Paths to Seniority - from technical support to technical writing?

["Joanne Elizabeth Murphy" <joanne -dot- e -dot- m -at- gmail -dot- com>]

Excuse me, I may babble a little.

A recent graduate of computing, I have now firmly established that I wish to
pursue a career in Technical Writing. I somehow managed to claw some
experience in the field out of my studies, and I have 12 months of
experience being paid to produce various items of software documentation for
a local textiles manufacturer.  However, the company I'm currently working
for has no specific need for a Technical Writer and, to be honest, seem a
little confused at times by my role.  So-much-so, in fact, that I find
myself manning the helpdesk and administering to the IT departments
budget...acquiring new hardware and solving trivial computer problems.
Though I quite enjoy having something else on the side to occupy my mind
when the research and writing gets a little out of hand (oh, for an
established set of procedures!)

Anyway, now that I've graduated, and my current contract is due to expire, I
need a new job. Obviously. It would be fine if there were any Technical
Writing jobs in the local area other than Investment Writer positions (I
swear there must have been a massacre; one day, no jobs, the next, thirty
jobs. A good time to be an Investment Writer.); however, I'm faced with a
choice of either:

(a) convince my partner that we should sell the house we just bought and
move South (like birds!) for the winter
(b) shelf the TW plan for now and do something else

Right, so this is the question I am really asking you (congratulations if
you made it this far, your resilience is truly astounding): has anyone ever
made it to the level of Senior Technical Writer from a role working in
Technical Support? Or is it better to be in the software development arena?

See, I have been offered the position of Technical Support Engineer with the
company I currently work for; they require someone who'll look after the
infrastructure and troubleshoot hardware issues for users. My manager is
honeying it up with stories of his past and the various Technical Writers he
has known who started from such a position and, though I'm inclined to
assume he has no reason to make up stories, I also have to assume he
desperately needs a TSE and will do anything to secure such a
person.  However, on the other hand, I have the senior software developer
harping in my other ear, bestowing upon me the wisdom of his years, assuring
me that technical support is a "dead end" and a waste of a good degree.

So, who's lying?
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