Learn Hardcore Spanish (Latin America): La entrevistadora busca una candidata con experiencia y buenos modales. - The interviewer is looking for a candidate with experience and good manners.

Because it refers to a female interviewer. Many agent nouns ending in -or have a feminine form in -ora: entrevistador → entrevistadora, trabajador → trabajadora, narrador → narradora. If the interviewer were male, you’d use el entrevistador. Some nouns (like periodista) don’t change form and rely on the article: el/la periodista.

Could I say El entrevistador instead?

Yes, if the interviewer is a man. If you don’t want to specify gender, Spanish often defaults to the generic masculine (el entrevistador), or you can use inclusive alternatives like la persona entrevistadora, quien entrevista, or job titles frequently used in hiring contexts such as el/la reclutador(a) or el/la selector(a). In writing, you may also see forms like el/la entrevistador(a).

Does busca mean “is looking for” here, or “looks for”?

Both are possible interpretations. Spanish simple present often covers the English present progressive. So:

La entrevistadora busca… = “The interviewer is looking for…” or “looks for…”
La entrevistadora está buscando… also works and emphasizes the ongoing action. In announcements and descriptions, the simple present is very common and sounds natural.

Why isn’t there a preposition like “for” after buscar?

Because in Spanish, buscar already means “to look for.” You don’t add a preposition:

Correct: La entrevistadora busca una candidata…
Incorrect: ✗ busca por una candidata…

Should there be a personal a before una candidata?

Not in this context. The personal a is generally used with human direct objects that are specific/definite:

Non-specific/indefinite: Busco una candidata con experiencia. (no a)
Specific: Busco a una candidata que entrevisté ayer. (you have a particular person in mind) So here, no a is expected.

Why una candidata and not la candidata?

Una indicates an indefinite, not-yet-identified person (any suitable candidate). La candidata would refer to a specific, known candidate. In a hiring context, una is the natural choice.

Is candidata necessarily female? What if I want to be gender-neutral?

Yes, candidata is the explicitly female form; candidato is male and also often used generically. Gender-neutral options include:

la persona candidata
la/el postulante, la/el aspirante, la/el solicitante (widely used in Latin America) Nonstandard forms like candidatx or candidate appear in some circles but aren’t widely accepted in formal writing.

Why con experiencia instead of something like experimentada or de experiencia?

con experiencia is the most common, neutral way to say “with experience” in hiring.
experimentada means “experienced” (adjective) and is also fine: una candidata experimentada. It can imply a higher level of experience.
de experiencia exists (e.g., un médico de experiencia) and tends to mean “seasoned,” but it’s less common in job requirements than con experiencia. You can be more specific with con experiencia previa or con experiencia laboral.

Is experiencia countable? Could I say con experiencias?

In this context, experiencia is uncountable (like English “experience” in the job sense): con experiencia. The plural experiencias refers to individual experiences (events): Tuve muchas experiencias en ese viaje. For job ads, stick to singular experiencia.

What does modales mean here?

It means “manners” (politeness, courtesy, appropriate behavior). It does not refer to “modal verbs.” If you need that grammar term, use verbos modales.

Why is it buenos modales and not buenas modales?

Because modales is masculine plural, so the adjective must agree: buenos modales. A common synonym is buenas maneras (feminine plural), which would require buenas.

Could I say modales buenos instead of buenos modales?

It’s grammatical, but the fixed, natural collocation is buenos modales. Placing the adjective before the noun is idiomatic here. Modales buenos might appear in contrastive contexts, but it’s less natural as a general requirement.

Should I repeat con: con experiencia y con buenos modales?

You can, but it’s not necessary. Omitting the second con is more concise and perfectly normal: con experiencia y buenos modales. Repeating con can add emphasis or clarity in longer lists.

Is it okay to drop the article and say La entrevistadora busca candidata?

With buscar, you normally keep the article for an indefinite singular: busca una candidata. Article-dropping like Se busca secretaria is common in headlines or classified ads using impersonal se, but with a full sentence and explicit subject (La entrevistadora), omitting the article sounds odd.

What’s the difference between Se busca and La entrevistadora busca?

Se busca is impersonal/passive-like: “Wanted/Seeking.” It doesn’t say who is doing the searching.
La entrevistadora busca specifies the agent (the interviewer). Both are correct; choose based on whether you want to name the subject.

Why is it y and not e?

Spanish changes y to e before words starting with the sound [i] (spelled i- or hi-), e.g., padres e hijos, historia e investigación. Since buenos modales doesn’t begin with that sound, y stays as y.

How do I pronounce the sentence in Latin American Spanish?

La entrevistadora: la en-tre-vees-ta-DO-ra (stress on DO)
busca: BOOS-ka (the c sounds like k before a)
una candidata: OO-na kan-dee-TA-ta (the d between vowels is soft)
con experiencia: kon eks-pe-ree-EN-sya (c before i/e = s; x = eks)
y buenos modales: ee BWEH-nos mo-DA-les Overall stress: La entrev istado ra BUS ca una candi DATA con experien CIA y BUEnos mo DAles.

Are there regional word choices I should know in Latin America?

Yes:

Interviewer/recruiter: reclutador(a), seleccionador(a) are common alternatives to entrevistador(a) in hiring contexts.
Candidate/applicant: postulante, aspirante, solicitante.
“Good manners”: buenos modales, also buena educación (in many countries, this means “politeness,” not schooling), trato amable.

Does everything agree in gender and number correctly?

Yes:

La entrevistadora (feminine singular noun + article)
busca (3rd person singular verb matching the subject)
una candidata (feminine singular article + noun)
con experiencia (singular, uncountable)
y buenos modales (masculine plural adjective + noun)