[happyopossum]

> Job seekers are facing a broken, emergent system.

This is not an 'emergent' thing - it was this way 20+ years ago when I was starting out. The most important thing I've learned in that time is that all of my best jobs come through people I know.

I've gotten a grand total of one job in 26 years from a 'blind' application, and that was working for a local government who had a very strict interview process.

Build your network, work your network. Read The Proximity Principle by Ken Coleman if you need some direction and inspiration.