"Better than the alternative but your chances are pretty slim. The usual way is positive references."

"I see.  Unfortunately, I haven't many friends worth mentioning, and none of them are magical girls, that I know of.

"...I have so many questions about your proprioception or interoception of the actions of men and monsters, now that I'm aware you have such; it sounds...I'm sad I'll never get to experience it, even if it's mostly pain.

"Are things that men and monsters do ever good feelings, incidentally?  I'd...the idea that every step I take might leave a trails of hurt behind, just...that's horrible and it shouldn't.

"It's very rude of the world.

"...And fuck beard-stubble."

"Cleaning out the monsters is very good! And helping me burn out all that fucking kudzu. Invasive species are terrible."

"Yeah, but that first requires that there be monsters; I mean, like, things that're positive, not just less-negative.  But yeah, fuck kudzu.  ...Except isn't that also a human-made problem?  ...No, wait, I think it's just an asshole plant.  I read about this at some point..."

"It's from Japan, humans brought it over for urban decoration and then it became everyone's problem. Though it's not as all-powerful as people seem to think sometimes. A lack of negative things is positive. I don't really have hobbies or physical desires like y'all do. If everything is fine and healthy, it's like a blissful Saturday with delicious food, a good book, and a loving spouse."

"Urban decoration.  Urban decoration?!  I have never been more disgusted with my own species' sheer blockheadedness!

"Okay, global warming is honestly more concerning on an intellectual level, but...well, sometimes petty things are easier to muster sheer fucking indignation about.  People can do better than that!  Grow native ivies, go fancy and do tiny or specially-shaped fruiting trees that have the added benefit of feeding people except, nooo, that undercuts capitalism, they sha'n't..."

"But...it's good, that you have good experiences."

"I happen to agree. Anything else you'd like to chat about? It looks like we have someone waiting."

"I'd like to keep in touch, especially assuming I get someone to enkindle me, but I shouldn't monopolize your time.  Thank you for the advice!"

And off she goes to her next potential spirit employer.

The online instructions for this one are, uh, go to this one trail and yell? 

"HELLO!"

Nope.mov

...She'll give it a few minutes, then try again...

"HELLO?"

Still no answer! The internet did warn her that might happen, though.

Well, she budgeted fifteen minutes at each stop, so she'll try one more time, to be sure...and then leave, if it doesn't work.

"HELLO!?"

No spirit comes out to meet her.

Welp.  Next!

Another state forest, but this time the spirit answers, with sudden silence aside from a terse annoyed voice made of wind.

What do you want.

"I wish to know if you would currently be interested in contracting a spirit bearer, and furthermore, if so, under what terms you would employ them.  I am looking to be enkindled, and am seeking to ascertain my potential employers."

I have many more choices than you do and their duties would be to purge the forest of filth on a regular basis. But if you insist, show me what makes you valuable. Are you clever? Are you fierce? Go on.

"So you do.  I am quite clever; I am clever enough to be able to draft an agreement that would ensure that I was, in fact, compelled by more than just my word to aid you - indeed, compelled by the weight of human government itself, perhaps the closest thing to a spirit humans have; I am also strong enough to kill some monsters even without magic empowering me.  Perhaps, if you wish to point the way to a small infestation - no more than three monsters, and no amorphs, for I've naught but a spear and an improvised fire-thrower that I hesitate to even mention, in the way of arms - I could demonstrate the one, and speak of the other?"

(She brought basic armor, too, dipping into several years' unspent birthday money, and has a first aid kit, just in case.)

Audacious. I don't actually want to kill random humans and I do know how easily you can weasel your way out of contracts. Then again, it would be an impressive demonstration of resolve. Or foolishness. One of the two.

"Hiring you a lawyer would be worth every penny for the power I'd get.  Or perhaps the Spirit Association has some on retainer already, but that would be a conflict of interest considering that really, their mission is significantly also advocacy for spirit bearers.  Perhaps the WEF...I'm actually surprised there isn't a government agency about this already; spirit bearers are strategic assets, or at least tactical ones, even if they're not military, and you need to have spirits to make spirit bearers, unless you want to stake your strategies on the roll of the dice of genies.  Maybe it's packed somewhere in the Byzantine depths of the Department of the Interior, getting no funding because business lobbyists somehow exist and capitalism's a consumptive horror."

The Spirit Association is an old institution and reliable by human standards. I trust their judgement on candidates for the most part.

"I see.  So if the Spirit Association vouched for me, it would be sufficient as character reference?"

It would weigh heavily in my judgement. That and some sort of pledge or contract - also so verified - and a demonstration of sincerity here and now, by attacking a minor pest as you offered. All would contribute to my positive consideration, though understand that I make no promises.