Preparing for a Tier 2 role

I was hired at a MSP 7 months ago. It is my first IT job and they want to start transitioning me into a Tier 2 role within the next month or two. I guess I just feel a little intimidated by the prospect as every Tier 2 tech has 5+ years of experience in IT and I would have less than one. It doesn't help that since I've started working here, they've really limited the scope of a T1's work. If we have or project we are going to spend more than 15 minutes on a ticket, we are expected to escalate it. I feel like it doesn't leave me much room to practice on more complex or infrastructural tickets. The chasm between T1 and T2 feels like it is growing wider and wider.

I am also not expecting to get much, if any, training. I'm mostly looking for advice on how I can practice things I haven't really gotten an opportunity to touch or any tips or tricks to progress beyond where I am right now.

The things T1 isn't "supposed" (we still have the access to do all of the following) to do:

• DNS changes and additions
• GPO changes and additions
• Working with 3rd-party vendors on a ticket
• P1 tickets unless it's first touch/information gathering
• Changing any configuration or lists on a firewall

With that being said, these are what I think are my weak points and items I need practice with:

• Anything on a firewall besides VPN settings
• Legacy or obscure software, especially ones that integrate with SQL (like ODBC drivers\system DSN settings)
• Anything related to Sage. I have never resolved a ticket involving Sage software.
• Troubleshooting wireless networks/Wi-Fi connections because there are so many factors that would contribute to a shitty or nonexistent signal.
• Anything Apple (we're a Windows shop but it comes up occasionally)

• Advanced troubleshooting and scouring through logs in general. There are many tickets that I escalate and follow and wonder how they had ever thought of that or figured it out.

  Thanks in advance for any insight you can provide.