Lifeguards, Ski Patrol, and Other Recreational Protective Service Workers

Monitor recreational areas, such as pools, beaches, or ski slopes to provide assistance and protection to participants.

tasks jobzones knowledge skills abilities work_activities work_context interests work_styles work_values

Tasks

• Participate in recreational demonstrations to entertain resort guests.

• Operate underwater recovery units.

• Provide assistance in the safe use of equipment such as ski lifts.

• Inspect recreational facilities for cleanliness.

• Provide assistance with staff selection, training, and supervision.

• Inspect recreational equipment, such as rope tows, T-bars, J-bars, and chair lifts, for safety hazards and damage or wear.

• Complete and maintain records of weather and beach conditions, emergency medical treatments performed, and other relevant incident information.

• Warn recreational participants of inclement weather, unsafe areas, or illegal conduct.

• Instruct participants in skiing, swimming, or other recreational activities, and provide safety precaution information.

• Observe activities in assigned areas, using binoculars in order to detect hazards, disturbances, or safety infractions.

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Job Zone

• Name: Job Zone One: Little or No Preparation Needed

• Experience: No previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is needed for these occupations. For example, a person can become a cashier even if he/she has never worked before.

• Education: These occupations may require a high school diploma or GED certificate. Some may require a formal training course to obtain a license.

• Job training: Employees in these occupations need anywhere from a few days to a few months of training. Usually, an experienced worker could show you how to do the job.

• Examples: These occupations involve following instructions and helping others. Examples include taxi drivers, amusement and recreation attendants, counter and rental clerks, cashiers, and waiters/waitresses.

• Svp range: (Below 4.0)

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Knowledge

Browse Knowledge

• Customer and Personal Service
  Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.

• Education and Training
  Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.

• Psychology
  Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.

• Public Safety and Security
  Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.

• Chemistry
  Knowledge of the chemical composition, structure, and properties of substances and of the chemical processes and transformations that they undergo. This includes uses of chemicals and their interactions, danger signs, production techniques, and disposal methods.

• Administration and Management
  Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.

• Medicine and Dentistry
  Knowledge of the information and techniques needed to diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities. This includes symptoms, treatment alternatives, drug properties and interactions, and preventive health-care measures.

• English Language
  Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.

• Personnel and Human Resources
  Knowledge of principles and procedures for personnel recruitment, selection, training, compensation and benefits, labor relations and negotiation, and personnel information systems.

• Communications and Media
  Knowledge of media production, communication, and dissemination techniques and methods. This includes alternative ways to inform and entertain via written, oral, and visual media.

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Skills

Browse Skills

• Monitoring
  Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.

• Social Perceptiveness
  Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.

• Instructing
  Teaching others how to do something.

• Critical Thinking
  Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.

• Learning Strategies
  Selecting and using training/instructional methods and procedures appropriate for the situation when learning or teaching new things.

• Active Listening
  Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.

• Speaking
  Talking to others to convey information effectively.

• Judgment and Decision Making
  Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.

• Service Orientation
  Actively looking for ways to help people.

• Reading Comprehension
  Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.

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Abilities

Browse Abilities

• Oral Expression
  The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.

• Far Vision
  The ability to see details at a distance.

• Oral Comprehension
  The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.

• Problem Sensitivity
  The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing there is a problem.

• Flexibility of Closure
  The ability to identify or detect a known pattern (a figure, object, word, or sound) that is hidden in other distracting material.

• Information Ordering
  The ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).

• Inductive Reasoning
  The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).

• Selective Attention
  The ability to concentrate on a task over a period of time without being distracted.

• Speech Recognition
  The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.

• Speech Clarity
  The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.

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Work Activities

Browse Work Activities

• Assisting and Caring for Others
  Providing personal assistance, medical attention, emotional support, or other personal care to others such as coworkers, customers, or patients.

• Making Decisions and Solving Problems
  Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.

• Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events
  Identifying information by categorizing, estimating, recognizing differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events.

• Monitor Processes, Materials, or Surroundings
  Monitoring and reviewing information from materials, events, or the environment, to detect or assess problems.

• Performing General Physical Activities
  Performing physical activities that require considerable use of your arms and legs and moving your whole body, such as climbing, lifting, balancing, walking, stooping, and handling of materials.

• Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates
  Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.

• Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships
  Developing constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time.

• Processing Information
  Compiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or verifying information or data.

• Performing for or Working Directly with the Public
  Performing for people or dealing directly with the public. This includes serving customers in restaurants and stores, and receiving clients or guests.

• Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge
  Keeping up-to-date technically and applying new knowledge to your job.

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Work Context

• Contact With Others
  How much does this job require the worker to be in contact with others (face-to-face, by telephone, or otherwise) in order to perform it?

• Responsible for Others' Health and Safety
  How much responsibility is there for the health and safety of others in this job?

• Face-to-Face Discussions
  How often do you have to have face-to-face discussions with individuals or teams in this job?

• Work With Work Group or Team
  How important is it to work with others in a group or team in this job?

• Coordinate or Lead Others
  How important is it to coordinate or lead others in accomplishing work activities in this job?

• Deal With External Customers
  How important is it to work with external customers or the public in this job?

• Freedom to Make Decisions
  How much decision making freedom, without supervision, does the job offer?

• Physical Proximity
  To what extent does this job require the worker to perform job tasks in close physical proximity to other people?

• Consequence of Error
  How serious would the result usually be if the worker made a mistake that was not readily correctable?

• Indoors, Environmentally Controlled
  How often does this job require working indoors in environmentally controlled conditions?

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Interests

Browse Interests

• Realistic
  Realistic occupations frequently involve work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They often deal with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery. Many of the occupations require working outside, and do not involve a lot of paperwork or working closely with others.

• Social
  Social occupations frequently involve working with, communicating with, and teaching people. These occupations often involve helping or providing service to others.

• Enterprising
  Enterprising occupations frequently involve starting up and carrying out projects. These occupations can involve leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes they require risk taking and often deal with business.

• Conventional
  Conventional occupations frequently involve following set procedures and routines. These occupations can include working with data and details more than with ideas. Usually there is a clear line of authority to follow.

• Artistic
  Artistic occupations frequently involve working with forms, designs and patterns. They often require self-expression and the work can be done without following a clear set of rules.

• Investigative
  Investigative occupations frequently involve working with ideas, and require an extensive amount of thinking. These occupations can involve searching for facts and figuring out problems mentally.

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Work Styles

• Dependability
  Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations.

• Self Control
  Job requires maintaining composure, keeping emotions in check, controlling anger, and avoiding aggressive behavior, even in very difficult situations.

• Cooperation
  Job requires being pleasant with others on the job and displaying a good-natured, cooperative attitude.

• Stress Tolerance
  Job requires accepting criticism and dealing calmly and effectively with high stress situations.

• Concern for Others
  Job requires being sensitive to others' needs and feelings and being understanding and helpful on the job.

• Leadership
  Job requires a willingness to lead, take charge, and offer opinions and direction.

• Social Orientation
  Job requires preferring to work with others rather than alone, and being personally connected with others on the job.

• Attention to Detail
  Job requires being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks.

• Integrity
  Job requires being honest and ethical.

• Initiative
  Job requires a willingness to take on responsibilities and challenges.

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Work Values

Browse Work Values

• Moral Values
  Workers on this job are never pressured to do things that go against their sense of right and wrong.

• Social Service
  Workers on this job have work where they do things for other people.

• Achievement
  Workers on this job get a feeling of accomplishment.

• Relationships-Mean Extent
  Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to provide service to others and work with co-workers in a friendly non-competitive environment. Corresponding needs are Co-workers, Moral Values and Social Service.

• Achievement-Mean Extent
  Occupations that satisfy this work value are results oriented and allow employees to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment. Corresponding needs are Ability Utilization and Achievement.

• Variety
  Workers on this job have something different to do every day.

• Authority
  Workers on this job give directions and instructions to others.

• Support-Mean Extent
  Occupations that satisfy this work value offer supportive management that stands behind employees. Corresponding needs are Company Policies, Supervision: Human Relations and Supervision: Technical.

• Company Policies and Practices
  Workers on this job are treated fairly by the company.

• Supervision, Human Relations
  Workers on this job have supervisors who back up their workers with management.

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