The number of people who speak Spanish as their primary language is growing rapidly, especially in places where it is not the only language in use.
That trend is making it more common for business owners to prefer workers who can speak Spanish over workers who cannot, and that preference is more common in some fields than in others.
Retail
No store wants to miss out on potential customers because its employees cannot speak the right language. Many individuals who only speak Spanish will choose stores whose employees speak Spanish whenever possible, so retail workers who can speak the language can bring a lot of business into their shop. The increase in sales can be significant even in places where Spanish speakers are in the minority, and it only increases as they become more common. That makes Spanish skills very appealing to retail employers.
Personal Assistance
It’s impossible for a personal assistant of any kind to work with their client if they don’t share a language. That sort of relationship is based on clear communication, so many agencies make a point of finding people who speak different languages. Assistants who speak both Spanish and English can often help their clients by serving as interpreters in emergencies, which makes them even more desirable than normal. It’s useful for any sort of assistant to speak Spanish, but it’s a clear necessity for anyone who wants to work for a native Spanish speaker.
Medicine
The demand for Spanish speakers in all medical fields is growing very quickly, especially for nurses and assistants. It’s very easy for a language barrier to prevent doctors from effectively treating their patients, and most doctors cannot speak more than one language on their own. Patients who only speak Spanish often bring a relative with them to translate when they seek out medical help, but most of them don’t know enough about medicine to accurately describe problems to a doctor. A nurse or assistant who can speak Spanish does not have that problem, so they can make sure that the patient gets the help that he needs. Many clinics that serve primarily Spanish-speaking areas require their workers to speak some Spanish simply because their jobs are impossible if they cannot, but even places where the language is rare value the skill because it can mean the difference between life and death for a patient.