There are also niche companies like House of Moves, which specializes in Motion Capture, and other companies that focus on Rotoscoping, Animatics, Pre-Visualization, Matte Painting or Modeling. At larger companies, jobs are more specialized, so that the job function equals the title. In smaller companies, you might be called Animator and do everything yourself. Other specialized job titles are Compositor, Match Mover, Matte Painter, and Rotoscoper. In addition, there are many support jobs that are either administrative like Producer, Production Assistant etc.
Jobs tend to be advertised in trade publications rather than newspapers.
Industry web sites and portals can also be good sources for job information, as well as for networking with people working in the field. Yes, there is an advantage to showing that you have completed a course of instruction that can be used as an evaluation of skills, and that you had good quality instructors. Certification is like an insurance policy in the job market because it demonstrates persistence and a good work ethic. Usually students will also spend the extra time to create a demo reel and or portfolio of their work. Internships are a good way to get your foot in the door, especially straight out of college.