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?

Put our resume on Monster.com and you'll be surprised how many companies will contact you about how their (paid for) service is better than sliced bread with becan.
 
And when you do get a gig, please sse if I can get in on it with you (remotely of course).

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 I was into a (now outdated) application framework technology stack that there are no available jobs today.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
 

 Sorry to hear this Bitflipper. I know you are a man of many talents. It seems as if the work you have done for the last 20 years has been a pretty stable thing. Is there a chance that maybe it will pick up soon? Can you defer your medical expenses until a later time or arrange for  minimum payments? Sometimes negotiation is possible. You could try internet job sites like Monster.com.
 
 Not sure what else to suggest. Best wishes your way in getting the situation under control. 
 
  

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... 

For Gov. jobs, this is a place to search & apply online: https://www.usajobs.gov/
 
Of course, with all the shenanigans going on right now, your options might be limited.
 
Best of luck Dave with the hunt.

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.  

Hi Bitflipper,
I know a few things about attracting attention with your letter or resumé.
The company I work for places a lot of IT-professionals at clients, based upon their resumés.
 
The important is that you not begin with your past experience.
The first part of your written communication should attract attention. Don't write a standard letter. Write a letter, or an introduction in your resumé, for each opportunity, that is targetted towards your future employer: Your motivation.

• Make clear why you want this particular job and why you want to work for that particular company.
• Tell them what the challenge is for you.
• Tell them in what way you can contribute to their success and how you can solve their problems. 
•  Tell what steps you could take to tackle their problems, not vague, but specific. You can tell them that because you have experience.

On order to do this you will have to do some online research or try to find someone who knows to company. They want to achieve a goal. Make sure you use that.
Make sure you don't seem arrogant but constructive and cooperative. (Well, in your posts you are always constructive, not arrogant).
 
When the first step is a letter or a resumé, you can make a difference.
 
I wish you the very best.

Lots of companies don't take applications at the physical place of business any more.... everyone says apply online. I know this because my daughter was looking for a job this past spring and early summer. I told her to apply as they request but then to actually go into the store/restaurant and introduce herself to the managers and tell them she is ready to start when they hire the next person.... that way, they associate a face with the name and on the second or third time in, they realize she wants to work, unlike the majority of folks out there...
 
I'm a big believer that the one on one introduction is worth it's weight in proverbial gold.
 
Best wishes for landing a day gig...... times are tough but the jobs are out there... you just gotta find it and then secure it.

Good luck Dave.
 
FWIW, in our tiny little market, .net programmers seem to be in demand.
 
best regards,
mike