Lifeguard

You sit in a elevated chair watching people swim, which sounds lazy until you realize you're scanning for drowning victims — who don't look anything like what movies show. No splashing, no screaming — just someone silently going under while everyone around them is oblivious. You'll blow your whistle at rule-breakers, get sunburned professionally, and perform rescues that save lives.

What you'll actually do

• 01Scan the water constantly because a drowning person goes under in about 60 seconds with no sound
• 02Blow your whistle at kids running on the pool deck — the most thankless part of the job
• 03Perform water rescues and provide first aid when things go wrong
• 04Enforce pool rules to people who think rules don't apply to them or their children
• 05Maintain constant alertness in an environment designed to make you sleepy — sun, warmth, and rhythmic waves
• 06Apply sunscreen every 2 hours and still end the summer looking like a leather handbag