In an entrepreneurs world, young swim instructors are gaining a leg up on their peers. A study of nearly 200 teens & young adults shows that more private swim instructors are venturing into entrepreneurship and succeeding.
It makes sense.
Using Canada Swim School as an example, we see how the unique challenges of being a private swim instructor in this innovative, and constantly-evolving industry really prepares them for modern world challenges.
First, at Canada Swim School (CSS) instructors literally live the entrepreneur life. With multiple locations, dozens of instructors and hundreds of clients, instructors are challenged every day with being independent, organized and reliable. Couple that with the fact that clients are connected directly with their instructors and you have the recipe for someone to become their own boss.
Second, instructors learn the importance of deadlines and meeting them. Because of the remote nature of the work, there is no boss around at all times to check in. Clear objectives with deadlines are set before each session starts. The good habits that are required to be aware of, and meet deadlines, are embedded in the very culture of our club. Stay organized, have a plan, be accountable. The CSS staff management team provides support and checks in regularly on milestones. There is important focus on being responsibility for your work and your clients. As a result deadline completion rates are around 90% for CSS swim instructors. As an entrepreneur, being responsible for your own goals and deadlines is paramount to making headway and having success.
Third, time management and maintaining an optimal work-life-school balance. Managing your clients, coordinating your schedule, all while balancing a heavy school load and social life, is no easy feat. But this is the daily routine for CSS swim instructors. And they’re good at it, and get better every session, as they learn the ins and outs of optimizing their time management. Every entrepreneur knows that their is no 9-5 when you run your own business. At CSS, instructors must remain available to service and respond to their clients at all times, thus learning how to manage that ‘always on’ mentality.
And finally, the work hard & get rewarded strategy. Unlike typical part-time jobs for students, swim instructors at CSS can earn quarterly bonuses for meeting performance goals. So, while a minimum wage fast-food worker earns the same regardless if he makes 50 or 250 sandwiches in a day, a swim instructor is literally rewarded proportionately for their hard work and for going above and beyond. Not unlike entrepreneurs, if you work hard at your business, your business will work hard for you and you will succeed.
Now this ultimately all comes down to being an important choice, when young adults are choosing their part-time jobs. Being a swim instructor is hard work. The pay is accordingly great for instructors, but there exist easier jobs. Many much easier jobs. So if an individual is looking to “bank some easy coin”, this is probably not the job for them. But if someone is looking for a more challenging job with the intention of acquiring skills, habits and values that will lead them to success in life, well what are you waiting for?
