So, you’re looking for a job as a swimming teacher? Congratulations, and if this is the first step in your swim teaching career, welcome to the wonderful world of teaching Kiwis to swim!
As a swimming teacher, you have the opportunity to make a significant impact on the lives of your students. Teaching someone to swim not only provides them with a valuable life skill, but it can also help improve their physical fitness and mental well-being.
At Fulton Swim School, we’ve been teaching Kiwi kids to swim since 2005. With all six swim schools across the North Island, including our new Papamoa swim school, offering year-round swimming lessons, we know a thing or two about working as a swimming school teacher.
Whether you’re looking for your first job as a swimming teacher, or you’re looking to take the next step in your teaching career, we can help you identify the perfect role for you!
How To Find The Best Swimming Teacher Job
We’re on a mission to keep New Zealand children (and adults) enjoying, and being safe in the water. So, we’re always on the lookout for passionate swimming teachers who can help us!
If you’re new to the industry, or you’re looking to change things up and work in a different environment, we have some suggestions to help find the best swimming teacher job for you:
Location, location, location!
First and foremost in your search for the best swimming teacher job for you, consider the location you’d like to work in. It may sound obvious, but it’s crucial to consider this before you get too far into your search.
Are you looking at working as a swimming teacher somewhere within walking, biking, busing or driving distance of your home? Are you planning to move house in the future, and will this move affect your commute? Would you like to find a job closer to your kid’s school so that you can go directly from work to do the school pickup? And finally, would you consider working further afield for the right swimming teaching job?
Your schedule
Just as important as location, you’ll also need to consider how many hours would suit your schedule, and what times of day best suit you to teach swimming classes.
You may find different swim schools looking for teachers for part-time and/or full-time positions. Also, depending on the hours they are open, they may offer lessons throughout the day, or have more lessons in the mornings and evenings.
Before you set out to find your next job as a swimming teacher, determine how many hours you’re looking to work, and if you have any restrictions on the days and times that work for you.
Students
While you’re looking for swimming teacher jobs, you’ll no doubt come across a range of swim schools offering lessons to people of different ages, and capabilities, and each school will have different values and methods of teaching.
For example, at Fulton Swim School, we focus on teaching babies, toddlers, preschool and school-aged kids to be confident and safe around water. We also offer an introduction to competitive swimming, and adult swimming lessons. The thing that all of our classes have in common is that, no matter what age, or level our students are, we prioritise having fun and celebrating success!
It’s worthwhile considering what age groups you prefer to teach, and whether you’d prefer to teach students who are just starting out gaining confidence in the water, students who are aiming to swim competitively, or students who are somewhere in between. From there you can find a swim school that focuses on teaching at that level, where you feel they have similar values to you, and where you’d be happy working as a swimming teacher.
Learning opportunities
Working as a swimming teacher is an incredibly rewarding career. While you’re looking for a job as a swimming school teacher, keep an eye out for roles and organisations where you’ll be supported to advance your career, and grow as a teacher, and a person.
Some schools may offer to pay for you to gain further qualifications, if you’d like to pursue them. Other schools may present the opportunity to work with experienced teachers and learn on the job.
Being a swimming teacher offers a chance to develop meaningful connections with your students, their families, and your fellow teachers, as you work together towards achieving your students’ swimming goals. But there’s no reason you shouldn’t be able to achieve your goals too!
Teaching swimming lessons can be so much more than a job. There’s potential to turn it into a lifelong career, and learn from your other teachers, mentors, and even the students along the way.
Other benefits
Once you’ve considered the points above, keep an eye out for swimming teacher jobs that will tick all of your boxes, and see what other benefits different schools offer.
It could be something as small as a Friday morning tea shout, maybe they’re a great team, with a reputation of being fun to work with, or maybe they offer additional sick days for their long-serving employees. Whatever it is, when it comes to picking the right swimming teacher job for you, the little things can have a big impact.
Working as a swimming school teacher can be a fulfilling and exciting career path. If you’re ready to make a splash in the next stage of your career as a swimming teacher, consider your location, schedule, preferred student age group, potential learning opportunities, and any other extra benefits when searching for the right job for you, and we’re sure you’ll find the perfect swimming teacher job!
We wish you the best of luck in your job search! We believe that finding the right swim school to teach at is key to a successful and enjoyable career as a swimming teacher.
If you’re someone who wants to work around positive and supportive people, and you’d like to make a difference by teaching young Kiwis how to stay safe around water; reach out to our friendly team, or apply for one of our swimming teacher jobs today!
