I may need to find a job, but don't know how

I'm experiencing the perfect storm of reduced cashflow into my business and large medical bills from my back surgery. For the first time in 20 years, my day job isn't covering expenses! I am now facing the reality that I may have to find a real job, at least temporarily.
 
Problem is, I've only actually looked for a job once in my entire life, and that was in 1984. That time, I simply answered a newspaper ad and landed the gig. Nobody uses the newspaper anymore, so I'm at a loss as to where to start. Advice?

Dave,
 
I do hope your skillset is more marketable than mine. I was into a (now outdated) application framework technology stack that there are no available jobs today. I did not advance with the times because I was too busy working during the day and wanted to make music at night and on the weekends.
 
Here is how I see the job market today (in the form of an analogy). Say you worked as a mechanic for Honda for the last 10 years and now Honda no longer needs service techs (market is saturated) and all you see is jobs for BMW service techs. You think, "I'm adaptable" but as you dig deeper into the job description you see that you must have experience with 2010 and later BMWs. So you send in your resume anyway thinking, "surely they will see that I'm a qualified service tech and see that I will be able to adapt in short order". Guess what, you will either a) never get a call, b) get a form letter saying that your qualifications did not match.
 
My view of IT these days are that job descriptions are very narrow and the days taking a chance on the adaptable candidate has a -0.10% likelihood of occurring.
 
But..... I live in L.A.
 
YMMV
 

My thoughts...
 
Always, direct contact works best. Call the people you want to work for, tell them, ask how to get in the door. (This assumes you know where you'd like to work.)
 
If you want corporate positions, start by logging into the corporate websites and uploading your resume. In a lot of cases, other than temp agencies, this is required to get into a corporate job.
 
If you want to work for a govt job (like a hospital) contact them to find out if you can fill out the forms online or if you need to come in. Often, it is required to actually show up at a hospital to apply for a job.
 
Faxing your resume to lots of people is cheap to do, but usually ignored by large businesses. Gotta get in their database and they consider this your job. Enter it on their website. Don't hesitate to get your resume in their queue.
 
Recruiters can help, but they do take their cut. They can also demoralize you intentionally to try to keep you from working outside their network. They take some of the hassle, but at a cost.
 
Tell your friends your looking. Sometimes they're looking to hire.
 
Go to professional meetings. I'm a programmer and I go to a lot of user group meetings. Sometimes, I'm looking to hire and if I see someone I can get along with... 

Lots of good advice here Bit.  
 
I am assuming that you are wanting to stay in the same type of field you are already in.  Direct contact is best and getting your resume in front of someone that actually makes the decision is the best way to get hired, in my opinion.  I am assuming you have an advanced skill set in what ever you do.  Target the companies that you would like to work for, or that hire someone with your experience and then get the name of the General Manager or CEO.  Usually they will know if the company is hiring because he is going to make the final decision.  You might have to be sneaky in getting the name, maybe call and say your a customer and want to send a Thank You card to the CEO.  Worst case is that the receptionist actually forwards you to him and then I would just come clean.  You were trying to find a creative way to get his name so that you could send him a resume.  It's likely that you will find yourself in the midst of a phone interview if that happens.  Follow up with a phone call after you know for sure that he has received it.  
 
The other best method is networking with people you know.  

No advice, but sorry to hear that - best of luck to you, Bit.

The world has turned. I thought that my skill set was massive. Solid tech background with 10 years of management experience in quality assurance and auditing. Part time college teacher with experience in developing multi functional teams for major project development. License for industrial electrician and certified as a quality manager by the American Society for Quality.
 
The headhunters all told me the same thing. I was unemployable. Too much experience for the Mc jobs that dominate the market and too old for corporate gigs that can get college grads for peanuts. The last guy I spoke to told me he wanted to give me a gold watch, but not a job. Since then I've been doing all sorts of small jobs as they come along. This year I've built amps, created a management training program for an HR company, Some recording work and technical writing.
 
In short, I've become a tinker or utility infielder, whatever metaphor you like. Welcome to the world of the silver backs Bit. Be creative and use your imagination. You may make money doing something you had never planned on. Best of luck.

Sorry to hear this Dave. I wish you and yours the best and have you in my prayers.

You can create a basic resume but do some research on the jobs you're looking for and custom taylor your resume to each job and company. 
 
You could also look into LinkedIn.  They're like the Facebook of business.  Be careful though, the had some security problems a while back.  I don't know if those problems got resolved. 

Almost 4 months after the surgery and I'm walking several miles a day, with no pain or pain pills. Six months ago I could only hobble around with a cane or walker. Life is good, and the expense of the surgery was worth every penny. And I may have to cash in my penny jar to pay for it. Damn, that had been earmarked for music software!
 
Thanks for the ideas, everyone. I like the idea of a brief resumé that doesn't make it obvious that I've been in the business since before the Intel 4004.
 
Like many, I have many skills that are no longer in demand. But being the principal tech-head for my company means I wear many hats, so I'm thinking it would not be unethical to mention only those skills that are still relevant while skipping, say, all the years spent coding ANSI-C.
 
Or maybe I'll just try for a gig at Guitar Center. Surely there are no pre-qualifications required to work there! I won't mention any knowledge of musical gear on the application.

bitflipper
Or maybe I'll just try for a gig at Guitar Center. Surely there are no pre-qualifications required to work there! I won't mention any knowledge of musical gear on the application.

Are you kidding?  You've got no chance!  As soon as you start talking they'll realize you're too smart to work there.  

I wish I had some advice, Dave. All I can say is hang in there, buddy, and I'm thinking about you. Xoxoxo

Bit, 
 
Write a cover letter to your resume as was mentioned earlier.  Really say what you want about yourself in it so that the reader gets a good idea of who you are and what you want/can do for their company.  I did this on my last job that I got - basically put it all on the line for this employer and he called me back the next day.  
 
Also, don't be shy of letter others critique your resume and cover.  
 
Network all over the place.  Employers will hire first those that are recommended by others they know and trust.  
 
Best of luck to you.  I know you will be successful Bit.
 
Rimshot
 

Well that's at least the 2 of us looking for work Bit.
 
There's no advice I can give you, other than keep the faith! Something will turn up, it nearly always does.

I don't know if this will work for you, but you might want to look into consulting.  There are a number of consulting firms who employ people with a broad technical background.  While consulting may not be for everyone, it has a number of benefits. 
 
I've worked as a consultant for the last 20 years.  While some companies may not be ready to hire someone of your experience permanently, they may need you on a short term basis for some projects.  Some people see consulting as a temp job that they hope will become permanent.  I prefer consulting over a permanent position because I like to change environments. 
 
Anyway, I thought I'd throw that out there in case it helps.  Hope you find a new gig that meets your needs, Bit.  Let us know what you find.