No profession is a small profession because every job has a certain degree of dignity to it and that is why you must not back away from taking up any opportunity that comes your way. You would find a lot of people telling you to not take up a profession like lifeguarding because it is not paying enough to repay your student loans, and you would not get the respect you deserve from the people of this society. Well, kiss those people goodbye because if you think that you are built for lifeguarding and have the following things in you, then you must apply for becoming a lifeguard.
1. EDUCATION
Lifeguarding does not really require being highly educated. Someone who has a high school education is more than qualified to become a lifeguard in the United States of America. It might come off as a surprise to you, but many schools and colleges have employed students (who are pursuing their higher education) as lifeguards for their swimming pools. Apart from that, the students who are working as lifeguards can also be found at the local beaches trying to make good use of their swimming skills and physical strength.
2. TRAINING
One of the most important and foremost parts of any job is its extensive swim instructor training phase. The period when an individual who got selected for the position gets trained about their role and responsibilities. For a person to become a lifeguard, it is expected that they already know how to swim. Along with that, everything else is covered under the training period. Life saving exercises such as application of first aid, CPR, AED, artificial respiration, water safety and rescue are taught to the selected candidates. Once the training process gets over, the lifeguards who deserve the opportunity are certified as lifeguards.
3. CERTIFICATIONS
If you are searching for a job, not just for a lifeguarding job, we are talking about job opportunities of any field, then you must have some certifications which would provide you a strong back-up. Having these certifications would increase the chances of you getting selected for the job. which is the main importance of lifeguard certification For lifeguarding, there are plenty of certification courses available which are run by the swimming pools and beaches during the off season. They can also avail these certifications to a lifeguard once he has been hired for the job and there is still time for the summer season. However, it is recommended that you get certifications before applying for the job.
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FIRST AID CERTIFICATION
Since we were talking about certifications, it seemed a bit impolite to us to leave you hanging in the middle with no idea about what kind of certifications you must try to get if you will be applying for the job of a lifeguard. That is why, we bring to you the first aid certification which is issued by organizations such as the American Red Cross and American Lifeguard Association. The significance of this certification lies in the fact that it helps a beach identify whether the applicant is the right person for the job or not. If the person has this certification then they already know everything about first aid and that increases their chances of getting hired.
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CPR CERTIFICATION
4. SWIMMING
Swimming is one thing which everyone who is interested in the job of a lifeguard must be familiar with. If you do not know how to swim, then it would become impossible for you to get to the person who is drowning and needs help. That is why, you must learn swimming if you want to become a lifeguard.
5. HEALTHY PHYSICAL CONDITION
A lifeguard is expected to have a healthy physical condition and please do not confuse healthy physical condition for having a muscular body. Healthy physical condition means that the body should be strong enough to withstand the roughness of the job and perform with maximum efficiency.
6. FOCUS
A lifeguard should be focused because they would be required to keep a close watch on the people who visit the beach.
7. CLEAR WITH YOUR MESSAGES
As a lifeguard, you must make sure that every message from you reaches the ears of every single person present on the beach or the pool.
8. LEADERSHIP AND DETERMINATION
These two qualities determine how effective a person would be as a lifeguard and that is why they must not be overlooked while selecting a lifeguard for a beach or a pool.
It should be noted that only after providing the above-mentioned skills and certifications that you would be able to qualify for the job of a lifeguard. Your tenure as a lifeguard would be monitored by the American Lifeguard Association thoroughly and you would have to pass every lifeguard recertification exam till the time you want to serve as a lifeguard. It is certain that things might get tough sometimes, but in the end they will be worth your time and effort.
