How do you apply for a job?

[Aglifter]

Er... Things aren't going well between me and my family... And, well, they would prefer I go away, and, frankly, I'm just as willing to go...

I'm fairly certain I can handle interviews, etc, as I've hired enough people... but I don't really know how to go about getting one...

Where's a good place to start? I'm a bit worried about just sending off a resume, as I don't really have much on it... (Frankly, I doubt I'd hire myself, off my resume, so that concerns me...)

I'm not looking for specific leads -- I still have to decide if I want to stick out another year of law school first. (I don't want to be a lawyer under all but the most dire circumstances. Frankly, I dislike it too much to ever be competent, and I can't imagine any worse job -- and that includes having to clean out jammed pasteurizers, castrating calves, and working on a hot crew, in TX, in August... But I'd consider doing wills, trust, and real estate work, rather than continue w. the family stuff for the rest of my life...)

*I'm too damn gimpy from youthful stupidity to enter the military, there's really no way around that.

[mekender]

or become a second amendment lawyer and join the good fight... we sure could use the help

[Weetabix]

Don't apply for a job.

Figure out what you want to do. Figure out where you'd like to do it. Research the company. Figure out who the people with hiring authority are. Go where they go (professional society meetings, Chamber of Commerce meetings, etc). Meet them. Talk to them. Impress them.

Or call their offices and ask to come in and talk to them. If they're not hiring, tell them, "That's OK. I'd really just like to visit with you about the industry, and get your ideas on it." Meet them. Impress them. Ask them where you might look for a position.

Write them a letter immediately afterwards to thank them for meeting with you and offer some interesting observation on something you talked about.

If you go through the standard thing of fill out an application, leave a resume, wait for a call, you'll tell them you're an average schmuck.

If you take charge and treat them more like peers, you'll impress them and get somewhere quicker.

Or start your own company.

[Weetabix]

Oh, yeah. To find out the guys to talk to...

Use company websites. Use google. Fish around to see who at the company gets press. Find out who is in charge of projects or cases or accounts or whatever they have. Find out who in the company is on public or private boards and such. Google used properly is a wonderful tool.

The big thing is to find THE guy to go talk directly to. Usually he's insulated from the main phone number or the HR department by several layers of minions. You need to bypass those layers.

[Flintlock Tom]

+1 on what Weetabix says.
And:
Finish your schooling, pass the BAR. This is an excellent foundation for whatever direction you choose to take.

[workinwifdakids]

Join the optimist's club, or another local fraternal organization. Network.

[Denis]

+1 on finishing law school and passing the bar. You don't have to work as a lawyer afterwards, but no-one can take the qualification from you, and it puts you on the "professional" rungs of the ladder, whatever else you decide to do. If you need funds in the meantime, do what everyone else does - be a paralegal while finishing your studies.

[Mike OTDP]

Concur with completing the law degree and passing the bar. If absolutely nothing else, it shows that you have the persistence to finish what you start...which is worth quite a bit.

Then look into law enforcement and/or the military. They are always on the lookout for talent.