You don't have a degree. What about 2 years of relevant work experience? Probably not, either! You can bet it'll be very difficult for you to obtain a Z visa. The problem will be your employer will be hard-pushed to get your Foreign Expert Certificate from the Provincial Education Bureau. Without the FEC, it'll almost impossible to get the Z visa. Provinces where it won't work are Liaoning, Jinan, Yunnan and Sichuan. Provinces where (illegal) guanxi between an employer and said Bureau COULD still work are Jilin, Guangxi, Shanxi, Heilongjiang and Shaanxi. I know for sure there are FTs without university degrees with Z visas and valid Residence Permits working years on end in those places. But if those FTs try to change to most other provinces, they won't be able to get a new Foreign Expert Certificate, and thus no new Z visa.

The best way is to get a single entry F in your homeland. This can only be done with the assistance of your prospective employer. The good thing about it is it's valid for 180 days.

Some FTs have used fake degree certificates to obtain legal employment in China. I have seen one from Khao San Road, Bangkok. It was a first-class forgery, but if you chose this kind of deceitful method, present it to Chinese employers in the backward provinces where provincial education bureau staff are likely to be careless and dilatory at work.

And don't arrive poor in China. You need funds available in case things go pear-shaped. That also goes for those FTs who have got the required credentials.