Life guard to lifeguard instructor
A life guard already meets 30% of what the lifeguard instructor role asks for. The move turns on 16 required skills not yet in the profile.
69/ 100
1 How much of what a lifeguard instructor is expected to do is already part of a life guard’s work. Directional: the figure for the reverse move differs, because moving into a speciality is not the same problem as moving out of one. 2 Every skill the lifeguard instructor role is recorded as needing, required and optional together. What these numbers mean.
Why this move works
A lifeguard instructor role treats 4 of its required skills as things a life guard already does. You would walk in with these on day one.
- advise on safety measures
- first aid
- health, safety and hygiene legislation
- swim
What stands in the way is 16 required skills the profile does not yet cover. Table 3 groups them; Table 4 says which to take first.
Table 2 · What you already bring
Of the 16 skills that carry over, these are the ones fewest other occupations ask for. A lifeguard instructor role needs them, and most people applying for one will not have them already. This is the part of a life guard background worth leading with.
- already held assist pool users assisting and caring
- already held rescue bathers assisting and caring
- already held swimming pool chemicals natural sciences, mathematics and statistics
- already held advise on safety measures communication, collaboration and creativity
- already held control crowd assisting and caring
- already held restrain individuals assisting and caring
All 16 carried skills, including the 4 the lifeguard instructor role treats as required.
Table 3 · What you may need to learn
The 24 missing skills fall into 8 areas of the ESCO skill hierarchy, numbered in the order worth working in. Areas carrying the most required skills come first, and inside each one the required skills sit above the optional ones. Nothing here is a verdict on you: it is a list of what this particular job asks for that your current one does not.
- still to learn adapt teaching to student's capabilities required
- still to learn apply teaching strategies required
- still to learn demonstrate when teaching required
- still to learn educate on emergency management required
- still to learn give constructive feedback required
- still to learn provide advice on breaches of regulation required
- still to learn provide lesson materials required
- still to learn teach law enforcement principles required
- still to learn ensure public safety and security required
- still to learn guarantee students' safety required
- optional, not held identify security threats optional
- optional, not held use personal protection equipment optional
- still to learn assessment processes required
- still to learn curriculum objectives required
- optional, not held adult education optional
- still to learn assess students required
- still to learn encourage students to acknowledge their achievements required
- optional, not held manage resources for educational purposes optional
- still to learn test safety strategies required
- optional, not held keep records of attendance optional
- still to learn law enforcement required
- optional, not held protective measures related to swimming pool chemicals optional
2 further areas in the appendix
Table 4 · Where to start
The 3 entries a lifeguard instructor role is least likely to hire without. The ordering is computed from the skill data, not from what pays.
- 01 ensure public safety and security practise this
- 02 adapt teaching to student's capabilities practise this
- 03 apply teaching strategies practise this
Each entry opens a course search for that skill. Career Overlap earns nothing from these links.
Appendix · The rest of the record
All 16 skills that carry over
- already held advise on safety measures skill
- already held first aid knowledge
- already held health, safety and hygiene legislation knowledge
- already held swim skill
- already held assist pool users skill
- already held control crowd skill
- already held fire safety regulations knowledge
- already held handle veterinary emergencies skill
- already held manage emergency evacuation plans skill
- already held manage theft prevention skill
- already held operate radio equipment skill
- already held practice vigilance skill
- already held rescue bathers skill
- already held restrain individuals skill
- already held security threats knowledge
- already held swimming pool chemicals knowledge
The 2 learning areas not shown above
- optional, not held legal use-of-force optional
- optional, not held provide first aid to animals optional
8 supplementary skills, helpful but not required
- optional, not held manage resources for educational purposes optional
- optional, not held provide first aid to animals optional
- optional, not held adult education optional
- optional, not held identify security threats optional
- optional, not held keep records of attendance optional
- optional, not held legal use-of-force optional
- optional, not held protective measures related to swimming pool chemicals optional
- optional, not held use personal protection equipment optional
18 held skills the lifeguard instructor role does not ask for
- not needed by the target role assist emergency services skill
- not needed by the target role contribute to the safeguarding of children skill
- not needed by the target role deal with aggressive behaviour skill
- not needed by the target role give swimming lessons skill
- not needed by the target role liaise with security authorities skill
- not needed by the target role maintain pool cleanliness skill
- not needed by the target role maintain quality of pool water skill
- not needed by the target role manage lost and found articles skill
- not needed by the target role manage major incidents skill
- not needed by the target role monitor swimming-pool infrastructure skill
- not needed by the target role operate fire extinguishers skill
- not needed by the target role perform clerical duties skill
- not needed by the target role promote equality in sport activities skill
- not needed by the target role provide first aid skill
- not needed by the target role react calmly in stressful situations skill
- not needed by the target role supervise pool activities skill
- not needed by the target role swimming pool safety guidelines knowledge
- not needed by the target role tolerate stress skill
6 gaps that are knowledge rather than practice
Knowledge gaps usually close through study. Practical skill gaps usually need something you can point at.
- still to learn assessment processes required
- still to learn curriculum objectives required
- still to learn law enforcement required
- optional, not held adult education optional
- optional, not held legal use-of-force optional
- optional, not held protective measures related to swimming pool chemicals optional
Common questions about this move
Can a life guard become a lifeguard instructor?
Yes, and it is a substantial move. A life guard already covers 30% of what a lifeguard instructor is expected to do: 16 skills carry over, 4 of which the lifeguard instructor role treats as required.
What skills does a life guard need to become a lifeguard instructor?
16 required skills are missing, plus 8 optional ones. They fall into 8 areas of the ESCO skill hierarchy, led by communication, collaboration and creativity. The single most important is ensure public safety and security.
How hard is the move from life guard to lifeguard instructor?
Its learning distance is 69 out of 100, which is the substantial band. That accounts for both how much is missing and how specialised those skills are.
How this record was compiled
Both occupations are taken from ESCO, which lists the skills and knowledge each occupation is expected to have and marks every one required or optional. Nothing here is a prediction about hiring, and nothing here knows that a particular employer wants a particular certificate. Treat Table 3 as a starting point for your own research rather than a syllabus. The full method states what these figures can and cannot tell you.