Lifeguard

As a pool or beach lifeguard you'll supervise swimming areas and help people in trouble. For your main tasks you will:

• make sure swimmers follow safety rules
•  make sure people stay in safe areas
•  rescue swimmers in danger
•  give first aid

As a pool lifeguard, you’ll also:

• advise swimmers on how to use diving boards and slides
•  check pool water temperature and chemicals
•  clean the pool area and set up equipment

As a beach lifeguard you'll also:

• monitor sea conditions and set up safety flags
•  be a point of contact for people on the beach

• customer service skills
• the ability to work well with others
• to be thorough and pay attention to detail
• physical skills like movement, coordination, dexterity and grace
• knowledge of medicine and dentistry
• concentration skills
• patience and the ability to remain calm in stressful situations
• knowledge of public safety and security 
• to be able to carry out basic tasks on a computer or hand-held device

To take a pool lifeguard qualification you'll need to be able to:

• jump or dive into deep water
• swim 50 metres in less than 60 seconds
• swim 100 metres continuously on front and back in deep water
• tread water for 30 seconds
• surface dive to the floor of the pool
• climb out of the pool unaided without using ladders or steps

To qualify as a beach lifeguard you must have a good level of fitness and be able to swim in the sea to take the National Vocational Beach Lifeguard Qualification. You'll also need to be able to:

• complete a 400m pool swim in less than eight minutes
• make a surface dive to a depth of 1.5 metres
• tread water for two minutes
• climb out of deep water unaided

You'll have to demonstrate these skills as part of an assessment.

You can get into this job through:

• an apprenticeship
• working towards this role
• training with professional bodies

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.