Startuplandia myopia is myopic. Even for software developers, if you apply for a bunch of BigCo jobs, you're going to find that a long stretch without formal employment is an obstacle.
The "I've been freelancing for the past year" trick probably does not work as well for med techs or paralegals.
Probably not. Something like "I've been volunteering down at the hospital" would be much better in those professions. Regardless of your profession, surely you can find something productive to do for 6 months, even if its part-time or without pay. Taking that sort of initiative will probably also get you the connections and referrals you need to get a job. Doing nothing but submitting applications for months on end is about the worst thing you can do. If you aren't getting hired, do something to make yourself more hirable.
I agree that networking, volunteering, and pursuing unconventional short-term employment opportunities in your field is likely to result in you outperforming people who rely on resume blitzes to find jobs.
I do not agree that any of those things will help you get past a resume screener.
The "I've been freelancing for the past year" trick probably does not work as well for med techs or paralegals.