Join Us on February 2012 Newsletter of The Press Club of Cleveland From the President Ed Byers Have you renewed your Press Club membership? Please get your 2012 dues to Lynn at The Press Club office as soon as possible. You will not want to risk being dropped from the membership. This year there are going to be many good reasons to re-up and bring a friend (or two) with you. I can promise you that this is going to be a great year – the 125th anniversary of (L-R) Council President Martin Sweeney, Bonnie Godbey, Carol Kovach, Ed Byers, John our founding – and it is in full swing. Betchkal, Jane Christyson, Michael Bennett, Maryana Bradas, Jeff Bendix and Cleveland We kicked off the year with a great Mayor Frank Jackson. lunch and a good time at the Greater Cleveland Aquarium last month. City of Cleveland Honors Press Club on Thank you to the Aquarium’s Tami Brown and Kayla Ott for the Press 125th Anniversary Club invitation. There are many Cleveland City Council rolled out the red Kovach, Richard Stewart and President Ed more programs (I am not allowed to carpet for The Press Club of Cleveland at its Byers who, in his remarks to City Council, talk about right now) on the horizon January 30th session with a Resolution of thanked Mayor Jackson, Council President which will coincide nicely with our Congratulations to the Club for 125 years of Sweeney and Council for the recognition. anniversary, and you’ll be reading service to the journalism community. A very special ‘thank you’ also goes out to about them soon. Council President Martin J. Sweeney did City Council media director Jim Kopniske Come join us to give WKYC’s Russ the honors from the floor of Cleveland City for his efforts in spearheading the resolution Mitchell a big Cleveland welcome Council Chambers in presenting the Club on behalf of the Club and City Council. on Feb. 24 at the Hilton Garden the resolution. Inn downtown. In April, Our “Best “Whereas, from its humble beginnings, Pitch” program series continues at the The Press Club continues to serve as a Terrace Club with a great panel dis- beacon for freedom of the Press. The Club cussion SBN’s Dustin Klein is putting is proud to have a strong board of trustees together. consisting of media and communications Speaking of programming, I am professionals from print, radio and TV. The really excited to announce that Club’s newsletter, The Byliner, is a world- Kathleen Osborne is our new pro- class monthly publication which serves its gramming VP. Kathleen brings members well,” proclaimed Sweeney. youth, enthusiasm, fresh ideas and Sweeney continued, “Be it resolved that unbounded energy to The Press Club. Cleveland City Council is sincerely pleased Safe to say, she also knows “a little bit” to recognize and congratulate The Press about the inner-workings of the Club. Club of Cleveland on the very special occa- Both her husband, Steve Gleydura of sion of its 125th anniversary. Best wishes are Cleveland Magazine, and her father, extended to the Club’s members for much Rich Osborne, formerly with Ohio continued success in the years ahead.” Magazine and Great Lakes Publishing, Accepting the honor were Press Club are past Press Club presidents. Board Members Jeff Bendix, Maryana I also have to give a shout-out to Bradas, Michael Bennett, John Bechtkal, continued on page 2 > Jane Christyson, Bonnie Godbey, Carol 28022 Osborn Road Cleveland, Ohio 44140 | 440-899-1222 | Fax: 440.899.1010 | www.pressclubcleveland.com 2 The Press Club of Cleveland February 2012 That Post Job Interview Snail-Mailed Follow-Up ‘Thank You’ Note Don’t send! Laurie Mitchell Certified Personnel Consultant In the early 1980s, Recently, a local blogger advised follow- viewed with more than one person, the dissatisfied with all ers to send hand-written thank you notes customized follow-up letters are usually the standard “thank after job interviews. Such advice does a compared with one another to ascertain you letter” content and huge disservice because it is based on sev- originality and pertinence to each specific advice floating around, eral false premises. A job interview or even conversation. Emails can be easily shared an alliance of executive an informational or exploratory interview amongst the interviewing team and stored search firms commis- is a mutually beneficial business meeting; it along with the candidate’s résumé, indi- sioned several indus- is not a Christmas check from Aunt Mary. vidual interviewers’ notes, and the panel’s trial psychologists to And, no matter how it is positioned, an conclusions (data integration) in the cor- devise a post-interview interview is an interview is an interview is porate Applicant Tracking System (ATS). letter format for use by recruiters’ can- a chemistry check for future openings or Illegible handwriting is never an issue, and, didates. The resulting “follow-up letter” referrals to colleagues. by the way, I’m not aware of “spellcheck” concept – built upon sales psychology and Sending a handwritten thank you via for stationery. a closing “call to action” – was so brilliantly snail mail – which might not be delivered Without giving too much away, I will designed and so far superior to the tradi- for days – is totally inappropriate because simply counsel that each compellingly tional “thank you letter” that recruiters-in- the job seeker should be concentrating on crafted follow-up letter should include an the-know immediately began having their formally “following up” and continuing the opening compliment about something the candidates deploy it. “sales” process – not casually thanking – in employer discussed that resonated with the To this day after nearly 28 years as a a very timely manner, and, in fact, follow- candidate, several concrete examples reit- headhunter, I have never put the format in up letters should be emailed within hours erating why the candidate’s experience and writing for fear that others would success- of the interview for maximum impact. skills are a good fit for the position, and an fully exploit it, and my candidates would Employing snail mail does not indicate a “assumptive close”. lose their competitive advantage. Instead, “bias for action” considering the current I talk them through it, making sure they state of the USPS, and given that profes- Laurie Mitchell & Company, Inc. comprehend it, and, then, before they sionals often travel or work remotely, they Marketing Communications email their actual follow-up letters to my may not see a physical letter for a week or Executive Search clients, I verify that they have utilized some two. [email protected] semblance of the winning formula. Importantly, when a candidate has inter- www.LaurieMitchellCompany.com PRESIDENT FROM PAGE 1 Jane Scott’s Plaque is Back! former Press Club Board member Jim Stolen from the Wall at Nighttown! Kopniske for the big helping hand he Jane Scott’s mysterious disappearance provided in lining up The Press Club’s from The Press Club of Cleveland Hall of Cleveland City Council Resolution of Fame’s wall of fame at Nighttown has been Congratulations. Jim currently is City solved. Council’s media chief and does an all- Seems someone apparently pried the around great job. Read all about it on plaque off the wall and made off with it. page 1. Nighttown owner and “keeper of the As always, thanks for your support – plaques,” Brenden Ring was worried sick and don’t forget your dues! about it. Luckily, the plaque and the thief were not far-afoot. All Ring had to do was look “up.” at what he found. “I round the corner One of Ring’s employees told him that it and there’s Jane Scott,” he said. He took looked as though one of the upstairs apart- A publication of the plaque back to the bar and decided to ments that Ring leases at Nighttown had The Press Club of Cleveland make a deal with his tenant: get out, or face been broken into. charges. The tenant fessed up, saying he Editor Ring tried phoning the tenant sev- was a big fan of Jane’s. Lee Moran eral times, but got no response. He went Ring said he wants all Press Club mem- Associate Editor upstairs, knocked and pounded on the bers, Hall of Famers and Jane Scott fans to Maryana Bradas door. Not a peep. Ring said he had no know that Jane is back in a very prominent other choice but to grab the master key place at Nighttown. This time, he glued it Contributing Reporters and let himself in with a Cleveland Heights back onto the wall with Liquid Nails. Stu Warner police officer in tow. He also wants everyone to know that he Ed Byers Once inside, Ring said he was astounded has an apartment for rent. February 2012 The Press Club of Cleveland 3 The Press Club Kicks Off 125th Anniversary The y versar with New Aquarium Preview Anni of Cleveland 125th The Greater Cleveland Aquarium and in the development of walk-through aquar- “Serving and honoring communications its staff played host to the Press Club of iums. professionals since 1887.” Cleveland on January 13 with a luncheon Following a delicious luncheon at Win- and sneak-peak of the facilities located in dows-On-The-River, The Press Club crowd President: Ed Byers Medical Mutual of Ohio the FirstEnergy Powerhouse on the West donned hard-hats and followed Brown on a 216/687-2685 Bank of the Flats. tour of the facility with construction crews Upwards of 70 guests were greeted by putting the finishing touches on the attrac- Vice President: Stuart Warner the Aquarium’s Tami Brown, who told tion, working feverishly to get it ready for The Write Coach LLC the luncheon crowd about the creation the grand opening later in the month.