how would i ask something like “are you hiring?” or whatever the equivalent would be. im trying to see if i can start working at a mexican restaurant that’s within walking distance of my house, but i don’t know job interview vocab. any help would be appreciated
In this particular case I would say it's like ¿se busca empleado (aquí)?
The se busca empleado is normally how you write "help wanted", literally "looking for employee"
Otherwise the general word for "to hire" is contratar so it would be ¿(ustedes) están contratando (personal)? which is "are you all hiring (personnel/staff)?
It depends on the actual position; el personal de cocina would be "kitchen staff", cocinero/a would be "cook", cajero/a is "cashier", recepcionista is often the word for "host/hostess"
I assume they would probably use mesero/a for "waiter" which in some cases can be the "host/hostess". Also if it has a bar, the same words for "waiter/waitress" are the words for "bartender"
I have in some cases seen friegaplatos as "dishwasher" literally it's "scrubs-plates"
I can make a more comprehensive list but just a few useful things:
se busca empleado = help wanted
el cartel = poster [like a help wanted poster]
el personal = staff/personnel
el personal de cocina =
el personal de limpieza = cleaning staff
el cocinero, la cocinera = cook
la cocina = kitchen / cuisine
el comedor = dining hall, "dinner table"
la recepción = reception, waiting area
el mesero, la mesera = waiter, waitress, server [more common in Latin America; otherwise it's camarero/a]
el cajero, la cajera = cashier
la caja = cash register [lit. "box", or la caja fuerte is "safe" or "strongbox"]
la cuenta = the bill [can also mean "account"]
el recibo / la factura = receipt [as in proof of purchase]
cobrar = to charge (money; or to charge a credit card)
la tarjeta de crédito = credit card
saldar (la cuenta) / arreglar cuentas = "to settle up", to pay a tab/bill
la venta = sale
las ventas = sales
(comida) para llevar = takeout (food), takeaway (food), pickup
a domicilio = delivery [used with food and packages]
el plato = dish [literal dish or like "a dish" as in food]
la bebida = drink, beverage
el refresco / la gaseosa = soda, soft drink [I think refresco is more common in Latin America]
el plato principal, el plato fuerte / el entrante, la entrada = entree
pedir = to request / to order (in a restaurant)
el pedido / la orden = order (in a restaurant) [otherwise they're "request" and "order"]
la entrevista = interview
la solicitud = application
solicitar = to apply (for a job) / to solicit, to request
el empleado, la empleada = employee
el/la gerente, la gerenta = manager
gerente/gerenta de cocina = kitchen manager / restaurant manager
gerente/gerenta comercial = business manager
el currículum (vitae), el CV = resume, CV
la experiencia = experience
Also just some general taste related things to know:
probar = to try, to taste, to sample / to prove, to test
saber (a algo) = to taste like (something)
dulce = sweet
la dulzura = sweetness
amargo/a = bitter / sour
la amargura = bitterness
agrio/a = sour / bitter
ácido/a = sour, tart
la acidez = sourness, acidity
picante = spicy
el picante / el picor = spiciness
salado/a = salty
lo salado (de algo) = the saltiness (of something)
agridulce = bittersweet, sweet and sour
And I'll include some allergy info because that's also more common these days:
ser alérgico/a a algo = to be allergic to something
los (productos) lácteos = dairy, dairy products
la leche = milk
el queso = cheese
los cítricos = citrus fruits
los frutos secos = nuts, tree nuts
el cacahuete, el maní = peanut
la almendra = almond
la nuez = walnut
el coco = coconut
For allergies you would use the a so it might turn to al like soy alérgico al cacahuete/maní "I'm allerging to peanuts"
Also I'm attaching my vocab list on food just in case it helps though it is a lot!
If anyone has anything else they want to add or correct in my list, let me know. I might have gotten some things wrong but this is accurate to the best of my knowledge
