The recession has left a lot of very talented, skilled publicists without jobs. We are averaging about 10 resumes a day that come into our HR department for review. I always enjoy looking at talent, especially experienced, smart and savvy PR professionals. But I still continue to be dumbfounded over the cover letters we receive.

The cover letter is everything in the resume submission process and often will inspire the HR director to review or chuck the resume. Here are some things to avoid in your cover letter when getting a job in PR that we have experienced in the past few days. It has made me laugh, upset and also quite nervous on the industries writing capabilities.

Pierce Mattie’s List of Don'ts & "Nevers" When Writing Your Cover Letter To Get A Job in PR:

• Never refer to yourself in third person or as a “fab girl!” when describing your PR talents.
• Avoid slang in your cover letter; “with oodles of contacts and a smokin resume.”
• Do not put your age in the cover letter, a good HR pro never looks at how young or old you are, nor do they care.
• Do not put your l