Can I has a job plz?

I am getting increasingly frustrated with the prospect of getting a job. It seems that there is no way to begin a profession without first purchasing something. Forgive me if I am wrong but I was under the impression that people were hired for a position and then paid for their service. What are all of these jobs that require you to have a start up fee or a membership or training?
I am online looking for freelance writing jobs to bring in some dough and there they are! These “memberships” that look strikingly like scams. Buy the membership and be able to work for all of these companies. This seems like a legitimate way for companies to get writing work done have a third party solicit and hire agents, but it looks so fishy. Have the scams become so sophisticated that they look legitimate? Or is it that the real work has to, now, cover its own ass so well that it looks like a hoax?
Why isn’t getting a jobs as simple as submitting an application, going to an interview, and training for the position? The whole process is so laden with bureaucracy that it becomes impossible for people to jump through all of the hoops. I am all for being fully trained for a job, but taking a battery of classes so that you are qualified for a position… classes that are non-refundable, is unacceptable to me. I did that it was called college. My degree should tell employers that I am qualified. Hire me and see! I dare you!