"Getting hired" is its own special hell. It's fair to say the game has changed substantially since the last time I did it the way you're talking about, which was 2000. I'm in an industry where I get referrals. I get call backs from friends. It's who you know. The rest of the world is kind of like that, but in order to get there you have to get past HR. The trick is to know someone who is actually in a position of hiring you (while recognizing that the guys wading through resumes are mostly looking for reasons not to). Smaller companies are easier. What do you want to do and where do you want to do it? How old are you? How much freedom do you have? Just so you're read this. don't know how applicable it is but it still gets quoted from time to time.