Let's face it, if you're a lifeguard at a local pool or even the YMCA, you know it's probably the easiest job you have ever had, and you wish you could make it a career.

I'm currently going on my third year as a lifeguard and while every year I tell myself I'm going to get a real job this summer, and I don't. I even told myself I wasn't going to get re-certified for this summer, but I did. Wanna know why? Because as a lifeguard you get paid to tan, stare at attractive patrons (hopefully), and hang out with some of your closest friends.

I was hesitant about being a lifeguard my first year. The training you go through can really freak you out, but I promise it's not reality. I know some lifeguards after working with them for 3 years have never had to make a save, not even a shallow water save. I thought working on a military base I would encounter more save opportunities, but I like to blame a lack of saves on sublime life-guarding skills...maybe.

The first few days life-guarding I was super rigid and stiff when on the guard stand, but soon after I started learning tricks that helped me lifeguard without looking like I had a stick up my…you know what, I actually had a good time. Counting patrons really helps me, so I dont lose any of them to the bottom of the pool or anything.

You get really creative when life-guarding, from hand signals to whistle signals. My best friend and I had tube sign language, we would flip our tube once if we saw a cute guy and flip it ten more times if he was really cute. Working on a military base though, there tended to be a lot of tube flipping. I also knew a lifeguard who would make bird noises if our boss was walking up to signal that we need to get our acts together. Our boss sometimes tended to be really strict and scary, but for some reason we all loved her.

Being a lifeguard is a great summer job before having to endure real jobs and internships. It's about sitting in the sun, minimal responsibilities, hanging out with some of your closest friends and best of all getting paid to do it all. Of course you had to watch the patrons and the pool, but it's a lot easier than you would think. I went to high school with some of the other lifeguards I worked with, and it wasn't till we were spending over 40 hours a week together over the summer that I realized how much I love some of them as friends.

Of course with all jobs there were times when you want to walk out the door and quit. From bosses who never said a word but would stare into your soul, to the lifeguards who said creepy things about patrons in bathing suits. My personal favorite were the lifeguards who did nothing at all and would sit on their phones instead of check the pools chemicals. We usually never invited those people to the lifeguard outings we would have after work though. So they deserved it.

Lifeguarding Tips:

• Just because you don't burn, doesn't mean life guarding is the same. Being outside in the sun 40 hours a week, 8 hours a day, you're probably going to be nice and red if you don't use some sort of sunscreen.
• Don't wear nice sunglasses to work, near work, or when visiting work. Little kids like to get their hands on anything and one wrong move, your two hundred dollar shades are donezo.
• The pool closes at 7 but that doesn't mean patrons won't show up at 6:55 to get in the pool.
• Don't be the lifeguard who sits there when a kid is drowning just to see if they'll recover. (Chances are they won't)
• Just because its 4 a.m. and the soldiers are lap swimming, you still can't sleep on stand. Never sleep on stand, your boss finds out every time.
• Don't forget deodorant. Guard shacks are only so big and I can smell you over here.
• Always bring shower stuff, because sometimes the pH and chlorine levels just aren't where they should be.
• Never go up on stand late. You are the worst lifeguard there is. Leave the guard shack 2 minutes early so the people on rotation get their full break. It's not fun being on stand for an hour and coming down to realize you only have a 10 minute break before doing it again.
• Bring your own food and stop asking people for theirs. Nothing is worse than someone who keeps asking for the sandwich I am literally putting in my mouth. Get your own food, I know payday was 2 days ago.

Life-guarding creates great memories and you meet a lot of new people, but you can ask any lifeguard and we all agree, yeah we love our jobs, but we also sometimes hate it. Every summer I finish the lifeguard season with, 'This is my last summer,' but it never is.