I'm a librarian and looking for a job in the area where my fiance lives. I found a public library job that looked like a good fit, except I had to jump through so many hoops that I almost didn't bother.
To start, I was directed to use the town's general “job application,” which was a PDF with no way to fill it out online, so I printed 7 pages and wrote it by hand. This included listing my job duties for all my previous jobs and having to include a statement explaining why I had an employment gap.
The application stated that you have to provide your graduate school transcripts and master's degree along with the application. So I went to my college's website and paid a fee to get an instant electronic copy. They didn't provide electronic versions of the degree unless you graduated in 2020 or later, so I scanned my physical copy of that. Then, because I attended school under another name, I included the necessary legal paperwork to show the name change.
Although the application didn't ask for a resume and cover letter, I included those too. Then I reviewed the job ad to see who I email them to.
No option to email. They only accept applications by mail or fax. So I printed out everything, resulting in 17 pages of documents, and faxed them over.
At first, I figured I shouldn't bother, because I've been having a really hard time finding a job, and it was a lot of hassle to go through, for a job that I probably won't even get. But I'm desperate, so I did it. I can only hope that maybe some other potential candidates also decided not to bother, meaning maybe I have less competition.