u/BozoStatus

im a 24M, no college degree, just a high school diploma, and I finished deferred probation in October 2025. i got my own apt and got my doordash account back after finishing, which gives me hope and im blessed to have that opportunity. Lately I’ve been really stressed and discouraged because I feel like I’m behind in life and I don’t know if I’m doing enough to fix it. I work full-time, commute 30+ miles each way, and DoorDash on the side, but I still feel like I’m barely moving forward. My girlfriend is 28 and works a good remote corporate job, and I make almost $60k less than her a year. She’s supportive, but it’s hard not to compare myself or feel embarrassed sometimes. I worry that because of my background and lack of formal education, I’ll never be able to land a stable job like hers or build the kind of life I want. I’m not trying to throw a pity party. I just feel overwhelmed and could use grounded advice from people who have been in a similar spot and found a way forward.

Hey everyone,
I’m looking for some honest career advice and trying to be realistic about my next steps.
I’m 24, based in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, and I don’t have a college degree. I spent almost 8 years working at a specialty skate shop, with about 4 years in a management role. My experience there included retail management, inventory, vendor relationships, seasonal buying/pre-books, ecommerce product uploads, online merchandising, customer service, events, and working directly with brand reps.
Right now I’m working in an AVL/production warehouse role doing lighting and inventory-related work. I’ve been learning systems like Flex, handling pull sheets, scanning gear in and out for shows, coordinating with techs, and keeping track of outbound/returned inventory. It’s useful experience, but I don’t see myself staying in warehouse/manual labor long-term. I’m trying to move into something more stable and professional, ideally in sales operations, account coordination, ecommerce operations, purchasing, inventory coordination, wholesale support, real estate operations, or something similar.
I also want to be transparent that I previously completed deferred probation for a nonviolent charge. I’m no longer on probation, and there was no conviction, but I understand that the arrest record may still come up in some background checks. I’m trying not to let that define me, but I also want to be realistic about what roles/industries may be more open to giving me a chance.
My question is: would Coursera or similar online courses actually help me become more competitive for better jobs, or would they mostly be ignored without a degree?
I’m not expecting a certificate to magically fix everything. I’m more wondering if targeted courses could help me fill gaps and show employers that I’m serious. For example, I’ve been considering courses or certificates in Excel/Google Sheets, project management, operations, CRM/Salesforce, data analytics basics, supply chain, ecommerce, or real estate/property management.
For someone with my background, what would be the smartest path?
Should I focus on certifications, rebuilding my resume/LinkedIn, applying to coordinator roles, networking, or trying to get into a lower-level role at a better company and working up?
I’m open to honest feedback. I’m just trying to build a real plan instead of randomly applying to jobs and hoping something sticks.

Hey everyone, I’m trying to make a real career move and figured I’d ask here because I’m at the point where I need honest direction more than generic job board advice. I worked at a skate shop for almost 8 years and managed retail for around 4 of those. I worked with brand reps, prebooks, inventory, ecommerce product uploads, merchandising, customer service, events, and general shop operations. I’m currently working in a warehouse and lighting rental environment, which has taught me more about logistics, order prep, inventory, and operations, but long term I’m trying to get into something more aligned with brand side work, sales support, wholesale support, ecommerce merchandising, account coordination, sales ops, buying, or anything in that world. I did not go to college, so I know that can be a factor, but I do have real hands on experience from retail, ecommerce, vendors, customers, and operations. I also want to be transparent that I had a legal issue in the past, but I completed deferred probation in 2025 and have been focused on moving forward, working, learning, and building a better path for myself. I’m not looking for anyone to hand me a job. I’m just trying to figure out what job titles, companies, recruiters, certifications, or paths I should be looking at so I can stop applying blindly and start aiming in the right direction. If anyone has been able to move from retail, warehouse, or shop level work into a brand, sales, operations, ecommerce, or wholesale role, I’d really appreciate any advice. based in dallas texas.