Q: How does a person find a job?

A: Send resumes and cover letters to companies you'd be interested in working for and companies that are advertising positions available, have an interview or a series of interviews, then get hired.

You know what? I don't think this is true. I mean, I have gotten a couple of jobs that way, but my current job (which is my first grownup job) didn't involve any resumes or interviews at all. (I did an internship which I got through my school, they were impressed, I did more internships, they continued to be impressed, they offered me a position way far away, I turned it down, they offered me a local position, I accepted). When I was looking for work, (through the usual resume and interview method), I found that very few people could give me good advice about interviews. "I don't really know, I haven't had very many interviews that led to something." "I didn't interview, I was hired based on my portfolio." "I was hired by the university straight out of university, and I already knew everyone in the department." "I just expressed interest in the position and I was hired based on my reputation." "I found the job through my professional organization, so it wasn't really the same dynamic as resumes and interviews."

Most of the grownups in my life with grownup jobs didn't get those jobs through resumes and interviews, but no one could say exactly how one gets a job. I can tell you how I got my job, but I feel that it's a bit of a fluke in that copying my approach wouldn't necessarily lead you to a job, and most of the people whom I have asked for job advice would say the same thing.

The problem with this is it's totally useless to the job seeker. I've seen this information in job seeking advice sources, usually disguised as something about networking, but it's not something a person can make happen.