Over the summer, I worked as a lifeguard at my local lake. For as long as I can remember, I never thought lifeguarding as a glamorous or even a “cool” job. The reason why I did it was because I needed a summer job and it was readily available with good pay (for a measly summer job). I had applied to about 30 places in April and if it wasn’t for my sister recommending me for the job (she worked there a year ago and the city was in dire need of guards), I probably still would have been looking for work by the time July came around. I’m one of those people who are cursed when it comes to finding jobs: it took me two years to land my first one, and I wouldn’t even have gotten it if my friend didn’t recommend me for it. But moving on: lifeguarding is not all that people think it to be. Here why I don’t think I will be going back:
1. I hate being in the heat and sun
First and foremost! I hate the summer, I loathe the heat, and when the sun is beating down on me, sun burns are inevitable, even with sun screen on. So being outside for 7-9 hours really takes a toll on me. I’m usually a working mull and I don’t complain much, but once that heat really hits, BAM, I turn into a whiney little bitch.
2. You enforce rules more than save lives
A common question lifeguards get asked by people is, “have you saved any lives yet?” The answer is usually no. Saves are actually quite uncommon. But what is super common, is enforcing the rules. Dealing with pesky kids who dive off of the dock while you are not looking, informing patrons about certain rules that seem unnecessary, etc. It’s annoying.
3.Super-hot weather + lots of people = full lake => lots of anxiety
On hot days, especially on weekends, the lake is full of patrons attempting to beat the heat and the beach and the dock are littered with people. When you are on the stand, you are responsible for ‘keeping order’ (or whatever), helping patrons and watching the water for any potential victims. In the sweltering heat, it gives me major anxiety. I get super antsy in the chair (aka being on the stand).
4.Customer service isn’t just for retail
The lake I worked at was in a city park, so the lifeguards are the closest things to authority at the park at any given time. You aren’t allowed to snap at annoying dads who want to have a casual conversation with you while you are on stand (note: please don’t do this). You can’t kick irritating kids into the water or tell them to piss off. I’m fine with customer service in normal retail; but sometimes the environment that lifeguarding puts you in, it becomes harder to keep up cool and provide good customer service.
5. Majority of the time, you won’t be doing anything
There are hours where I get paid to do nothing. I help set stuff up when we open, and I help close up when the day is done. You help patrons when they need help when you are off the stand and of course there is the main duty of surveying the water, but you are only on the stand for a short period of time. Other than that, you do nothing. Waiting until you go back on the stand, you literally have to find something to do with your time. This sounds awesome to most people, but honestly I can’t stand it. If I am working, I rather be actually working and doing something productive while at work.
6. For a job that requires you to stay fit, you don’t move much.
First off, I am one of those kinds of people who can’t sit still. Sitting on stand for a half hour or an hour makes me super antsy and sometimes really anxious. Even when I’m not at the stand, I am supposed to be around the lifeguard shack in case if I am needed for something. It’s actually not a labor-intensive job, once you start working. But you are required to stay fit and be able to perform live-saving duties when it comes down to it.
7. You are supposed to wear a bathing suit while you are on duty
This seems totally normal and plausible for lifeguards, right? Yeah, and it is, but I personally hate wearing bathing suits for long periods of time. I also have to pee frequently, and so it just becomes annoying.
So yeah, I learned that lifeguarding wasn’t for me. Do I regret doing it? Not really. I needed the money, I made the money and I learned some things along the way. I got re-certified in CPR, I learned how to save lives, and I met new people and learned new things about my home town and how it has changed since I was a kid. It wasn’t all incredibly terrible, but the negatives outweigh the positives for me, and that it why I am moving on.
