After you decide what you want to do and get the training you need, you still need to get hired. There are two important steps for this.
1) Finding a Job Network, network, network. Meet people that are in the field that you want to be in, and mention you're looking for a job. Ask for advice from them. After all, they got the job you want, so whatever they did obviously worked. When they hear about a job opening, they may come and tell you about it. At worst, you've made a friend and gotten some advice. At best, you've landed a job. The little known fact about jobs is that most of them don't actually end up published in Help Wanted ads, or on Monster.com. They're filled before it even gets to that, by people on the inside. Networking can help make you one of those people.
There are, of course, more traditional ways of finding a job. A career fair is generally a good bet. Just make sure you bring a good resume and come prepared (see #2). Websites, such as Monster.com and CareerBuilder.com are good choices, too.
2) Getting Them to Hire You Making a good impression is the key to getting hired. That means looking the part, speaking the part, and being prepared. Dress for the job that you want to get. If you want to work at Tijuana Flats, jeans and a polo are fine. If you're looking for a job as a customer service representative, though, you'll need to dress more professionally. Wear a nice shirt/blouse with slacks. Just by wearing the right clothes, you've made getting a job that much easier. To speak the part, you'll need to know the ins and outs of the job you're applying for. If you want to work at the Walmart Vision Center, for example, you should know a bit about Walmart's Vision Center before you go. The same thing goes for any job. You should know about the job and your employer/company before you ever meet anyone to ask about getting hired.
Finally, be prepared. Show up a few minutes early with pen and paper, at the very least. Have your job history prepared. For a lot of the nicer jobs, they'll want a resume, so have one ready. If you don't know how to write one, don't worry! Just follow the instructions here. It should generally be about a page long and typed. For even lower level jobs, there's normally an interview, even though it might be more like a conversation and less formal. The important thing is to be prepared for it. Practice basic questions and good answers for them. For example, if you go to apply for a job and they ask you what would make you good for the job (which is common!) you should know the answer! If you don't, it's a big mark against you getting the job. You can practice questions and good answers here, and read about interview tips here. When the interview is over, follow up with a thank you note. Even if you don't get the job, this raises the odds that they'll keep you in mind if they have job openings later. And you're done! You've done everything you can to get the job. Does that mean you'll get it? No, not in this economy. But your chances are much higher, and you've done your best. Good luck!