An intriguing job-search idea

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Dear Mr. Walberg:I read a piece written by someone who writes about career/workplace issues and is identified only with a Ph.D. This person suggested that if you have little experience in a field of interest, you should go on interviews without forwarding your resume up front, then go home and tailor your resume to fit the interview you just had and mail it, along with a cover letter and thank-you note, to the person who interviewed you.I'd be interested in your opinion on this. I'm not sure how to land an interview without forwarding my resume first.-- E-mail from "Anon" in Boston areaDear "Anon":I've heard this suggestion many times over the years, usually offered by career counselors and others with strong academic backgrounds. My background is more along the lines of personal experience working with employers and human-resource professionals, as well as the experience of thousands of job seekers. I think that this idea is great, but very idealistic.In a perfect world, the idea is wonderful. Get the interview, learn about what the employer wants and needs, then go home and build a targeted resume using this information -- send it back to your interviewer, then follow up a few days later for a second interview and, hopefully, an offer.Unfortunately, our world isn't perfect, and recruiters and employers are working harder than ever with less time and resources.Just last week I was networking with an employer and suggested someone I know who is looking for a change. My employer friend said, "Your contact sounds interesting. I don't have any openings right now, but you know I'm always interested in talent. Ask your friend to forward her resume and we'll see about getting together."I thought that was a pretty solid third-party referral, and I don't know if my employer contact would have scheduled an interview on a referral alone. He needs additional information to ensure that he's not wasting valuable time.Try it. I won't be negative. If you can pull this approach off, it could result in a terrific success story.(Marvin Walberg is a job-search consultant based in Birmingham, Ala. He can be contacted at P.O. Box 43056, Birmingham, AL, 35243. E-mail him at mwalberg(at)bellsouth.net.)(Distributed by Scripps Howard News Service, http://www.scrippsnews.com)