Lifeguarding is a very important job because you learn to communicate, develop social skills, and know how to save peoples lives. To be a lifeguard, you must become CPR certified to be a first responder. Being a lifeguard is a rewarding and valuable experience that can provide you with important skills and set you up for future success in a variety of careers. It is a job that requires dedication, vigilance, and a commitment to keeping others safe, making it a truly honorable profession.
There are many pros to being a lifeguard. Being a lifeguard means you have the responsibility of protecting someone’s life. Being a lifeguard means you’re never alone, you’re always working with multiple people, and having great conversations when not on deck. You get to learn how to save lives which is a great thing, because you always know how to save someone in an unexpected situation. If you love being outdoors and soaking up the sun, lifeguarding is a perfect job.
Lifeguarding also offers great pay. Last summer, the pay was $11.50 an hour with a .50 cent bonus if you start at your opening time and you contribute to cleaning up around the pool and in the pool. My favorite thing about lifeguarding was measuring the pH of the pool and making sure the chlorine was correct.
Lifeguard Ally Mears stated, “I found joyment in tanning and working with friends, but I didn’t expect the job to be this boring.”
Lifeguarding also provides opportunities to improve your communication and teamwork skills, as you must work closely with other lifeguards, pool staff, and pool patrons to ensure safety. Being a lifeguard can provide valuable job experience and skills that can be transferred to other professions.
Lifeguard Sienna Glawe stated, “I thought the job was fun, but having to wake up super early and sit in a chair all day isn’t very fun and amusing.”
There are many challenges to being a lifeguard, especially my neighborhood. My neighborhood contains lots and lots of kids. So when it’s the summer there are about 100 kids in the pool. Being a lifeguard and having responsibility for someone’s life, is a very scary and stressful situation.
Being a lifeguard also means you also have to deal with Karens. You’re being secretly watched all the time. If you are seen doing something bad, the parents will take photos to send them to the manager. Working at a pool also means you have to deal with disgusting things like cleaning up poop from the pool, and having to evacuate all the residents. Having lots of children in your neighborhood pool, this will happen a lot. Also seeing dead rats in the pool isn’t a pleasant thing to see.
Lifeguarding may seem like a fun and easy job, but in reality it isn’t. Having to stand or sit for 6-8 hours isn’t very amusing, and having to constantly survey the pool is very tiring and stressful. Even though lifeguarding may seem easy, it’s very boring and a stressful job.
Lifeguard Ella Braun explained, “The job was tons of fun being in the sun, and talking to friends at the pool, but it felt very long most days, and stressful.”
