- customer service skills
- sensitivity and understanding
- the ability to work well with others
- patience and the ability to remain calm in stressful situations
- thinking and reasoning skills
- to be thorough and pay attention to detail
- to enjoy working with other people
- excellent verbal communication skills
- the ability to monitor your own performance and that of your colleagues
- to be able to carry out basic tasks on a computer or hand-held device
As a pool or beach lifeguard you'll supervise swimming areas and help people in trouble. Your main tasks will include:
- making sure swimmers follow safety rules
- making sure people stay in safe areas
- rescuing swimmers in danger
- giving first aid
As a pool lifeguard, you’ll also be:
- advising swimmers on how to use diving boards and slides
- checking pool water temperature and chemicals
- cleaning the pool area and setting up equipment
As a beach lifeguard you’ll also be:
- monitoring sea conditions and setting up safety flags
- a point of contact for people on the beach
You could work at a fitness centre.
Your working environment may be outdoors some of the time and humid.
You could become a leisure centre manager with the National Pool Management Qualification.
Some pool lifeguards get swimming teaching or coaching qualifications and give swimming lessons. You could also train and lead a team of lifeguards.
You could compete in lifeguarding competitions.
You can find out more about training to be a pool or beach lifeguard from:Careers in Aquatics; Royal Life Saving Society UK; Swimming Teachers' Association; Surf Life Saving GB
