Teen Lifeguards – What’s Involved

Being a lifeguard can be a rewarding and fun summer job for teens. It also requires a great deal of responsibility – lifeguards do what their name suggests, which is guard lives! As a lifeguard, you may save someone’s life. That’s a big responsibility.

So what’s involved in being a teen lifeguard this summer? Here is some information to help you understand more about this popular summer job.

Be Alert
Lifeguards can not be easily distracted. You have to be alert and aware at all times; when it comes to drowning and injury, a few seconds and minutes can make the difference between life and death. You may go for days, weeks, and months without a single incident, but that does not mean you can let your guard down.

Boredom
Being a lifeguard offers lots of perks and opportunities (more on those later). But it can get boring sitting by the pool or beach side all day. You may not be the type of person who gets bored easily, though, so for you that may not be an issue. But if you are the kind of person who needs music or other diversions in order to keep from being bored, lifeguarding may not be your thing.

Advantages
As a lifeguard, you get to hobnob “behind the scenes” with the pool personnel or beach management. Successfully working as a lifeguard also looks good on your resume, opening the door for other jobs down the road. Another advantage to being a lifeguard is keeping fit. Not all summer jobs offer the opportunity to stay in shape. Also, you can socialize with your friends at the pool when you take breaks, and you will have free (usually) access to the pool or beach.

The Less-Glamorous Side
Like all jobs, being a lifeguard means you may have some not-so-glamorous responsibilities, such as cleaning the pool and the pool bathrooms. As a staff member, you will have various responsibilities in and around the pool or beach. You may also be called on to clean the pool area or beach, add chemicals to the pool water and test it, and to take classes to keep you skills sharp.

Accident Prevention
One of a lifeguard’s main duties is to prevent accidents and risky situations. This means you’ll need a keen eye and sharp observation skills, and a little intuition doesn’t hurt. There’s no room for slacking off when you’re a lifeguard. Also, you’ll need to be unafraid to enforce rules and speak up – you can’t be timid.

To prevent accidents effectively, you also need to be a good swimmer. The more you swim during the year, the better qualified you’ll be.