descent
Contributor
... [FTE job seekers far outnumber positions] ... Your alternative is to do something like I did. I joined the Navy, got my Engineer's Merchant Mariner's license, also my Captain's license, got a degree in Environmental Science and another in Nuclear Engineering Technology, worked for government and industry for 20 years, and put enough scratch away to buy a research vessel.
I think this is great advice.
Wookie highlights what I think is a critical and overlooked point. There may be hundreds of people already waiting in line for your dream job, but if you are willing to approach the puzzle in an unconventional way, you might see that you don't necessarily have to come in by the front door.