Even if they teach them to swim..... doesn't experience count for the job 
A Philadelphia lifeguard watches over a public pool in Philadelphia in 2021
It may be the middle of winter now. But before you know it, Memorial Day will be here, the kids will get out of school, and they’ll need something to do all day other than get on your nerves. That’s where Philadelphia’s dozens of public pools come in. And what do you need if you have a public pool? Lifeguards, of course.
Thanks to COVID and budget cuts (that were thanks to COVID), we didn’t have public pools at all in 2020. Philadelphia opened some of its city pools in 2021 but had problems recruiting lifeguards. And the city encountered similar issues last year.
So for the 2023 pool season in Philadelphia, the city has started recruiting early. And if you can’t swim, you can still apply. That’s right. According to representatives of the city’s Parks & Recreation Department I spoke with, the city is actively recruiting lifeguard candidates who would sink like a stone if you threw them in the deep end today. The city will provide free swimming lessons at Lincoln High School in Mayfair to anybody who doesn’t know how to swim, assuming they are committed to testing into the lifeguard program this summer.
If you’re interested in a Philadelphia lifeguard gig, pay starts at $16 per hour and the schedule is generally 35 hours per week. Presumably, you get a free whistle. More info here on how to apply.
Desperate Philadelphia Recruiting Lifeguards Who Can't Swim (phillymag.com)


A Philadelphia lifeguard watches over a public pool in Philadelphia in 2021
It may be the middle of winter now. But before you know it, Memorial Day will be here, the kids will get out of school, and they’ll need something to do all day other than get on your nerves. That’s where Philadelphia’s dozens of public pools come in. And what do you need if you have a public pool? Lifeguards, of course.
Thanks to COVID and budget cuts (that were thanks to COVID), we didn’t have public pools at all in 2020. Philadelphia opened some of its city pools in 2021 but had problems recruiting lifeguards. And the city encountered similar issues last year.
So for the 2023 pool season in Philadelphia, the city has started recruiting early. And if you can’t swim, you can still apply. That’s right. According to representatives of the city’s Parks & Recreation Department I spoke with, the city is actively recruiting lifeguard candidates who would sink like a stone if you threw them in the deep end today. The city will provide free swimming lessons at Lincoln High School in Mayfair to anybody who doesn’t know how to swim, assuming they are committed to testing into the lifeguard program this summer.
If you’re interested in a Philadelphia lifeguard gig, pay starts at $16 per hour and the schedule is generally 35 hours per week. Presumably, you get a free whistle. More info here on how to apply.
Desperate Philadelphia Recruiting Lifeguards Who Can't Swim (phillymag.com)
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