Ustacould pick a place where you wanted to work. Walk in one day, fill out an application, usually no more than one page .. ... name ... address ... last school ... last job ... experience if any. Most likely you'd go to work the next day or the beginning of the next pay period. Show up, do your job for how many hours. You'd get a check or cash every week with just a few mandated deductions. Probably be there for years.
Now, you have to get on a waiting list. Pre qualify to be allowed to fill out a 10 page application. List every relative back to the 1600s, every job you had going back to mowing lawns as a kid, every person you ever knew, even just casually, full medical history, every car or bicycle you ever had, how many times you fell down and skinned your knee as a kid, every class you ever attended and the teacher's names. Then write a small novel about why you want to work for the company and what you can do for thme. Wait six months and maybe you'll get notified of the next step in the process. Take a drug test. Take a Psych test. Take that test. Take a test about stuff just cause we want to know. Take three more tests to find out if you told the truth on the tests. IF you get hired, you take this class, then that class, then a class on stuff, then a class on more stuff, a class on how to talk to people, a class on what not to say to people. Then you might get some classes on how to do your job. And don't forget the daily rah-rah meeting and company appreciation indoctrination sessions. Maybe you get paid once a month on a debit card. A three page long list of deductions including fees for all those classes, hallway cleaning fees, parking lot fee, food disposal fee and so on.
People said screw it.