Going through HR just doesn't work for most people. If you don't present yourself as a full-on corporate sheep just happy to be there then you won't make it past these irrational gatekeepers.

My advice is to get aggressive. Figure out who does the hiring (like who makes the decision and who you'd be working with) and contact them directly. Network with the people that you network with (don't try and shove yourself into a group you don't fit in).

Edit: I took irrelevant jobs off my resume, and didn't bother to fill in the gaps. This is 2019, not 1959, and many people have been out of work for some time. Also, embellish whatever you need to (as long as you can do the work when the time comes).