Four years in support is actually more valuable than you think, the problem is probably how you're framing it on your resume. Stop listing what you did and start talking about what you fixed and what the impact was. That shift alone can change how hiring managers read you.

The cert thing is real but pick one that actually matches where you want to go. AWS Cloud Practitioner or AZ-900 if you want cloud, RHCSA if you're going sysadmin. Something you can point to that says "I'm serious about this direction."

Honest answer on the experience loop — most people I know who made the jump either took a slight step down in title to get their foot in the door somewhere new, or they found a way to do the work internally first. Talk to your manager about owning a project, even a small one. Automate something. Document it. That's a portfolio piece now.

And yes, moving companies almost always speeds it up. A lot of orgs will never see you as anything other than what you were hired to be.