No one accepts application in person anymore.
All Applications are done online.
It is frustrating as hell.
Applications that are done online take up less room than paper applications. All they have to do is hit "delete". No need to send it to the shredder.
I don't think I ever got a job by filling out an application.
If you want to work somewhere, go there. If they need someone, they will tell you to fill out an application. But make sure the person who tells you to fill out the application is the same person who is going to make the decision on whether or not you get hired or not. And don't tell them "I really need a job". Make sure you say something like "I really like this place and I have always thought of how rewarding it would be to do what you do here." Something like that.
Don't EVER tell a prospective employer that you "NEED A JOB". They don't want people who "NEED" jobs. They want people who WANT TO WORK... THERE.
Use your social connections. 99% of jobs are given to someone who knows someone who works where you get hired.
People leave jobs every day and the positions are mainly filled by referrals from other employees. If you know a place where you want to work and you know someone who works there, then make sure they know you want to work there and you won't embarrass them if you are hired. Most companies actually pay their employees to find people for open positions. Most companies never bother to even look at job applications. They want referrals from people they know.
Most companies think of their employees as family and they are hesitant to let strangers into their home.
There are exceptions. You can get a job as a roughneck just by showing up on a day when someone else doesn't. If you include in your resume that you spent three years in prison for car theft and assaulting a police officer, it will increase your chances for being hired.
Tailor your resume for the job you are applying. But if you really want to get hired someplace, it really helps to know someone who works there.
The key to getting a job is knowing someone who has one.