How to become a pet groomer?

I've always wanted to be a pet groomer. Not exactly as a career, but more to help me work my way through college, and maybe as part time when I settle on a career. Currently I'm unemployed, but I have a pending interview as a pet bather at petsmart. I'm just waiting for the second interview, and am going to call on monday to find out if there are any new developments. Well, something I've heard is that it is best to try to get into a smaller groomer or an animal shelter and train under somebody there. I did a search and found some interesting leads, but I'm not sure how to go about it. One is a local pet groomer right down the street from me. I'm not sure how to approach this. Should I just say something to the effect of "Hi there, My name is Erik -----, I am very interested in pet grooming and pet care, I am trying to find a way to become a dog groomer, would you be willing to let me on as an intern or trainee?"