How hard is it to get a job as a animator

That's a tough question to answer, as what's considered "hard" is subjective and varies from person to person. The animation industry is not very large and there are many people competing for the job, so it is difficult. Animating is not easy, and once you have learned animation you must put together a video reel of your best animation work to send out to employers through DVD or a link on the web. This Reel will be compared against the reel of other hopeful animators and the quality of current industry professionals' work, so it must be considered professional for you to be considered; where you went to school or how many years you went to school don't matter as much as what you demonstrate. When you are not experienced at animation, most jobs available to you will be at small firms and will require you to be more of a generalist who can do a variety of things such as create models, texture, rigg models, and light, as well as animate; jobs that are strictly about animating are generally given to people with more experience or talent, at firms that can afford to hire specialists. What software you know can also make it easier or harder to get a job. If you have a strong reel you may be considered for the job even if you don't know the software of the company you applying to, however, companies generally prefer to hire people who know their software over someone who doesn't as on-the-job-training is rare. Because this field is small, if you gain a bad reputation it can also make it harder or impossible to get a job depending on the reason for your negative reputation. Having contacts in the industry/company you are applying for, and a good reputation, can make it easier to get a job, but it still comes down to having a strong Reel.