Asking for Work

[Aradia]

Fellow Mers,
Have any of you had experience with writing to companies which would gel well with having a mermaid promote them (for example aquariums, places for school holidays, marine education centers)? It would be awesome to try and get involved with either paid or volunteer work but i'm unsure how to go ahead introducing/promoting myself to potential clients. Do they have to come to you or have people said, "Hey, i'm an awesome mermaid and I think you should hire me"? Is there an etiquette or some kind of professional guideline I should follow so I don't look like a performer trying to spam her way into gigs?

[-Annwyn-]

IMHO you need to let them know of a problem they have with their company and how you can be hired to fill in the gap, so to speak. Selling yourself is hard, so you need to have an established image to sell. :)

[Gem Stone]

You could try flyers. That way you sell yourself without having the slightly aqueward moments where no one has any clue what to do. Put a pic of you in your tail, your phone number you can be reached at, and put down that you are looking for a stable job or something. Make the flyer fun and catchy, and short. There is nothing worse than a long flyer.

[malinghi]

Many aquariums have programs where SCUBA divers can volunteer to clean the glass on the inside of the tanks. If you're SCUBA certified you could start doing that and then ask them about the possibility of performing in a tail once you've been in the tank and they already trust you.

[Mermaid Lorelei]

Do be warned about aquariums though. Not all aquariums will take a mermaid because they don't know where their tail has been. They want to make sure that their fish stay safe.

[Odette]

i have advertised myself by promotion events. that is what got me to be a main attraction for the annual water festival.
i know that its crutial to represent yourself as a professional. dress very nice when you meet them. describe what you do and make sure you say how amazing your performance is. have a resume. some places require you to have insurance.having a website helps alot(buy a domain name for usually $10).you first need to have a business for some people to take you seriously. i got in good with valley of the moon by showing how good i can be at being a mermaid and im now the head mermaid.
im still starting off on alot of these things myself so thats all i can really say. wish i could help more!

[Odette]

oh and i suggest contacting the hiring manager or event coordinator

[Sitre Seer Moroaica]

I am having troubles with this myself. I want to write something that I would write to a friend but since I over think myself I'll just delete it and write something more plan/professional without barely any fun emotions in it. Then it's what to write to make them think over to the yes side of hiring me...Since Colorado is such a hard state to work as a Mermaid in whether in groups or single. :(