For a rising college junior, lifeguarding is not a “real” summer job/internship, right?

[Anonymous]

a) lifeguarding is a great job, as are all summer jobs. you have to know CPR and first aid, and you are given responsibility over an area to ensure safety.

b) everyone likes lifeguards, and a lot of people have been lifeguards, which gives them a good conversation topic for when they enter the workforce.

c) if they are doing ocean rescue, it is a very well-respected, and "elite" type of summer job. very difficult to qualify for, even if you are a strong swimmer.

d) keeping people safe and saving lives is always a good job.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Comments here about OP are pretty harsh. Yes, having any job is better than sitting at home for 3 months. But lifeguarding (again) at this stage in college will put this student at a disadvantage when she graduates and enters the job market, absent family connections. Internships are an important stepping stone to future employment.

Disagree. Employers know their “internship” is some degree of being hand held at a company and given very basic tasks. They are going to treat the kid with an internship, exactly the same as any other- a new hire with zero experience.

Disagree. Companies value work ethic and experience. Working at the pool shows work ethic, while (good) internships reflect an industry-specific skill set.

My DD spent 2 summers working at the pool which was the ideal starter job. She learned how to show up, follow directions, and interact with customers. Then last summer she did a paid summer internship as a rising senior in high school. They gave her responsibilities well beyond what we expected, and the skills she learned were life-changing. She will be starting a 2nd paid internship this summer, that was made possible by her first. In the process, she is developing skills and résumé aligned with her anticipated career interests, growing her network of professional contacts and learning about the challenging job market (none of which would have been possible had she remained a pool attendant for four years).

[Anonymous]

A job is better than no job.

[Anonymous]

There are a lot of people who prefer to see resumes with experiences like lifeguard, waitstaff, construction and painting, etc. over internships which can be hit or miss on giving any actual experience. And, a student who is a good worker and liked enough to be able to return to a prior job can tell you a lot about work ethic and ability to get along with people.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There are a lot of people who prefer to see resumes with experiences like lifeguard, waitstaff, construction and painting, etc. over internships which can be hit or miss on giving any actual experience. And, a student who is a good worker and liked enough to be able to return to a prior job can tell you a lot about work ethic and ability to get along with people.

That’s all true - for a high school student. College kids need to show more initiative and experience in the job market today. Not having an internship by junior year (while enrolled in a selective college) is a red flag.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There are a lot of people who prefer to see resumes with experiences like lifeguard, waitstaff, construction and painting, etc. over internships which can be hit or miss on giving any actual experience. And, a student who is a good worker and liked enough to be able to return to a prior job can tell you a lot about work ethic and ability to get along with people.

Lifeguard is a job where you actually have to work, unlike many internships out there now.

[Anonymous]

Piling on ... lifeguard is one of the very few where you get to show off and admire 'hot bods'. All the flirting and tension lead to exciting after parties after pool closing.

[Anonymous]

Lot of boomers on here who think dicking around all summer as a 20 or 21 year old is no big deal. You’re not developing any skills working on your tan at your local pool summer after summer. It’s a fine job for a high school kid, not a college upperclassman.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My niece goes to an expensive and selective college. Her mother just me told she’s back home and lifeguarding again this summer, the same summer job she’s had since high school. Am I wrong that this is a bad look? At her college career fair this fall, the only work experience on her resume is going to the same summer job 3 or 4 summers in a row, which is a gig any high school swimmer can get when they're 15 or 16.

Internship??? Seriously???
Hard NO

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There are a lot of people who prefer to see resumes with experiences like lifeguard, waitstaff, construction and painting, etc. over internships which can be hit or miss on giving any actual experience. And, a student who is a good worker and liked enough to be able to return to a prior job can tell you a lot about work ethic and ability to get along with people.

That’s all true - for a high school student. College kids need to show more initiative and experience in the job market today. Not having an internship by junior year (while enrolled in a selective college) is a red flag.

It’s super weird and suggests low ambition when every top tier college classmate is hustling their asses off and taking internships around the world. The boomers on here who dropped acid all summer, went to Woodstock and ended up becoming bureaucrats and lawyers thinking their path is applicable to the current entry level job market are beyond delusional.

[Anonymous]

Real internships require networking, career fairs, cover letters and resume, certain GPA, certain skill set, interview prep, letters of recommendation, references, rounds of interviewing, facing rejection. If you get an offer, you have to find a place to live, plan all the logistics, get outside your comfort zone.

The same hometown lazy gig summer after summer requires nothing besides showing up in a bathing suit. This girl is going to be a university upperclassman with no skills and zero real world experience.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There are a lot of people who prefer to see resumes with experiences like lifeguard, waitstaff, construction and painting, etc. over internships which can be hit or miss on giving any actual experience. And, a student who is a good worker and liked enough to be able to return to a prior job can tell you a lot about work ethic and ability to get along with people.

That’s all true - for a high school student. College kids need to show more initiative and experience in the job market today. Not having an internship by junior year (while enrolled in a selective college) is a red flag.

Hi OP!

Since you seem to have all the answers, why are you asking others? You disregard all who disagree with you...

Hi! I’m not OP. You clearly have nothing to contribute, but thanks for the post. Now get back to your TikTok, while the adults discuss.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Comments here about OP are pretty harsh. Yes, having any job is better than sitting at home for 3 months. But lifeguarding (again) at this stage in college will put this student at a disadvantage when she graduates and enters the job market, absent family connections. Internships are an important stepping stone to future employment.

Forgot to add, I am pretty sure the niece already knows her lifeguarding job is not ideal. I hope OP is not pointing that out to the mom or the niece.

But there aren’t enough internships to go around. So many have been cut. So glad the niece has a summer job. There are many college students out there still looking for regular service-type summer jobs.

Again, no. Her lifeguarding job is ideal. It shows that she's relied upon every year at a job that was created to save lives. Much better than a summer "doing social media" for a no name company.

Lifeguard at a club pool likely means no saves all summer. They might blow a whistle a few times per shift for potty breaks.

[Anonymous]

Just posted on the Maryland state parks group:

"Due to a limited number of qualified lifeguard applications, the Pocomoke River State Park's swimming pool will not be open to the public this summer. While we know the pool is a favorite for many visitors, certified lifeguards are required for safe operation.
The good news is that there is still so much to enjoy! From shaded hiking trails and paddling on the Pocomoke River to camping, fishing, and wildlife viewing, we invite you to come out and enjoy everything the park has to offer.

Thank you for your understanding, and we look forward to seeing you this season."

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Real internships require networking, career fairs, cover letters and resume, certain GPA, certain skill set, interview prep, letters of recommendation, references, rounds of interviewing, facing rejection. If you get an offer, you have to find a place to live, plan all the logistics, get outside your comfort zone.

The same hometown lazy gig summer after summer requires nothing besides showing up in a bathing suit. This girl is going to be a university upperclassman with no skills and zero real world experience.

Oh please. So many internships are family and friend connections and the parents throw money at any roadblock. Believe it or not you actually have to be qualified to be a lifeguard. There are zero places that will hire a lifeguard who hasn't interviewed, passed training to be a certified lifeguard, and at some places passed a drug test.

If the lifeguard was hired back the following summer then it is a guarantee that the person showed up on time, can get along with others, think quickly, are not afraid of the unexpected AND most importantly (and this can't be emphasized enough) stayed off their phone during their shift. In my office exactly zero interns last summer and the previous one had the ability to do these things despite attending top ranked schools.