Shadowrun's the name of the game, so to speak, and it's pretty much impossible to get through the game without going on a fair number of shadowruns. They are by far the best way to pick up Karma, which is essential to the advancement of your characters. They can also make you quite a bit of money if you're good enough. And, if nothing else, they're much more fun than the traditional way of getting money and experience in RPGs: fighting hordes of monsters over and over again. This section is broken down into several parts: one for each type of run. Within each section, you'll find pretty much all the information there is on the run, plus my opinions on which types to take, and strategies to use for each type. If you really want to make the most out of your experience in this game, you should become familiar with each type of run and try to go on as many as possible.
In Shadowrun, your source of employment comes from Mr. Johnsons, which is the alias used by several men who hand out contracts to runners like you. There is one Mr. Johnson in Puyallup Barrens, one in the Penumbra District, two in Downtown Seattle, and one in Redmond Barrens. For more information on Mr. Johnsons, read Section IX.
Once you find a Mr. Johnson (they're all located in the back booths of bars), you can ask him for work and he'll offer you one of the types of jobs listed below. With few exceptions, each Johnson will offer each type of job at a fixed rate. Then, depending on your Negotiation attribute, that fee may or may not change. Once the fee has been determined, it's up to you if you want to take the run; simply tell the Johnson yes or no.
Once you've found a job you like and have taken it, you've got to go do it. Note that there's no time limit or anything like that for runs, you can start and finish them whenever you like. If you fail during the run (usually the only way to fail is to have your party wiped out), you won't lose any Karma or Reputation or money or whatever, but the run will be busted and you'll have to look for a new job.
One thing you can't do is take on two runs at once. While you're under contract for a run, other Johnsons won't make you any offers. If you wish to get out of your contract, go to the Johnson who gave you the job and ask for work again. He'll tell you that you're already under contract and will ask if you want out. By nullifying a contract you lose nothing, so don't be shy. If you change your mind about a run, don't hesitate to cancel it and get a new one.
Except for Bodyguard and Courier runs, you will need to return to the Johnson once the run is finished for payment. Once you talk to the Johnson, he will pay you and you will gain a little Karma. You will then be free to look for other jobs. This is the point at which your short-term runners will leave. And when you're working with other runners on a job, don't let the text about splitting up percentages scare you. You'll always get paid the same amount, regardless of how many people are in your party. Finally, with the two types of runs mentioned above, you will be paid by the client himself upon reaching your destination, instead of afterward by the Johnson. This can cause a few special conditions -- see the cheats section.