Four reasons why teaching swimming is the perfect student job

Seeking the perfect student job? Let’s face it, tuition fees, rent and a busy social calendar can be draining on the expenses.

We spoke to recent graduate Fiona who gave us her four reasons why teaching swimming is the ideal student job.

Why teaching swimming is the perfect student job

1. It suits the student timetable

Most swimming lessons during the week take place between 3 and 7 pm. So unless you’re unfortunate enough to have 5 pm lectures every day (ouch!), this should be the perfect time to do some teaching between your own lectures and your evening activity.

1. It’s well paid

Compared to the minimum wage of many bar and shop jobs, you’re going to have a much fuller wallet at the end of a shift. SEQ Level 1 Swimming Assistants (Teaching) typically earn around £11.26/hr and an SEQ Level 2 Teaching Swimming teacher earns an average of £16.52/hr compared to the £6/hr average for lifeguards. Find out more information about pay here.

1. The benefits of working at a pool

“I got the benefits of free swimming and use of the sauna at some of the places I worked,” recalls Fiona. “One of my friends was lucky enough to also spend the summer breaks working abroad, teaching swimming for kid’s holiday camps.”

1. It helps your confidence 

If you think teaching and talking to a group of children isn’t transferable to making presentations or taking interviews, you’re wrong. Confidence in talking to people – and influencing them – is a quality all employers are looking for.

“Teaching swimming helped me in lots of unexpected ways,” Fiona said. “It developed my confidence in speaking in front of a group of people. When you’re working with children you have to capture their attention and be able to control the situation.

“When it came to my final year of University and the daunting task of applying for graduate roles, I was able to use a lot of my experience through the application process and felt confident during the assessment days.”

Inspired by Fiona’s story and convinced that teaching swimming is an excellent way of earning some money on the side?

Visit our page Becoming a swimming teacher in the UK to find out what next steps to take.