You’re off from school, ready to have a good time with your friends, and looking forward to making some money and gaining some good experience. These are the perks that make a summer job lifeguarding a pretty sweet gig. Even when you work an awesome job, you can still have days when you feel “off” or less motivated. When this…
Summer is supposed to be about sunny days spent lounging and relaxing with friends and family by the pool. But as a lifeguard, you’ll inevitably run into situations when some of your guests are a little less than relaxed — in fact, they’re downright disruptive. What qualifies as disruptive? Any behavior that makes the pool unsafe or ruins the enjoyment…
Most of us have a few ideas about what a lifeguard does, but there are a fair number of misconceptions floating around about what lifeguards really do all day. If you’ve never worked as a lifeguard yourself and are considering it, you may wonder how many of these myths are true. Is it really a cushy job where you can…
As kids and maybe even grown-ups, many of us challenged our friends and family members to breath-holding competitions in both the shallow and deep ends of the pool. But recent research, along with recent tragedies, reveal that these seemingly fun and innocent games can lead to a silent killer known as hypoxic blackout. Here’s what you need to know to…
Summer always flies by, blink and it’s too late to make good on the plans you made earlier this year. Well, it’s not too late for everything: Even with summer coming to a close, you can still land a job lifeguarding that allows you to make some extra money, gain some good experience, and soak up the late-summer sun (plus:…
As part of your lifeguard training, you’ll learn how to rescue swimmers in danger and become certified in CPR. In the event that a swimmer isn’t breathing, you will need to perform CPR immediately. Brain damage can occur after just four minutes without oxygen and death can occur four to six minutes later, so being able to act quickly until…
You’ve no doubt seen lifeguards on TV and in movies. Most of the time, they’re in the middle of dramatic situations or watching over the pool or beach looking glamorous while hanging out with their friends. The reality of being a lifeguard, however, is slightly different than Hollywood would have you believe. You won’t be saving swimmers from threatening situations…
Think lifeguarding is just for outgoing, extroverted types? Being shy or quiet doesn’t mean you can’t be an effective lifeguard — in fact, there are plenty of positives that more introverted personalities bring to the job. Being a good listener and observer are important skills for lifeguards. However, you still need to be able to enforce the pool rules, even…
It’s rare, but it happens — an emergency at the pool. Sometimes even the best training and prevention won’t be enough to avoid it. In some instances, you and your fellow lifeguards will be able to use your first aid and CPR training to handle injuries, but in other emergencies you may find yourself needing to call 911. Making the…
As a lifeguard, your job is pretty straightforward: keep swimmers safe at the pool. On a normal day, this means you’ll be at your lifeguard station scanning the water for most of your shift, identifying any potential dangers and signs of trouble. Yet looking at the water for a few hours straight can get pretty tiring — not to mention…
