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Las Vegas employment is unique, and not just for its dismal employment numbers. There is a large group of locals who rise to the calling of being a costumed employee and all that entails.

There are more than 2,000 valley employees who wear costumes for work, from simple face paint and T-shirts to elaborate, flowing robes and form-fitting scuba gear. It's not always an easy job, but the rewards are significant for those who put energy into fulfilling the distinctive role of entertaining, while serving within the always-changing tourist industry.

Susie McDaniel, vice president of human resources at The Mirage, and Roy Bailey, human resources director at The Mirage, are charged with finding the best candidates for actors, ushers or those interested in open positions for the stage production of "Love" at The Mirage. The Beatles-inspired show has 34 ushers who appreciate the importance of the special uniform they wear for the Cirque du Soleil production.  

Currently, there are two positions open for ushers at "Love." Bailey said they are always willing to accept applications from prospective employees who have a desire to entertain, as well as maintain order while the audience files into the massive theater.

"They need to be bubbly. They need to be able to speak well; they should have no problems carrying on a conversation with anybody," Bailey said. "When you come to see the show, we want you to be entertained from the moment you walk in."

When applying for a position, bring more than your updated resume and a smile. Bailey emphasizes to come in with confidence and be memorable. The managers at "Love" are looking for that special spark that puts the same amount of detail in the entertainment value from its lead actors to the ushers.

"We try to hire someone who will engage the guest and do more than seat them and turn around and be on their way," McDaniel said.

The job interview for ushers is typical of most front-of-house positions, such as bartenders and wait staff, with customer service being a key element in hiring.

"Mostly, I look for someone who is good with people," Bailey said. "The performance comes from the Cirque side of the show. It's important for (the brand)."

"They have to have a desire to be there," McDaniel said. "The ushers are a little more theatrical and more so than our normal employees."

Each usher goes through uniform control to ensure a good fit that accentuates the entertainment aspect of the job.

"We have a pretty large staff to fit them," McDaniel said. "It's a standard costume, but we work to fit them."

McDaniel and Bailey constantly take in feedback from the hundreds of employees and work with Cirque du Soleil closely.

"It's exciting to get the employees' feedback and find that there may be something that is more comfortable for them," McDaniel said.

Although seating an audience member seems like a simple, rather straight-forward job, as with any Cirque or MGM Resorts International endeavor, it's the details that make it a little more special than the usual. An in-depth orientation includes a tour and understanding of the many jobs behind the scenes at "Love," as well as an education on one of the main features of the elaborate show, the massive, moving stage.

"We have hands-on training since our theater is unique," McDaniels said.

They often get inquiries for job openings from the audience after a show.

"Even people that watch the show are anxious to apply," Bailey said.

But they need to get past JJ Gonzalez, theater manager at "Love."

"JJ looks more for people that can engage and interact, make yourself shine and just be entertaining," Bailey said. "It's more so than being an usher or an actor."

Some "Love" front-of-house employees have begun a second career with their entry into ushering.

"We have a handful of ushers who are older and this is their retirement job," Bailey said, "and they have a real good time with it."

"That's what it all goes back to is a great personality, that is what is mainly being looked for," McDaniel said. "Even if you are just walking to your seat, we want it to be memorable for you."

A technically impressive and wildly popular show on the Strip combines magnificent steeds with professional actors and animal trainers in a highly energetic nightly routine. The amount of training needed is high for both actors and animals in "Tournament of Kings" at the Excalibur, said Ivan Caulier, stunt coordinator, horse trainer and company manager for "Tournament of Kings." But he has also found some of his best employees from impromptu interviews.

"I'm always open to looking at people," Caulier said. "If someone wants to come and audition, and we aren't asking for people, I still always say yes. I always encourage someone to audition for us because you never know when someone is going to relocate or move on from the show, so we're always looking."

He works with more than 50 employees at the long-running family show. The elaborate production is a mix of trained professionals, actors and horse enthusiasts.

"We have people that come from all different backgrounds," he said. "From horse trainers to the kid who rides on his father's ranch with no professional training other than that to the UNLV rodeo team, people with a (horse) jumping background."

There are a few main categories that he continually needs to hire for as normal turnover for any business occurs throughout the year.

"Dancers, muscle men who spend long hours at the gym, and those are the eye candies for the ladies, sword fighters for the show, actors who can play King Arthur or Merlin, professional actors, trained riders," he said.

All the riders come from different backgrounds, he said, and most have not worked in a professional capacity before, which is fine with Caulier as he can then show them exactly how he likes to work rather than correct their previous training.

"We do a lot of training in house," he said.

Las Vegas has been a boon for hiring, he said, in that the city draws people from around the world with varying backgrounds that can easily slip into the varying jobs he has available at any one time.

"A guy can have a resume, and it's the best resume in the world, and I will acknowledge that, but within 30 minutes on the horse you can see whether he will work or not," Caulier said. "The way that someone approaches a horse already tells you a lot about the person. Within a short time I can know."

He also looks for more than a smile and a little work experience.

"I will ask about their background and what they are looking for in life," he said.

For the actors who work with heavy swords nightly, he will put a few job seekers in the arena of the "Tournament of Kings" show and let the best man win, so to speak.

"I will ask them to act something out," he said. "Then, we play little games. We put the swords in the middle of the arena and ask them to get them and begin (to play)."

He tends to look at the total package the job applicant could bring to the show, rather than the position alone.

"Even if the guy is not an actor, a lot of people have talents that they don't know about," he said. "That can come out in the interview."

For instance if someone applies for a training position, but seems to have a way with the sword, it's not unusual for Caulier to give them a chance on the stage.

"We are looking for skills for the dancer but also great amount of personality," he said. "We work with the audience a lot so you have to have a fun, outgoing personality."

The main goal of the show, and all the exhaustive preparations for the careful stunts, are for one reason.

"When you go to see a show, and see people having fun on stage, as a member of the audience it's fun for them," he said. "We want them to leave all their problems at home, go to the show and see all that is positive. Then they go home and talk about their experience and want to come back."

To apply, call the Royal Production offices at 702-362-4200.

One of the more intensive costumes worn on the Strip requires training that will keep the wearer alive during work hours.

The aquarium at the Silverton contains 4,000 tropical fish and three species of sharks and stingrays in its curved 117,000-gallon tank, as well as one highly trained mermaid. It's a position that definitely requires some specific resume entries, as well as a personality that can shine through the fish, water and tank to entertain the guests at this popular attraction.

"We advertise the position openings on our website," Jerry Cowley, aquatic safety manager, said. "We often fill these positions due to referrals from current employees, as many are involved in other aquatic type activities, such as shows on the Las Vegas Strip or synchronized swimming groups."

After obtaining a pool of qualified candidates, they hold auditions to determine skill level.

"It is actually very easy as so many qualified candidates are interested," Cowley said.

They get many telephone calls and Web inquiries regarding the mermaid position.

"(We) have even had a call from a 13-year-old girl regarding the qualifications for the position, so that she could begin preparing to apply once she reached the applicable application age," Nicole Lenzini, human resources manager, said.

Many of the Silverton's mermaids, who are called free swimmers, have swimming and/or synchronized swimming backgrounds.  

"We have had mermaids with very impressive backgrounds, including being on the UNLV swim team, being on the Olympics swim team and even achieving an Olympic medal," Lenzini said.

All free swimmers must be scuba certified, and all of the Silverton's free swimmers must have training in the basic skills prior to being hired. During the Christmas season, Santa and his elves make special appearances in the aquarium. The aquarium and mermaids have been featured in various movies and television shows, such as "Little People, Big World."  

"We were lucky enough to be able to make a wish come true for a little girl through Make-a-Wish Foundation, whose wish was to be a mermaid in our tank," Cowley said. "We even had a custom tail made just for her."

Hiring for each themed position at the Silverton has its own parameters, regardless of whether it is for a dealer, a housekeeper or a mermaid.  

"Each set of qualifications are different," Lenzini said.

"For the free-swimmer positions, it is important that those chosen not only have the qualifications on paper, but also have the artistic ability to perform gracefully in the water," Cowley said.

While they are open to applications, they currently don't have any available positions for the tank.

"Because they are such great positions, they rarely open up," Lenzini said. "We are currently hiring for various positions, which can be viewed on our website (silvertoncasino.com)."