Around here, the only way to get into a place is through the head hunters, as a temp to direct. You will start as a temp for the first 90 days or so and then if you are doing a good job you will get a permanent job offer from the company you are working at. If you are not doing a good job, then the company can let you go with no strings attached.
I'm in the same boat as you to a degree, I do not have a degree but have been working as an engineer for the last 36 years. I have found that smaller companies are less impressed by a degree than they are by ability and experience. Most of the companies that I have worked for are small enough to not have an HR department. Where I am at now I am the whole engineering dept.