u/Alive-Plane4417

Background:

I’m 28, based in Vienna, Austria. I never went to university. I have an HTL diploma in IT & Medientechnik (Austrian technical high school). After school I built my own e-commerce businesses from scratch, taught myself Meta Ads, TikTok, Pinterest, Shopify, Klaviyo, GTM, GA4 and scaled to over €1M in revenue. I also did a 2-month internship at a software test automation company in 2015/2017 where I worked with Selenium, Cucumber and an enterprise test automation engine.

The situation:

Vienna’s e-commerce job market is tiny. I’ve applied to everything relevant and the roles that exist pay poorly — €2,500 gross for “E-Commerce Manager” positions. After months of searching I decided to pivot toward IT Support as a more stable career path with clearer progression.

What happened this week:

I built an IT-focused CV translating my e-commerce technical experience into IT language — troubleshooting, system configuration, API debugging, documentation, external partner coordination. I sent it out and within one week got 6-7 interview invitations across IT support roles and one E-Commerce Manager position at an international company.

My honest skill level:

•	Windows client — user level, not admin

•	Active Directory — conceptual understanding from self-study

•	TCP/IP, DNS, DHCP, VLANs — conceptual, no hands-on

•	Linux — basic commands only

•	HTML, CSS — solid

•	JavaScript — basic understanding, can read it

•	Shopify — expert level

•	Meta/TikTok/Pinterest Ads — expert level

•	GA4, GTM — working knowledge

•	Selenium, Cucumber, Gherkin — used at internship

•	Photoshop, Canva — solid

•	No formal IT support job experience

What I’m struggling with:

I keep doubting whether I’m being honest on my CV or just making things up. I have OCD and it attacks my self-perception constantly — telling me I know nothing, that I’m faking it, that I’ll be exposed. But then companies keep calling me for interviews which suggests my CV is resonating.

I also can’t decide between staying in e-commerce or committing fully to IT Support for the structured career path and better long-term salary. Vienna’s e-commerce market is very small and underpaying.

My questions:

1.	Is translating e-commerce technical experience into IT support language on a CV honest or misleading?

2.	Can someone realistically break into IT support at 28 with an HTL background and self-taught technical skills but no formal IT support experience?

3.	IT support vs e-commerce in a small market like Vienna — which path makes more sense long term?

4.	Has anyone made a similar pivot and how did it go?

Appreciate honest opinions, especially from people in the Austrian or DACH market.

Background:

I’m 28, based in Vienna, and have spent the last 5+ years running my own e-commerce businesses. I built Shopify stores from scratch, ran paid social campaigns on Meta, TikTok and Pinterest, and scaled to over €1M in revenue. I taught myself everything — ads, tracking, Klaviyo, GTM, GA4, API debugging, the whole stack. I also have an HTL diploma in IT & Medientechnik.

The situation:

The Vienna e-commerce and performance marketing job market is tiny. I’ve applied to basically everything relevant and the roles that exist pay poorly — we’re talking €2,500 gross for E-Commerce Manager positions at small fashion brands. Growth opportunities are limited and depend heavily on the company’s budget and ambition.

On the other hand I’ve been interviewing for IT Support roles (1st/2nd level) and the market is completely different — more openings, better salaries starting at €3,000-3,500 gross, clear certification paths and structured career progression.

My dilemma:

I have an interview at a well known Austrian fashion brand for an E-Commerce & Customer Service Manager role. The pay is €2,500 gross — around €2,100 net. The role is mostly order management and customer service, not strategic marketing. Not much room to grow.

I also have an interview at REWE (one of Austria’s biggest retailers) for a 1st Level IT Support role at €2,560 gross with potential overpayment. It’s a 12 month Karenzvertretung but REWE on my CV plus certifications like CompTIA A+ could open serious doors.

What I’m thinking:

•	E-Commerce feels like my lane passion-wise but Vienna’s market is saturated and underpaying

•	IT Support feels more structured with clearer growth — 1st level → 2nd level → specialist → sysadmin

•	My HTL IT background means I’m not starting from zero in IT

•	I could keep marketing as a freelance side income while building an IT career

•	Long term IT salaries in Austria can reach €60,000-80,000+ at senior level

My questions:

1.	Has anyone made a similar pivot from digital marketing/e-commerce into IT?

2.	Is 1st level IT support genuinely a good entry point for someone with my background?

3.	Does the IT career path in Austria actually deliver on the growth promise or is it slower than people think?

4.	Would you take the fashion brand E-Commerce role for the brand name or is €2,500 gross just not worth it?

Appreciate any honest opinions — especially from people in the Austrian or DACH job market.

Background:

I’m 28, based in Vienna, and have spent the last 5+ years running my own e-commerce businesses. I built Shopify stores from scratch, ran paid social campaigns on Meta, TikTok and Pinterest, and scaled to over €1M in revenue. I taught myself everything — ads, tracking, Klaviyo, GTM, GA4, API debugging, the whole stack. I also have an HTL diploma in IT & Media technology.

The situation:

The Vienna e-commerce and performance marketing job market is tiny. I’ve applied to basically everything relevant and the roles that exist pay poorly — we’re talking €2,500 gross for E-Commerce Manager positions at small fashion brands. Growth opportunities are limited and depend heavily on the company’s budget and ambition.

On the other hand I’ve been interviewing for IT Support roles (1st/2nd level) and the market is completely different — more openings, better salaries starting at €3,000-3,500 gross, clear certification paths and structured career progression.

My dilemma:

I have an interview at a well known Austrian fashion brand for an E-Commerce & Customer Service Manager role. The pay is €2,500 gross — around €2,100 net. The role is mostly order management and customer service, not strategic marketing. Not much room to grow.

I also have an interview at REWE (one of Austria’s biggest retailers) for a 1st Level IT Support role at €2,560 gross with potential overpayment. It’s a 12 month Karenzvertretung but REWE on my CV plus certifications like CompTIA A+ could open serious doors.

What I’m thinking:

•	E-Commerce feels like my lane passion-wise but Vienna’s market is saturated and underpaying

•	IT Support feels more structured with clearer growth — 1st level → 2nd level → specialist → sysadmin

•	My HTL IT background means I’m not starting from zero in IT

•	I could keep marketing as a freelance side income while building an IT career

•	Long term IT salaries in Austria can reach €60,000-80,000+ at senior level

My questions:

1.	Has anyone made a similar pivot from digital marketing/e-commerce into IT?

2.	Is 1st level IT support genuinely a good entry point for someone with my background?

3.	Does the IT career path in Austria actually deliver on the growth promise or is it slower than people think?

4.	Would you take the fashion brand E-Commerce role for the brand name or is €2,500 gross just not worth it?

Appreciate any honest opinions — especially from people in the Austrian or DACH job market.