MaryaSenna
New member
- Joined
- Mar 1, 2026
- Messages
- 13
I need to set something straight. I'm a junior at Georgia Southern, and every summer I work as a lifeguard on Tybee Island. And every time I tell people, they're like "oh, so you just sit in a chair and get a tan all summer? Must be nice."
NO. It's not "just sitting." It's hours of training, constant scanning, dealing with tourists who ignore every rule, and occasionally pulling people out of rip currents. I've saved three people this summer. Three! That's not a vacation, that's a job.
Here's what people don't see:
. But it's real work. I'm responsible for people's lives.
Plus, it pays way better than food service and looks great on a resume. Emergency response, public safety, quick decision-making—future employers eat that up.
Any other lifeguards out there? How do you deal with the "just a beach job" comments?
NO. It's not "just sitting." It's hours of training, constant scanning, dealing with tourists who ignore every rule, and occasionally pulling people out of rip currents. I've saved three people this summer. Three! That's not a vacation, that's a job.
Here's what people don't see:
- The 5am workouts to stay in shape
- The heat stroke I almost got last July
- The parents who yell at me because I won't let their kid swim in dangerous conditions
- The jellyfish stings, the sunburn (yes, even with sunscreen), the sand in EVERYTHING
- The CPR recertification every year
. But it's real work. I'm responsible for people's lives.Plus, it pays way better than food service and looks great on a resume. Emergency response, public safety, quick decision-making—future employers eat that up.
Any other lifeguards out there? How do you deal with the "just a beach job" comments?
