I worked as an employment counsellor for 14 years. There's a lot of good advice here.
-you can use a skills based resume where you start by highlighting your work accomplishments. The work history goes at the bottom.
-Most jobs are actually not advertised (at least not where I live). So, in addition to applying for advertised jobs you can develop a list of potential employers (use business directory in your area). I know a manager who hired a girl because she had confident strong handshake! If you're not comfortable or able to go in person the phone works pretty well too (they're called cold calls). You'd write up a little script for yourself and practice it first.
-Volunteering is awesome because it's shows you're presently active.
-Network among acquaintances if you have any...so many jobs are found by word of mouth.
-If you get an interview, you can send them a note afterwards reiterating your interest in working for them...it worked for me.
-Start a job search tracking sheet. It's really easy to lose track if you're not writing things down. Write down every place you applied to and any responses you receive. Being organized will let you know which employers you can follow up with.
-Re following up, If you apply to a job you can give it a little time and then call to follow up. I just say something like "Hi, My name is Sober45 and i'm just calling to follow up to make sure you received my resume". And once they've confirmed I say "oh, that's great I really hope to hear from you soon."
-Commit to how ever many hours per day you think would be good for you. After you punch in that time...let it be.
-deciding how to respond to the employment gap during an interview is something you can figure out before the interview. It's really tricky for sure. From my experience the MAIN thing employers look for is HONESTY.
Like me you're in the early days so go easy on yourself (I know I am). As long as you're clean, clarity will come, and so will the job, when the time is right.