If you're looking to spice up your resume, nothing beats a Mexican restaurant!

1. Tacos y Queso y Burritos y Otra Comida Mexicana!

Hands down, Mexican restaurants have the best shift meals! You will never run out of chips and salsa and everything smells delicious. If the restaurant is anything like the one I work at, you may be allowed to go back in the kitchen and learn how to make some of the dishes! This is great if, like me, you are still learning to cook.

2. The Drinks Are Way Better

Nothing tops margaritas! Making them and giving them to people is just about as fun as drinking them. Normally I would list food and drink together, but horchata, tamarindo, and jamaica (pronounced ha-MY-kuh) deserve their own paragraph! They put fountain drinks like Coke to shame, and don’t even get me started on Jarritos.

3. You Get to Learn Some Spanish!

As a Latina who was raised primarily speaking English, I particularly appreciate being exposed to Spanish on the daily. Whether you are translating orders over the phone or speaking with coworkers, it is much easier to learn a language when you are immersed in it. Spanish is one of the most commonly spoken languages in the United States and many other countries, so it makes a lot of sense to be at least familiar with it. To be honest, “¿Que quieres?” sounds better than “Whaddya want?!”

3.The Sound Track!

Even after long, ridiculously busy days, I can get through my side work because Shakira has my back. There will never be a time when I don’t jam out to Luis Enrique’s “Yo No Se Mañana”.

5. You Meet Some Super Cool People.

My coworkers at Mexican restaurants are some of the most fascinating people I have worked with. Many of them are from Mexico themselves, or other parts of Latin America. It is not every day that someone shares their culture with you, and that is a gift you should be grateful for. Food is a big part of celebrating where you come from, even if the recipe changes a little in another location. It is through these people that I learned the difference between authentic Mexican cuisine and the Tex Mex fare that is more popular in America. The people I work with are creative and resourceful, always expressing a bit of themselves in what they make. I will never forget when a Cuban chef I worked with made special black beans and rice after I told him about my own bit of Cuban heritage. I have watched my resilient coworkers roll with the punches through all kinds of mishaps, from running out of avocadoes to the occasional nasty customers who love Mexican food but not the people who created it. More than anything, working at a Mexican restaurant has taught me that a whole lot of what makes America special comes from south of the border.