3 Ways Lifeguards are Better Team Players

From an early age we’ve come to develop a love – hate relationship with the idea of working in teams. Group projects, sharing with siblings, planning group outings all leave a sour taste in our mouths, but as teachers, parents, or any successful person will tell you, working in a team is the only way to get ahead in life. Teamwork builds valuable skills, offers new perspectives, and provides a network of support. Simply put, achieving a goal is much easier with a team behind it.

Working as a lifeguard helps build the qualities that make a great team player. Whether working a single guard pool or a pool with four other lifeguards, lifeguards make better team players, here’s how:

 Communication. As a lifeguard, it comes with the job. Over the course of a summer, lifeguards interact with many different people: other lifeguards, administrators, facility managers, patrons, children… the list goes on. With so many people asking questions or giving directives misinterpretation is easy. Lifeguards learn to juggle input from all directions — it’s a masterclass in learning to communicate effectively.

 Multiple viewpoints. Spend one summer in the lifeguard chair and you will see the world differently. Your Guard For Life team includes individuals from various backgrounds. Each with a unique set of capabilities and understandings that extend beyond your own personal experiences. Working with different personalities usually triggers a sour taste, however learning to leverage this opportunity into the ability to think outside the box and foster empathy will not only set you apart from everyone else, but help you build a network of friends and supporters.

 Reliability. Remember that time you made a plan to get dinner with a friend only to find out 10 mins before they can’t make it? It’s a terrible feeling. And it feels even worst when it happens at work. Don’t be that person. Lifeguards have a huge amount of responsibility, and are trusted every day with that responsibility to show up to work, know facility rules, and stay alert while on duty. With so much at stake lifeguards are valuable assets to Guard For Life, their pool, and the community by consistently delivering on their promises.

Outside of learning to save lives, working for Guard For Life provides lifeguards with valuable life skills they’ll need for years to come  — Be a better team player. Become a lifeguard.

To learn more about finding a lifeguard job with Guard For Life, visit our Become a Lifeguard page.