Imagine what it was like 45 years ago without the Internet. I subscribed to the Wall Street Journal “Careers” supplement which came out every week and landed a great job that way. I went to the library frequently to peruse the Help Wanted sections from the major newspapers around the country. I was a mechanical engineer with five years experience starting power plants. It was a real challenge to connect to the job market, especially without any sort of a personal network. You talk about isolated!
I was pounding out every single letter from scratch on an old Smith Corona portable electric typewriter that I had used in college seven years earlier. I used carbon paper to make copies. I used manila folders to keep track of who I had contacted and when.
You wrote “I think job hunting is a truly awful undertaking.” — I tell you, it’s a piece of cake today compared to the old days.
I graduated in the mid 80s with a bachelor degree in finance, the Sunday paper was my only source of any jobs. I’d put my only suit on and walk into banks with my resume. You’re right, todays job hunting is a cake walk.