Hi! This is sort of an odd subject because talent and experience play the biggest role, in my opinion but on the other hand— it can be tricky because like you said, a lot of places ask for specific degrees in job postings. “Diploma” can have different meanings, so it’s the course of study that matters in the difference between a diploma and a degree. I’m not terribly familiar with courses of study outside the US, so you may need to ask someone who might be more knowledgeable concerning that.

Concerning experience— when I was applying for internships (paid and unpaid) as well as jobs, it was tough because some places wanted years of prior experience. It’s hard to have that experience when you’re trying to get it and it’s sort of a loop to get started. If you can get experience or already have it, that’s going to be a huge help!

There are going to be a lot of factors concerning seeking work in the industry, and any particular situation you can be in concerning education and experience.

I think it will be extremely important to focus on making the strongest portfolio you can. Having a portfolio that packs a punch will be what gets you noticed. The good thing nowadays is you can learn a LOT from people online. There are lots of tutorials for learning just about anything, as well as videos and video streams that also show you techniques and such. You can always learn, especially when not attending school at a particular time.

If you’re interested in applying for a particular type of job (Animator, Storyboard artist, illustrator, design, concept, so on and so forth) you should see if you can find a forum specifically geared towards what you’re interested in. Very often it can be a great place to ask questions and get answers about most anything. You should also be able to find some info about what you will need to apply to/work in the industry.

If you’re interested in working as an animator, Shawn Kelly from Animation Mentor posted an article answering a question about needing a formal education or not when looking for work.

I hope this helps you out!