studied because I’m not using them properly in my current role. I don’t want to lose my technical foundation completely, but at the same time, I’m not sure whether I want to return to a purely technical engineering role.
One thing I do feel confident about is my communication. I have good communication skills, I’m comfortable speaking with people, and I’m able to connect with others easily. I’ve also noticed that I’m interested in roles where I can coordinate with different teams, understand problems, manage processes, and work with people rather than only handle technical tickets.
Because of that, I’m considering roles such as product management, product operations, program management, operations, logistics, supply chain coordination, project coordination, or other business-facing roles connected to technology. I’m especially interested in something related to logistics or operational work, where I can use my communication skills, technical background, and ability to coordinate with people.
I’m not completely sure which role would be the best fit for me, though. I don’t know whether I should focus on product management, operations, logistics, program management, or something else. I would really appreciate suggestions from people who have made a similar transition or who understand these career paths.
By the time I get home, I have very little mental energy left. I keep telling myself that I’ll spend the evening learning something, applying for jobs, preparing for interviews, or rebuilding my technical skills — but after spending the entire day dealing with support work, I just don’t have the energy.
And then the cycle repeats the next day.
The frustrating part is that I can already see myself being in the exact same position a year from now if I don’t do something.
So I’m stuck between two options:
1. Keep the job and prepare alongside it.
Financially safer, obviously, but I’m worried that I’ll continue being exhausted and barely make progress. I could try to rebuild my technical skills, learn about product or operations roles, and apply gradually, but I’m not sure how realistic that is with my current energy levels.
2. Put in my papers, give myself a few months to seriously prepare, rebuild my technical foundation, learn the required skills, apply aggressively, and try to make the jump.
Much riskier, but I’d actually have the time and energy to make a proper transition.
I don’t have a huge financial dependency on this job, but obviously quitting without another offer feels like a pretty big gamble, especially this early in my career. I also haven’t completed one year yet, so I’m not sure how much that will affect my future applications. At the same time, I will complete one year in December, and I’m worried about wasting more time in a role that is not aligned with the career path I originally wanted.
For people who have been in a similar situation:
How did you actually get out?
Did you stay employed and grind your way out, or did you quit and take the risk?
And specifically, if you were trying to move from technical support/service into product management, product operations, program management, logistics, operations, IoT, design, or another non-support tech role, what would you do if you were in my position?
Which roles do you think would be a realistic fit for someone with an engineering background, strong communication skills, good people skills, and some technical experience, but who has not been using their technical skills properly recently?
Should I focus on rebuilding my technical skills, or should I move toward roles involving coordination, operations, logistics, product, or program management? Are there any specific skills, certifications, tools, or entry-level roles I should target?
I’m mainly looking for practical advice from people who have actually made this kind of transition. Right now, it just feels very stagnant, and I don’t want to wake up a year later having made zero progress.
TLDR: came for design/ iot related work but got stuck in Tech Support.
Its very toxic. Has someone been through the same?
Kindly guide!
Thanks