A study carried out in 2014 on behalf of the American Red Cross revealed that only 56% of Americans had mastered the five critical swimming skills needed for survival. This survey shows that a more significant percentage of the world’s population cannot swim if push comes to shove. Therefore, swimming instructors have an essential job in reversing this situation by helping children and adults acquire the necessary swimming techniques.
This article will look at some of the interview questions you should expect in your upcoming interview if you have applied for a swimming instructor’s job. Also known as swimming teachers, these professionals can work with adults, children, swimming teams, and even advanced swimmers to improve their swimming prowess. Having researched extensively on this topic, we are optimistic that you will come across the following questions in your upcoming interview:
1. Why Are You Interested In This Role?
After six years of professional swimming and winning titles, I believe it is time to pass the baton to someone else. I want to nurture and train others to be better at swimming. I am highly experienced in all swimming techniques, which this sports center will significantly benefit from. This job will allow me to impact other people’s lives positively.
2. What Are The Roles Of A Swim Instructor?
Most of my roles revolve around teaching people how to swim or better their swimming skills. Therefore, I work with people of all ages and skill levels to learn or perfect how to swim, learn the different swimming techniques and gain a high level of confidence while in the water. My job involves coming up with lessons, teaching them, and ensuring that the learners gt value out of them. I also reward learners after evaluating their performance.
3. What Are The Qualities That A Swim Instructor Needs To Be Successful?
The first quality that any swimming instructor should have is excellent swimming skills. One cannot teach people how to swim if they are in the same category. Other qualities include a higher level of experience, excellent people skills, reliability such as showing up on time and availability, and specialization, even though one can also work with all age groups.
4. What Major Challenges Did You Face During Your Last Role? How Did You Manage Them?
I decided to try something different during my first role. I had been working with experienced swimmers before in my career but decided to open doors to kids and adults who had not swum a day in their lives. I realized that I had to be more patient with them, which was a hard pill to swallow for a professional swimmer. All in all, I was patient with them, motivating them to give their best. I am glad that they all learned how to swim in the end.
5. Describe Your Daily Routine As A Swim Instructor
My day is mainly spent around swimming pools, where I help people of all ages and abilities learn how to swim. I always prepare detailed lesson plans before any session and follow them to the latter. I help learners gain confidence in the water, improve their endurance underwater, perfect their swimming skills and learn new techniques. I occasionally evaluate them and, where necessary, reward those that deserve it. I am always tired at the end of the day but glad about my job.
6. Describe Briefly About Your Experience
I have been swimming for thirty years now. At the tender age of eight, I joined sports as a hobby. I later went ahead to have an entire career in swimming, representing the country in several international events and competitions. I have over twenty-five medals in the fifteen years of my professional career. After retiring, I decided to be a swim instructor to help other swimmers explore their potential. I have worked with many award-winning swimmers and hope to work with more in this workplace.
7. What Kind Of Strategies And Mindset Is Required For This Role?
The best strategy that a swim instructor can apply when dealing with a group of swimmers is first to try as much as possible to understand their skill level and abilities before commencing training or coming up with the right program. Some people may not return to train if pushed too hard, while others require an extra push to be at their best. As for the second part of the question, a swim instructor should inspire hope in the trainees, especially those struggling to grasp swimming concepts and techniques. This, therefore, calls for a positive mindset.
8. What Is The Biggest Challenge That You Foresee In This Job?
I haven’t worked with such a large team in a long time. I have been handling teams of up to ten trainees in the last five years and may need to restrategize now that I will be working with over 30. However, this shouldn’t be a challenging task since I am experienced in coming up with individualized training programs based on the ability and skill level of the trainees.
9. How Do You Stay Motivated In Your Work?
I love swimming and seeing others become excellent swimmers, and I believe that it is a necessary skill that everyone should have, mainly since 70% of the earth consists of water bodies. My passion for swimming gives me the needed push to go on and keep coming to work every day. I also swim to keep fit and find every second at the pool enjoyable.
10. Describe A Time When You Failed In This Role And The Lesson You Learned?
I was once tasked with training a group of swimmers to represent their school at the regional level. I must have pushed them so hard since, by the time of the competition, three members had left the group. Even though the others went ahead to clinch almost all the titles, I kept thinking about the three. This occurrence taught me to first understand my trainees and come up with individualized training programs where necessary.
11. Why Do You Feel You Are The Most Suited For This Role?
I believe that I am the most suited for this role since I am a terrific swimmer on top of being an excellent swim instructor. I started swimming at a young age and went ahead to win lots of competitions in my ten years of professional swimming. I am well versed in all the swimming techniques and can even stay underwater longer than the ordinary swimmer. I have also trained some of the renowned swimmers in the country throughout my career.
12. Your Resume Shows That You Have Worked With Several Children In Your Career. How Do You Normally Handle The Difficult Ones?
I have indeed worked with several children in my career, both in schools and on swimming teams. Therefore, I usually expect difficult clients in my line of duty. I have come to understand that these kids come from different backgrounds and can’t be equal. Whenever a child comes off as reluctant or difficult to teach, I try to uncover and understand the reasons behind the situation before helping them handle it, creating a healthy learning environment. Most students have water phobia, which I handle by slowly introducing them to it before teaching begins.
13. Do You Think That One Needs Interpersonal Skills To Deal With Students?
One of the most essential things for any swimming teacher is to know how to interact with and handle students. I, therefore, need strong interpersonal skills to communicate well with the students and reveal their needs. I can easily deduce what they fear, their concerns, and how I can help them work on their issues. These skills also help me work together with their parents to benefit the former. I am constantly improving these skills to help my students be at their best.
14. Can You Handle Stressful Situations?
Being a swim instructor can be stressful. I have to deal with different personalities and challenges when handling students and teaching them or helping them get better at their craft. Owing to my experience in this field, I have learned that the first solution to handling a stressful situation is finding out its cause and addressing it immediately, primarily if the issues are related to my job. However, I also understand that situations outside my job may cause some, and therefore, I usually strive to maintain a perfect life-work balance.
15. Can You Perform First Aid?
I know and understand the importance of first aid knowledge when working as a swim instructor. Accidents are always likely to happen, especially when dealing with children. I am glad to report that I can perform CPR and first aid in case of any water-related accident since I am a certified CPR and First Aid, trainee. However, to reduce cases where I need to offer CPR and first aid to my trainees, I usually make safety my priority and ensure that I am more vigilant while in the pool area.
16. Have You Ever Worked With Children?
I know that I will be dealing with different age groups as a swim instructor, including children. Out of all the skills I am proud of, being able to deal with children is my strongest forte. I have worked with several children before, both as an instructor and a sibling. I know how to handle kids, encourage them to give their best, and create a healthy environment that accommodates them. I also have four children, making me a good fit for any position requiring me to work with kids.
17. How Do You Uphold Safety In This Job?
Safety is always my first concern in this job. As a result, I always ensure that all my trainees are supervised while in the pool. Those who can’t swim well yet are always furnished with floaters and other necessary items to help them stay afloat until they are in a position to swim or float on their own. I also ensure that everyone has swimming goggles and that the pool is kept clean at all times to prevent diseases or contaminations. I am glad that I haven’t had any primary safety concerns.
18. Do You Like Working With Children?
Yes. I find working with children highly rewarding. I deal with kids every day as a father and a sibling and can’t get enough of it. Kids should be nurtured well and motivated to achieve their potential, especially at such a younger age. I have worked with several children before, being a good example and training them to be better at swimming. Most have gone ahead to win several swimming competitions, making me proud as an instructor. I am optimistic that I will achieve this in this institution.
19. Tell Us More About Your Swimming Skills
I am an excellent swimmer. I have mastered all five basic swimming skills and perfected them, making me an effective swimming instructor. I can effectively dive, kick, flip-turn, time myself and hold my breath underwater. I also have vast stroke skills, and I have mastered the butterfly, freestyle, breaststroke, and backstroke techniques. I would also like to add that I have participated in several competitions and won many. I am sure that these skills and experiences put me in a better place for this swimming instructor job.
20. Have You Been Swimming For Long?
I have been swimming for quite some time. I grew up privileged, living in the suburbs of Los Angeles. We had a heated pool and a swimming instructor at bay, who taught me to be an excellent swimmer at ten. I participated in several swimming contests both in school and after school, which I am glad to have won. Therefore, this is my fifteenth year as a professional swimmer and fifth as an instructor. I am glad to have worked with a number of successful swimmers.
21. You Will Be Dealing With Parents In Your Job. How Do You Plan To Handle The Unsatisfied Ones?
I understand that parents have expectations, which I would also have as a parent. I have therefore learned how to manage such expectations and ensure that the kids work hard to fulfill them or at least try to. I have encountered a few unsatisfied parents in my line of duty, and I usually make them understand why their expectations haven’t been made yet and work on solutions. For example, we may organize remedial if the child needs extra lessons or see how to liaise with other professionals to aid their learning.
22. How Would You Deal With An Undisciplined Student?
Even though I am an understanding and friendly instructor, I believe that every child should be disciplined enough to foster good learning. I, therefore, single out children that misbehave and try to find out the reasons behind their behavior. I may also work together with the parents to help the kids rectify their behavior. However, I may have to involve other teachers in extreme cases, especially in school settings.
23. What Age Or Ability Levels Do You Love Working With?
I pride myself on the fact that I am a versatile and talented swimming instructor. I can work with any age or ability level, given my years of experience in this field. I have instructed children, youths, and even older adults, helping them master excellent swimming skills. However, I find working with kids enriching, which makes me believe that I will enjoy working in this institution. All in all, I am ready to handle anything that comes my way.
24. How And When Did You Learn Your Basic Swimming Skills?
I started swimming at a younger age. I grew up watching some of the most excellent swimmers in history, which got me interested in swimming. I took up swimming lessons at eight and had mastered most of the swimming skills and techniques by ten. I was fortunate to find one of the best swimming instructors in the region, who made me believe in myself and work harder to be at my best afterward. I still swim like a fish, just that I am more focused on the instructing part lately.
25. Do You Think That Patience Is Important In A Swimming Instructor Job?
Yes. I believe that every swimming instructor needs to be patient with their students, given how long one can take to be a good swimmer. Patience is, therefore, a vital skill that any swimming instructor should master over time. I have watched students take months to master a simple skill and later go-ahead to become some of the best swimmers I have ever handled. Most people just need a little time to be at their best.
Conclusion
These are some common questions to expect in a swimming instructor interview. Ensure that you have the correct responses at your fingertips and properly groom yourself to increase your chances of landing the job. We wish you all the best in your upcoming interview.
