INDUSTRY STATS
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Lifeguard positions are at a 16% growth rate, which is much faster than average. With that said, there are currently 354,100 jobs in the market right now. The total number of jobs is expected to increase by 57,800 to 411,900 in the period of 2020-30.
What’s more, the median annual wage for the Lifeguard jobs was $28,440 in May 2020. The lowest 10% earned less than $19,510, and the highest 10% more than $46,510.
Our conclusion? The Lifeguard job market is wide open for candidates.
Top lifeguard sections that make the best resume
- Header
- Professional summary
- Experience (with numbers and results)
- Relevant skills
- Education
- Certifications
What to include in your lifeguard resume experience section
Lifeguard resume experience section checklist:
- Use at least 3 and no more than 7 bullet points per position;
- Make your experience sound relevant to what you’re applying for;
- Combine responsibilities, results, and critical situations that you’ve handled well;
- Show that you’re willing to take up on challenges;
- Include numbers in any form you like.
Looking for some real experience section examples? We’ve gathered the best Lifeguard resume samples to help you. Check them out before building your own resume!
- Have started like a lifeguard/ full time job
- In 3 months i was promoted to pool manager
- after 7 months i have the opportunity to be Front desk assistant manager
- Upped the professionalism of employees
- Controlled chemicals, temperature, pump room and cleanliness
- Mentored new employees and managed staff, continuing education into the summer months
- As a Lifeguard Instructor, I teach American Red Cross Lifeguarding, including CPR, AED, Oxygen, and First Aid (Spring Valley, Ambler and Phoenixville Branches).
- As an ASHI Instructor, I conduct skills training and evaluation of ASHI CPR, First Aid and Oxygen courses (Spring Valley & Ambler).
- As a Pool Supervisor I oversee a group of Head Lifeguards that organize the Lifeguard coverage of both the indoor and outdoor pools during the summer months. (Spring Valley)
- As a Head Lifeguard I oversee a group of junior lifeguards that provide safety coverage for patrons using the aquatic facilities. (Spring Valley)
- Monitors activities in swimming areas to prevent, recognize and manage accidents in and around the swimming pool.
- Ensures a positive experience for patrons.
- Maintains pool facility including water quality.
- Keeps aquatic facilities clean.
- Supervise swimmers to ensure that they are swimming within the safety protocols;
- Perform rescues in the event of drowning or swimming accidents;
- Maintain accurate records of pool use and chemical levels;
- Continuously scanned pool and deck in order to provide rapid response in emergency situations
- Taught ages 8-13 swimming strokes, kicking techniques, diving, saving techniques and games
- Interacted with members regarding pool policy, procedures and general YMCA info
- Responsibilities included opening the facility and pool at 5:30 am
- Addressed members' concerns and communicated regularly with Aquatics Department Head.
- Ensured lifeguards were focused and on task.
- Performed regular safety and cleanliness checks.
- Ensured Aquatics Team members provided a safe and friendly environment for the members.
- Responsible for up to 10 children at once
- Specialize in swimming levels 1,2,3
- Answer questions and provide guidance
- Fully ensure the safety of adults and children
- Supervised/served on a team of 7-10 guards on rotation
- Enforced rules inside and outside to provide a safe environment for all members
- Attended monthly inservices to practice and maintain critical lifesaving skills
- Performed and managed pool daily responsibilities (activities/maintenance)
- Established personal relationships with members to ensure they are well taken care of
- Performed training for new co-workers
- Swim instructor for new to Intermediate swimmers
- Schools Instructor, teaching kayaking, rock climbing, snorkeling, water safety, sports & team building
- Holiday programme, planning, implementation, programme development and management
- Training and development of new staff and coaches
- Exceptional customer service and communication
- Executed marketing campaigns for the AUT Millennium Gym
- Successfully taught swimming lessons to a variety of age groups resulting in a high amount of personal requests
- Catered the lessons to the students personal learning needs
- Created relationships with frequent members at the facility
- Manage over fifteen lifeguards a day
- Change communication styles to fit the needs of the members
- Maintain a fun, but safe atmosphere for all members and guests
- Lead groups on projects to maintain safety regulations
- Maintained continuous surveillance of people in indoor/outdoor swimming pools and water park
- Performed 3 rescues in the event of drowning accidents
- Taught swimming techniques and safety education to new swimmers
- Maintain constant surveillance of patrons in the facility.
- Act immediately and properly to secure the safety of the patrons in an event of an emergency.
- Provide emergency treatment until the arrival of emergency medical services.
- Present a professional appearance and attitude at all times.
- Maintain a high standard of customer service.
- Served as subject matter expert with facility knowledge and swimming techniques by answering patrons’ questions in a timely and efficient manner
- Ensured the safety of all (40+) patrons in and around pool area
- Taught swimming lessons to patrons of various skill levels
- Registered new members and renewed memberships for patrons in facility database
- Filed patron information and registration into facility's record-keeping system
- Sold membership packages to potential and returning patrons
- Acted as facility lifeguard and first aid provider
PRO TIP
Don't make the same mistake everyone else does. What we mean is, don't list your Lifeguard job responsibilities instead of your achievements. Recruiters know what you do. They want to know what kind of difference you can bring to their company. Focus on what you've accomplished.
Action verbs for your lifeguard resume
Recommended reads:
Top lifeguard skills for your resume
Lifeguard resume skills section checklist:
- Match your hard skills to the job description;
- Add keywords to pass applicant tracking systems;
- Don’t list soft skills such as ’teamwork’ – rather, mention how they’ve helped you gain success in some other sections of your Lifeguard resume;
- List only skills you actually have, keep lying out of the picture.
Top skills for your lifeguard resume
Swimming
Physical Strength
Speed
CPR
Basic Medical Care
Stamina
Mobility
Communication
Self confidence
Persistence
Planning
Time management
Patience
Tolerance
PRO TIP
When describing your experience, don’t go too far from its terminology. Recruiters use ATS systems to filter resumes based on them having certain keywords, so make sure you use at least a few keywords mentioned in the job description.
Recommended reads:
Lifeguard resume header: tips, red flags, and best practices
Checklist for your lifeguard resume header
- Your name and surname in a legible and larger resume font
- The job title you’re applying for or your current job title as a subheading to your name
- Link to your portfolio or online profile, such as LinkedIn
- Address (City and State for the US; just your city for rest of the world)
- Email address
- Headshot (required or welcomed in the EU; not required and sometimes frowned upon in the US)
Stick to popular email providers such as Gmail or Outlook. And use these professional formats to create your username:
- first.last@gmail.com
- last.first@gmail.com
- firstlast@gmail.com
- f.last@gmail.com
- first.l@gmail.com
Recommended reads:
PRO TIP
Some companies, states, and countries have policies about identifying information like photos on your Lifeguard resume. Be sure to check all the relevant rules before submitting yours. If you’re in doubt, you can always try contacting the company’s HR department to ask for their policy.
Craft a strong lifeguard resume summary
Lifeguard resume summary checklist:
- Your total years of experience
- The industry you’re coming from
- One or two most remarkable accomplishments that have helped you - turn into a great professional
- Short sentences that add value – avoid filler words and phrases
Resume summary formula:
PRO TIP
Your summary section should act as a brief but informative introduction to your experience section. In this section you should go into more depth about what you have done, and how you did it.
Recommended reads:
Highlight your education, certifications, and courses
What to include in your education and courses sections:
- Your highest education degree – this includes institution, course, and duration
- Certifications and courses that have helped you gain additional expertise
- Awards you’ve received as part of your education
- Entry-level positions only: relevant classes and projects
Top certifications for your lifeguard resume
The Power of the Breath - Deano Gladstone
Improve your breathing to change your life with World Famous Lifeguard Deano Gladstone from Bondi Rescue...
Recommended reads:
PRO TIP
If you hold a certain major and a minor, your majors should be mentioned first.
Drafting a Job-winning Lifeguard Resume
When drafting your resume, you can choose between three well-known formats:
- Reverse-chronological resume format;
- Functional skills-based resume format;
- Combination (or Hybrid) resume format.
Which format you decide to go for depends on two things: your personal preference and how experienced you are.
The reverse-chronological format is ideal for both really experienced people and those who joined the workforce just a couple of years ago. It’s also great if your experience combines different industries and jobs. Here, your most recent position comes at the top of your resume.
The functional skills-based resume format, on the other hand, is ideal for recent graduates or people who have no work experience whatsoever. It’s built around your skills, interests, and expertise. Ultimately, its goal is to show recruiters your biggest strengths and practical skills.
Combination resumes (also known as hybrid resumes) are great for all types of candidates – be they graduates, experienced professionals, or brave career changers. They usually follow a double-column format – one side focuses on your experience, while the other emphasizes your education, skills, interests, and accomplishments.
Here’s our resume format and style checklist:
- Choose a traditional resume font sized 12p;
- Go for standard 1-inch resume margins;
- Match the length of your Lifeguard resume with your experience – choose a one-page template if you have less than 10 years of experience, and be careful with two-page templates;
- Send your resume in PDF – in this way, you’ll avoid formatting issues and potential editing from third parties.
And in case you want to go the extra mile, check out our guide for crafting a resume that stands out.
Recommended Reads:
PRO TIP
Sometimes you’ll want to go after a job which requires more experience than you have. Instead of using a typical Lifeguard resume layout, you can use a creative layout. Getting noticed is the most important challenge and a creative resume layout might help you get invited for an interview as most of other accountants have boring resume designs.
Other sections worth including in your lifeguard resume
Including other sections in your resume depends on the company, the position, and, ultimately, the industry. Here are some sections that will help you spice things up:
A lifeguard resume that stands out
Recruiters look at tens of resumes every day. That’s why helping them remember yours is crucial for landing an interview.
A creative resume can help you show off both your personality and your expertise at the same time.
Creative sections about passions, favorite books, quotes, and even your daily routine are a great way to make your resume feel like a breath of fresh air.
What’s more, it will also point recruiters to the fact that you’re attentive to detail and can think outside the box of Word-generated black and white resumes.
What makes a great lifeguard resume: key takeaways
- Choose a resume layout that sends the right message across and fits your current career situation;
- Create a resume header that shows your desired job title, and easy to find contact numbers;
- Be specific about your experience, accomplishments and future goals in your summary;
- Feature detailed metrics and specific examples that show the impact you made in your previous roles when describing your experience;
- List soft skills backed by examples;
- Add all of your technical skills and certifications that you have and match the job description;
- Show off a dash of personality in your resume that will demonstrate your culture fit and the right mix of hard and soft skills.
