Same age bracket here (when I started) and identical scenario (albeit I was a FI with the option to continue in a better FTO, give RYR a chance or...take what I have got right now) but nothing to fall back onto shall my medical go to hell...
Going small-TP route will most likely trap you in but it really depends what kind of job the operator does. If it is charter and corporate transport you might find yourself spending some valuable time in FBOs around UK/EU. Use that time wisely and make connections with bizjet crews etc. and...there could be the next rung of your career ladder. Networking is the key!
The usual well-informed here on the RN will howl that TP experience is worth nothing to airlines and right now they might be quite right. BUT...those hours still attracted the attention of some jet operators, so I would not agree they are totally useless. However an A320 or B737 SSTR without 500-ish hrs on type is also equally useless. Just take a look at the latest issue of Flightglobal. Gone are the days when the "admission-ticked" within LCC or jet-ops were a "mere" 20-25K for sim+base-check. Now the price has perhaps doubled, you need line-training, recent experience and for me if it was out of reach before, well guess now...
Bottom line...hold tight on your IT-skills and keep them sharp. Make the switch if that is you gut's feeling but maintain a foot in the door with your actual job: freelance, self-contract in your time off...whatever. Aviation is not a place where you can relax, every honeymoon is VERY short-lived, full of compromises and comes to a very high price.
Best luck
DK
