A job done with passion and with passion
Many people become a lifeguard because they have a passion for water, have a good knowledge of it and know its dangers. Most FIN Salvamento holders have some level of experience in a water activity, be it swimming, diving, surfing, canoeing or sailing. This closely relates them to the element of water.
By becoming a lifeguard, you will combine your passion with your job, and it’s a real opportunity to be happy and earn a living. Being able to do what you love most day in and day out is a very fulfilling career choice.
How many people aren’t satisfied with their job and don’t love what they do? Choosing one of your passions as a job is a guarantee that you will achieve better results in your professional life. Passion is a real engine of motivation at work and of being happier at work.
This is an increasingly important aspect in today’s world of work! Lack of happiness at work is a major cause of burnout. Getting up in the morning and being happy with your passion makes you happier than feeling compelled to do daily routines that aren’t exciting. And happier at work inevitably means happier in life, as the impact of work affects one’s personal life.
Of course, there will be ups and downs as always. There will also be colleagues or bosses who may not be the best or the nicest, but there will always be that passion that guides you and guides your days. Passion allows you to give meaning to your work!
The importance of the human side
In the lifeguard profession, there is a very human approach. The desire to help others is a strong element in this profession and the relationship with human life is constantly present, especially when bathers place their lives in the hands of the lifeguards during their swim. It’s true that this job requires a lot of attention, reactivity and composure in supervising the swimmers, but that’s not all.
It is also important to have pedagogy and patience, especially during interventions where you may be faced with particular situations, but also during swimming lessons. The lifeguard must be as close to people as possible, to make them feel safe. Some resort to these figures to combat their hydrophobia. Words and gestures are important in this kind of situation.
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During the numerous activities that the lifeguards supervise, they meet a large audience such as school groups, pensioners, mothers and their children… the approach will be different each time in the way of teaching swimming, depending on whether it is giving advice on technique of the frog to a person who wants to improve, to accompany a young mother with her baby teaching her the safety rules to avoid drowning, or to propose activities to the elderly to help them move…
All of this requires pedagogical skills, patience and the desire to share one’s passion with as many people as possible. In fact, one must know how to constantly adapt to the expectations of each public: one does not behave in the same way with children in the context of school swimming and with elderly people who come to relax.
Extraordinary working conditions
Let’s not hide it, a lifeguard’s work environment remains very pleasant. In casual clothes, shorts, T-shirt, flip flops, sunglasses, by the sea. Many of us remember the cult series Baywatch lifeguards stationed on the beach in bathing suits. It’s a dream come true!
In addition to the clothing, the workplace is also unusual, whether it is near a swimming pool, a body of water or a beach. The setting is idyllic, especially by the sea, but the advantage of this profession is also that you can work both indoors and outdoors and this is not negligible.
There is no room for routine as a lifeguard. Between supervising the pools, giving swimming lessons and organizing activities, a lifeguard’s day is hardly a relaxing one!
A much in demand profession
To date, there is no shortage of vacancies in this field. Every year, local authorities renew their search for lifeguard training to reinforce the safety of beaches or municipal swimming pools or water parks that are always crowded during the summer. This is a boon to getting a summer job!
But there is also a real demand for year-round jobs, particularly to replace the many retiring pool lifeguards and thus ensure continuity of swimming sessions and supervision of school groups.
In recent years, we have noticed that water activities such as aquagym, aquabike and aqua yoga have developed and created quite a craze among a certain audience. This does not displease gyms or fitness centres, which have not missed the phenomenon. With demand growing, a number of swim instructor positions have been created to oversee swim lessons at these establishments.
Career development opportunities
When entering a profession, one should not lose sight of opportunities for professional development.
Becoming a lifeguard is not the finish line, but a starting point that will allow you to move on to positions of high responsibility, such as that of swimming pool manager. This may depend on your degree and years of experience.
Plus, you’ll be able to get a year-round job: many young people choose lifeguarding as their first job or as a summer job, but that doesn’t stop them from pursuing a long-term career. It is therefore possible to continue working as a lifeguard in establishments that recruit all year round.
