If you can demonstrate competence, credentials usually matter less. I would recommend just getting a GED so you can check the box on the job application, it will make getting your foot in the door easier.

I didn’t graduate from high school, I got into food service. Literally no one has ever asked me for a diploma. It doesn’t pay the best at first (though it is considerably better than when I started 15 years ago), but I got a comfortable-for-me salary when I eventually got into management.

Its not for everyone, if you can deal with fast paced work, weird hours, and weirder personalities its a lot of fun.

I’m looking for a printer operator, and not requiring a degree. It’s a techy job, requires a high level of attention to detail, and a high degree of work ethic. The job is collaborative and needs someone who likes to create, but has an understanding that it’s a business, not a maker hobby.

The jobs exist.

If I didn’t graduate high school I would probably just lie to get my foot in the door.

It’d be an uphill battle but if someone got into programming via free online courses they could build a resume via collaborating with projects on github. It’d be a way to prove skill without the diploma.

Advice goes the same for anything where you can build a portfolio to demonstrate competency, most people in industries just care about results. This could be photography, graphic design, a physical labor like wood working etc.

Sucks because you’d have to outlay time upfront before maybe getting payed though. Ymmv