3 Lifeguard Resume Examples & Writing Tips for 2024

Lifeguard Resume Template (Text Format)

Start by choosing the best resume format for your lifeguard resume.

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FIRST AND LAST NAME

Email: your.email@email.com

Phone: (123) 456-7891

Address: Street, City, State

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/yourprofile

Summary

Fully certified lifeguard with [number] years of experience. Seeking to leverage my experience in [relevant abilities] to fill the Lifeguard position. Hold certifications in [Lifeguard Certification Title]. Skilled at [2–3 relevant skills]. A [adjective #1] and [adjective #2] lifeguard aiming to contribute to the success of [ Pool/Fitness Center/Resort Name].

Professional Experience

Current Job Title (e.g., Lead Lifeguard)Pool/Fitness Center/Resort Name, City, State | Month 20XX–Present

• Include a bulleted list of your achievements as a lead lifeguard
• Start each bullet point with an action verb (like “rescue” or “supervise”) to grab attention
• Use the present tense for your current lifeguard role, unless describing a completed project or initiative
• Use hard numbers when possible to quantify your accomplishments as a lifeguard
• Mention how you’ve used some of the lifeguard skills listed in your skills section to demonstrate your mastery of these abilities

Previous Job Title (e.g., Lifeguard)Pool/Fitness Center/Resort Name Name, City, State | Month 20XX–Month 20XX

• List relevant accomplishments from your previous role as a lifeguard
• Assuming you’re no longer working in this lifeguard role, use past tense verbs to describe your work
• Include 3–6 bullet points for each lifeguard role, both your current one and previous ones
• Skip the pronoun “I” and begin directly with a verb
• Although you’ll usually list work experience, feel free to include extracurricular activities if you lack formal work experience

Education

Degree Name / MajorUniversity, City, State | Graduation Month, Year

Certifications and Skills

• List skills and certifications relevant to the lifeguard job you’re applying for
• Look at the job description for ideas of the skills the employer wants and that are common among lifeguards
• Emphasize sports-specific hard skills and technical skills in this section
• Be as specific as possible by including names of tools and equipment you’ve mastered that are used in the sports industry

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New to lifeguarding or have years of experience to add to your resume? You’ll find example resumes for both situations below.

Entry-level lifeguard resume

If you’re new to lifeguarding, you’ll need to emphasize your lifesaving and observation skills to show you’ll prosper in the role. Here’s how:

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Entry-level lifeguard resume highlights

• Key swimming skills: In their additional key skills section, this candidate mentions skills that are vital for a lifeguard such as water safety knowledge, lifesaving techniques, and various swimming strokes.
• Certifications: Before you’re hired as a lifeguard, you should study for relevant certifications to show that you can get on with the job straight away without much training.

Lifeguard supervisor resume

Ready to supervise a team of lifeguards? Highlight your leadership skills on a resume like this:

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Lifeguard supervisor resume highlights

• Leadership skills: This candidate shows they have the leadership skills to succeed as a supervisor by mentioning how many lifeguards they supervise, the rotas they put together, and monitoring when their staff’s certifications are due to expire.
• Relevant degree: The job seeker has an associate’s degree in recreation management, which is directly related to lifeguard work.

Average lifeguard salaries in the US

The following table includes information from O*NET Resource Center by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. The data is presented based on the top states in the United States.

How to write a lifeguard resume

Our resume samples may have given you some ideas, but here’s more detail on how to craft a job-winning lifeguard resume.

1. Highlight your certifications

As a lifeguard, you’ll need to add certifications to your resume to show you’re capable of observing swimmers, rescuing them if necessary, and providing life saving techniques.

Refer to the job description to see what certifications you’ll need — it’s also likely your state or city government will have certain requirements before you’re allowed to become a lifeguard.

Here are some examples of lifeguard certifications for an aspiring lifeguard in Los Angeles County:

2. List vital lifeguard hard skills

Again, you should refer to the job description to see the specific hard skills the employer is looking for. Add all of the hard skills you have to your resume so that the employer can see you’ve tailored your resume to their pool and that you have the required skills.

If you get stuck, here’s a list of 10 common hard skills for lifeguards:

1. CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation)
2. AED (automated external defibrillator)
3. Rescue tubes
4. Backboards
5. First aid equipment (bandages, splints, etc.)
6. Water rescue techniques (e.g., active drowning victim rescue)
7. Spinal immobilization techniques
8. Oxygen administration
9. Pool chemistry maintenance
10. Surveillance and risk assessment

3. Add numbers to your resume

Numbers pop out from the page and show employers what you’re capable of.

Finding numbers to add to your resume bullet points should be easy. You can add things like the length of the pool you supervise, its average number of users, and how often you intervene to rescue struggling swimmers.

Here are seven examples of good bullet points with numbers on a lifeguard resume:

4. Write an effective resume introduction

Even though your resume introduction appears at the top of your resume (under your name and contact information), you should write it last.

Doing so lets you summarize the highlights of your career, as well as your skills and certifications.

Here are three effective resume introductions for a lifeguard resume:

Resume examples for different industries

Not sure what your resume should look like? The best way to learn is by taking inspiration from resume examples written by other candidates in your industry.

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