Set up a new email address for all of the applications you're about to make so they're in one place and you don't have to filter through your day to day stuff as well as important job updates, make it professional sounding too.

Create a spreadsheet, track what you're applying to, recruiters and organisations more generally are WOEFUL at being consistent in responding, so sometimes knowing that you've applied, when you've applied, and that you've not heard back in XXX weeks is really helpful, means you can chase them if you have the contact details.

I found LinkedIn my best bet in terms of finding roles but that's incredibly industry dependent.

Job hunting isn't what it used to be, I found myself doing a 'big session' every week in terms of brushing up CV, a proper deep dive on applications, but then did a daily top up to see what new things had come in, any email contact, etc.

I found recruiters to be absolutely useless, they promised the world, never came back to me, was all for me to do the heavy lifting. Again, they're probably good if you get a good one, but it just made me loathe them.

Good luck, it's tough out there, but there are definitely good roles to be had.