I got out of a 7 year retail streak and into technology through support. Many organizations or BPO's see a lot of churn in technical customer support and have on the job training to get your feet wet. Then the ones who stick around and learn the product move up or laterally within the organization. A good org will farm from support. A good org will provide up-skill and training opportunities, subsidies etc to help people progress their career and stay at the company.
Find a local call center or look for remote support jobs if you are tired of retail and then use the company perks to progress.
Source: I left retail for tech support in 2012, 2 years at a BPO, 8 years working with varying tech and progressing titles learning new things and getting free certifications. Now I manage a support team of 14 because I like helping people. Former colleagues from the same BPO are now directing program management, engineering teams, development etc.
That sounds like a great idea, but I get serious anxiety from phone calls so I don't know if that'd be a good fit for me. (I have an anxiety disorder and phone calls are a bit of a sore spot with it.)
Thank you for commenting with it, though! I really appreciate the advice!
If you've ever been put on hold or had long moments of silence while dealing with support, large chance the person helping you is dealing with the same issues. Sure beats dealing with shit customers face to face though!