swim instructor

front desk agent

lifeguard

team member

assistant general manager

Goldfish Swim School

I worked at this company for 4 YEARS. Over these years, I learned the environment very well. I would say a little too well. 
First, if you are younger and looking for work that pays higher than minimum wage, this job is for you. 
HOWEVER, there are a few things you need to know before working here:
1. This company is severely understaffed. The turnover rate is incredibly high. With that being said, most days here are chaotic with not enough staff out of and in the water. Most of the managment will get very stressed and will take it out on the employees with miniscule things. This turnover will also make your training short, as they need to fill spots quickly. So, you will be thrown into a positions you know very little about. But you will be ridiculed if you mess up on anything that the job requires. 
2. You are penalized for taking days off. My time working here, I met many people that had deaths in their family and medical problems that needed attention away from their work. However, some managers would always complain about these matters, even if the employees could not control their situations. In fact, some people got fired for this absence. The lesser penality I witnessed was some managers yelling at employees for their absence and threatening them with their jobs. 
Also, if you want to take time off, you must make a request. This part is custom in most jobs. However, to not be penalized for your time off you MUST find coverage for your own shifts. This means personally reaching out to every person that works at the company.  If you do not find coverage (because no one is willing to take it) than you are penalized. Frequently, people would not be willing to take shifts, unless you bribed them with giftcards, and you would be left with penalities.  I also met individuals that put their time off sheets MONTHS in advance, were denied by all the working employees, and we're still penalized when they could not find coverage. 
3. Favoritism. This is the most strong theme I saw at this facility. I do not want to point fingers at all management with this habit. However, there are some managers in particular that circle around favortism. The management favortism did not bother me, once I got used to it. Yet, if you want praise all the time, then don't hesitate to suck up to the management. 
In a recent instance, one of the main managers asked an employee to come back after being fired. Why was this employee fired in the first place? The employer was SMOKING ILLEGAL SUBSTANCES instead of coming to work. When he was caught, he was fired. However, some managers favored him so much that they invited this employee right back to work. Yet, a similar instance happened with another employee. But this employee was not a favorite. So, this employee was not asked back to Goldfish. 
4. I never felt appreciated by most staff. Again, if you are a highscholler or college student wanting to make more than minimum wage, then this job is for you. However, if you want to feel fulfilled regarding your work, you will ONLY get this appriciation while working with the kids and talking to the children's parents. Unless you are favored, you will be just another number to most of this company's management. 
I had worked with this company so long. However, when I left for a new job in my college degree, I got no congratulations from any of the management or appriciation for the time I have put into their company. Instead, I was sent off and treated like someone that had only been there for a month. Again, people that have been there for far little than I have got a huge send off when they quit, because they were favored by some of the staff. 
5. They cut your hours. There is an app that you use to clock in and clock out. If you stay afterwards to clean up the pool or come beforehand to set up the pool, you can clock in or clock out on the app before/ after your shift starts/ends. However, management will change this in the log, so you will not get paid for the real amount you were working. 
6. Staff that has been working here more than you will look down on you. When I first started working at Goldfish, a paticular staff member (that was there longer than me) would stare me down. Anything I did that was not up to the standards of a five star establishment, I would be yelled at for, while I was teaching my kids. For example, one of my first days of teaching, I was yelled at for not doing something that was not REQUIRED in the curriculum to do. However, this employee thought it would make my job more enjoyable I suppose to tell at me that..  no this WAS required... Even tho it's not required in the book. This was completely not dealt with like it should have been, because, again, this long time employee was a favorite of management. 
In conclusion, hopefully you read through all this information and can get a better idea of how this company is run.
 In my time here, I met some wonderful front desk and swim instructors that I still talk to today. 
Not all management was bad. There were a handful of managers that I interacted with that I felt cared for my wellbeing and made me feel approved in my working environment. 
If you work here, you will have the same couple kids/parents on the same day of every week. With this consistency, you will get very attached to the parents and kids you have and it will be hard to leave. 
Good luck!

When I first started working at Goldfish, it was a very fun job! I enjoy working with kids and swimming, so this seemed like the perfect job for me. Managment did a lot of fun activities with staff like raffles, outings, and monthly team building meetings (with food included). Goldfish also has lots of promotion opportunities. For example, if you decide to become a lifeguard or CPR certified you will get a raise. I worked my way up to a supervisor position over my two and a half years which gave me lots of raises. 
This job was mostly geared towards high school and local college students, so expect there to be some workplace drama. If you have more of an outgoing personality though, you are going to make friends easily! For me, I mostly kept to myself, but everyone was still very kind to me. You teach your classes alone, so you won't really have time to socialize anyway.
As I started working at goldfish for longer, I realized that swapping or dropping shifts was very difficult. Due to Goldfish only having a set schedule of lessons, if you needed to drop your shift, it had to be picked up by someone else. It was a problem that coworkers wouldn't be willing to pick up shifts. Also, people would call off last minute before morning lessons and people would be at school or asleep. This would lead to me as a supervisor having to step in for the person who called off. This became increasingly frustrating for me because at times I would never get to do that job I was assigned. 
I appreciated how management took time to make new hires feel welcome but for the most part it was put on the teachers to train the new hires. At Goldfish there is a role called "Golden Teacher"; a role specific to helping new hires. If no golden teacher was present, it was up to a teacher with less experience to train the new hire. This would lead to the new hires doing skills incorrectly or not knowing how to run a class properly when they became real teachers.
Lasty, what made me not want to return to this job is how undervalued I felt at the end of my time working at Goldfish. The managers tended to have favorites and would spend time together outside of work golfing and purchasing food for the "favorites". These people would usually get more recognition in the form of employee of the month and special company awards. Managment would also not be available for help and would sometimes hide in the back of the building during shifts. I also just wish that management was less passive aggressive when giving feedback, I left work very upset on multiple occasions. 
Overall, I would still encourage you to work at Goldfish if you want to spend time with kids and you love to swim! But I would only suggest Goldfish as a summer job so that you can get the best working experience. I would definitely recommend feeling it out during your training before committing to this job as well.


I was at Goldfish Swim School for ten years & did work for a total of three locations.  I learned a lot in my time there.  Unlike many other companies, you do not necessarily need a ton of prior experience or qualifications to get a position at GSS.  This makes it a welcome place for anyone who is looking to get a job quickly or for those who do not know exactly what they want to do yet.  There are opportunities for advancement early on, however, those tend to dwindle as there are limited management positions & not much else to strive for unless you want to open your own franchise.  Working with the children is wonderful & the proprietary curriculum takes a lot of the guess work out, particularly for new instructors & supervisors.

Unfortunately, the biggest issue with GSS is a corporate leadership team that cares more about their aesthetic than they do about the quality of their product.  While there are some incredible instructors, customer service representatives, lifeguards, supervisors, & managers there, whether your location has competent ones is entirely a gamble.  Standards are inconsistently enforced & the company's dedication to its customer focused core values is overshadowed by outdated policies & practices.  This often leads to frustration from clients & staff members alike.  This is compounded by a leadership team that is pitifully slow to respond, reluctant to change, & unwilling to consider feedback in a meaningful way.

Additionally, the nature of the business makes it virtually impossible to curate a schedule that does not contain some amount of swing shifts unless you are willing to work part time.  Furthermore, the wages provided are well below the cost of living for most places where the schools are located, even on a manager's salary.

If you are in high school or college, love kids, & are looking for a part time job, Goldfish Swim School can be a great place.  If you are lucky, the school will be filled with instructors who care, managers who will provide excellent training, & owners who will be involved in the business.  If you are looking to make a career, however, I would urge you to be wary.  The company is not going in the same direction it did when I started & I worry that as it continues to grow the quality will continue to dilute due to questionable corporate decisions.

It is a shame for this to be my lasting impression of a place I loved so much when I first started.  The reality is that GSS is meant to be a revolving door.  Give it a try if you are young & this kind of work appeals to you, but don't be afraid to leave once it has lost its luster.

I had been at Goldfish Columbia as front desk for nearly three years. In the beginning, I really enjoyed my job. Consistent schedule, pay well above minimum wage, benefits for employees working above 30 hours, great coworkers, and what seemed to be a positive work environment. Then management shifted and everything went downhill. The entire atmosphere of the facility changed from employee-positive to customer-positive. I was expected to keep my nose to the grindstone, and if I did anything above or beyond what was in my job description (for instance, cleaning something I wasn't asked to clean), I was reprimanded and told that I needed to stay on task. I had been told to stick to policy when it came to customers asking for exceptions, but when I refused to make exceptions I was told I needed to be more flexible. Front desk was constantly understaffed and because everyone was working to the full extent of their schedule, no one was able to pick up shifts. Management would get angry if you asked off for a shift and weren't able to find anyone. They would also get angry if you didn't pick up shifts for other people, even if you were working 5-6 days a week with doubles. Many of my coworkers were on the verge of leaving.

Management did not communicate with each other properly; if something was said to lower management, it wasn't relayed to the general manager, and if something was said to the general manager, it wasn't relayed to the regional manager or any other member of corporate, if needed be. One particular manager held grudges against employees and would create vendettas against them, constantly berating them or being passive aggressive towards them, until they quit or she found a reason to fire them. Sometimes it would be just because she didn't like them. Other members of management were aware that she had been doing this, but she was never corrected, and I learned that she was promoted after I had left.

A few months before I left, shards of glass began showing up in the pool. It became clear that someone was deliberately planting the shards in the water, and a few employees had sustained injuries. It seemed like management didn't care at first, and some incidents weren't even reported to corporate or the owners. When the owners and regional manager did get involved, they very much downplayed the severity the situation, and rather than finding a solution to the issue, they started firing people left and right, including people who had been there for years.

No matter how much they're offering to pay you, management will not have your back or treat you with the respect you deserve, even if you're a long-time employee. Please do not accept a position here: it is not worth the stress.

Working at goldfish was really fun at first, but after a while i started seeing a lot of faults. I loved the kids more than anything else, and most of the time the environment was happy and energetic. I have a lot of problems with this place though.
The curriculum is really good and effective, but the class size is too big to make it work. During most classes, my energy was spent on one kid, who was usually throwing a tantrum, and making sure they all got “turns” rather than progress. Since this program is progression based, you tend to find yourself more focused on getting them to do it once to show the deck supervisor than consistently well. Also, after working there long enough, you’re implicitly expected to learn ALL the lesson plans (which is a LOT). That being said, some kids absolutely adore the curriculum and lesson plans, and I’ve had amazing experiences with them.
The culture is very superficial. Everyone stays happy and playful for the kids and parents, but there is SO MUCH gossiping and drama that goes on. Very very cliquey. Even down to full on relationships while still being coworkers. Like, a lot of relationships. Every time I’d wash off after work, I’d have coworkers staring at me. Additionally, management supports it all and won’t believe you if you call out ANY problems. Getting your shift covered relies completely on how good of friends you are with your coworkers, and even then it’s difficult. It basically requires begging for someone to take your shift.
The chlorine is TERRIBLE on your body. They use higher amounts of chlorine to sanitize it, which is good, but i got chemical burns, pink eye, a damaged voice, and damaged hair. All multiple times. Spoiler: it’s not worth it.
This company is constantly lacking integrity in its employees. I had too many coworkers who would tell parents that their child was doing amazing at a skill that they didn’t do during the lesson. So many instructors don’t put in enough effort, and those who do don’t get rewarded for it. When doing chores, most of my coworkers just made it look good rather than cleaning it. Everyone is kind of lazy. 
Overall, this is a good company to send kids to; but it’s not a company you want to work at. I wish someone would’ve warned me before I started working there. However much I hated all these problems, I stayed for the kids. They really do make it sooo much better, and they’re the reason I stayed so long. However, I can’t recommend working here due to accumulating bad experiences. I wish I enjoyed it more.

Please know that each Goldfish Swim School is owned independently and have their own policies, rules, vibes, etc. As to the Brooklyn location, I am pretty satisfied with this job. When I first started, it was definitely a steep learning curve as I have taught intermediate swimming in the past. Goldfish as a whole is a learn-to-swim program, so just a heads-up with that. Their curriculum is a bit wonky as I am not a fan of it, but it is needed in order to succeed here. Depending on your role with Goldfish, I'd have to say you're going to have a busy day regardless of your role. There will be occasional downtime which is nice, but when it's busy, you best know you're working.

Management is solid here in my opinion, but that can vary. They're great people who want nothing, but the best for you, as long as you're a good employee. There might be times where you'll need a manager's help, but they won't be around due to the busy nature of the place. Your co-workers are honestly the people that help you keep your sanity working here. Everyone here is a solid team and always want each other to succeed. I have met some really great people working here.

The hardest part of the job is honestly dealing with team slack and high turnovers. There's always going to be people who leave and new hires for every job, but to pick up slack from people who don't show up to work is insanely draining and annoying. You will be pulled from your shift at Front Desk or Lifeguard to assume the role of Instructor to cover someone who decided not to show up to work. Turnover rate is high here, so there's a constant need of covering and last minute changes to scheduling. Sometimes you are also overworked, there will be busy days where the workload will be immense and you're in a scramble to get every thing done.

The enjoyable parts of the job are when you speak to genuinely nice families. The ability to help make someone's day by simply providing good lessons for their kids. The team here is a solid team and they will definitely help make your day easier. After you get the hang of the program and how things work, the work here becomes a lot lot easier. It's just a matter of personal preference.

This is a place that isn't for everyone. A swimming background or experience with children is probably preferred to even have some sort of enjoyment here. If you're looking for a full-time position here, you'll have stability. 

I had worked with Goldfish for about a year. A month after I started my dad passed away unexpectedly, and I had went to work about a week or two afterwards. I was in denial and picked up a ton of shifts and worked a lot of doubles. However, when the loss really hit, I felt as if my managers and coworkers were annoyed with it. I would be forced to come in for my shift and would have to leave because I would breakdown, I didn’t have energy (because I fell into a reallt bad depression), and overall just didn’t feel supported. Not only that, but I would also often not get paid for time and energy I put in. I would stay later for people, come in early and help set up the pool, or work more hours than what I got paid for. I worked as a swim instructor, lifeguard, and deck assistant. As a swim teacher I loved my kiddos more than anything but I also felt mentally drained and unsupported from the deck supervisor. As a lifeguard I really enjoyed it because I’m going into the medical feild, but when working long shifts as a guard and getting one 5-10 minute break (if I’m lucky) when the pool deck was 85+ degrees- it was horrible. Deck supervisor I really enjoyed. You kinda just got to do it all. However, when the deck supervisor would go and talk to the people at the front desk when there’s kids that need to be watched to move up and you can’t watch them, it became frustrating at times. Not to mention, their “flexible” hours really aren’t that flexible. At the time I was working there I got out of school at 2:50pm and the shift would start at 3:20. Mind you I lived 30 minutes away and there was no way I could get there and be dressed and ready by 3:20. I had told this to the entire management team and only one of the days I worked got switched to start at 3:50pm. The shifts weren’t very long so you hardly got paid anything a shift. Which means making money for buying things you need was extremely difficult unless you worked everyday of the week. Overall, it wasn’t a horrible place to work I just think the management team could’ve been more supportive to my situation and my mental health. But it’s a different place to work and it was so sweet watching the kiddos you’ve taught forever grow up and become better swimmers. 

The job is actually pretty decent, it's not quite good but it's definitely not bad. The other workers are almost always friendly and kind people, the work itself is fairly high intensity but does pay quite well for the area to compensate. Sadly this is where the positives end, the place is 75% of the time a fairly high stress environment for most of the staff, whether it's the seemingly out of nowhere firings of generally good employees and managers, the blatantly hostile upper management (does not apply to all of them, some were genuinely amazing and seriously helped our facility) that will harass the entire staff and has fired employees for simply not getting along with them, the blatantly unfair treatment of employees who make minor mistakes, the unwillingness to acknowledge safety concerns of employees (especially concerns of Life Guards), unwillingness to allow any efforts to help Golden Learners (special needs kids, for those who don't know) in ways that will allow them to follow the curriculum better even if it means not performing all holds 100% by the book to accommodate for the child. All in all the job feels extremely unstable, no matter how good of an employee you might be it very much so comes across to the majority of the staff of the facility that the company will simply use you for their own gain and will throw you out the second you aren't of use to them anymore, so an extremely cutthroat work culture coming from upper and general management. I'd love to recommend working here as it is overall not that bad, but unless you can handle a high stress, unstable, and hostile work environment I simply cannot recommend working here. Hopefully the facility will improve and upper management remove the toxic individuals that permeate their ranks, but until then this is not a worthwhile place to invest your time into.

I worked at this company as an instructor at a branch in IL for the summer and had caring supervisors, co-workers, and a wonderful boss. I loved the job and I found it was difficult to part with the students I had helped learn how to swim. Later that year, I moved to MI and worked at Goldfish in Grand Rapids. I was very disappointed in the inconsistencies in teaching methods from branch to branch. I was expecting the experience to be similar, but Grand Rapids just doesn't care about teaching its students how to swim properly, according to the actual Goldfish curriculum. None of the employees actually followed the curriculum at all. All the specific techniques I was taught were important to the Goldfish mission at the IL location were completely different at the MI location! My co-workers in MI lacked the caring environment I saw in IL. The standard in MI was not to use the curriculum to help students actually swim correctly, but to teach the curriculum "sort of" (as one coworkers told me) and treat it more like a guideline! In addition, the staff showered its students with praise even when they were behaving badly! Furthermore, training in IL was solely based on the Goldfish mission, to help students learn how to swim correctly and to provide boundaries for students to ensure that growth is maximized and understand safety while learning the basic principles of stroke technique. I saw no such techniques laid out in Grand Rapids. The teachers had a specific way of teaching that differed widely from other locations, their methods seemed at times unsafe, off the curriculum, and inconsistent. Don't work here if coming from another location. They will not accept new ideas or allow you to use your training from other facilities. My creativity as a certified teacher and swim instructor coming from another facility was severely stifled.

For the most part, this was fun place to work! I enjoyed working with kids and getting to know them and their families, I made good friends with my coworkers too. Even though I enjoyed my time at Goldfish, there were many reasons as to why I quit. 

  It was always incredibly understaffed. It was impossible to get a shift covered and calling in would not go over well with management. Even if you gave management two weeks notice that you would not be there for your shift, they still got mildly upset when you didn’t show up. Also, a doctors note is required if you call in sick. None of this ever bothered me too much but it’s something to think about before you consider working there. 

  Another thing that bothered me is that is was hard for me to get promoted. I felt as though it was very at random who they chose to promote. I worked there for a year and a half and was never offered a promotion. When I asked management about it they said they would talk to me after my shift but never did. It started to bother me when people who had been working there for significantly less time than me were getting promoted. These people often felt as though they were better than everyone else and it let to some toxic coworkers. My lack of promotion probably had something to do with me but I was trying my hardest to grove up. 

  My final warning to you is that this job easily burns you out. It can get frustrating when kids don’t listen and when they don’t progress. You only have 25 minutes for each lesson and a huge page of curriculum to get through in that time. The shifts were exhausting.

  I know all I’m doing is complaining but I did enjoy most of my time at Goldfish. I just worked there for too long and the longer I worked there, the more I began to see the flaws with the place. I would recommend working here but not for longer than 8-12 months.

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Swim instructor 879 salaries reported	$16.29 per hour
Front desk agent 173 salaries reported	$16.85 per hour
Lifeguard 148 salaries reported	$15.77 per hour
Team member 182 salaries reported	$17.03 per hour
Assistant general manager 97 salaries reported	$52,284 per year

Working at Goldfish Swim School: Company Overview and Reviews

Goldfish Swim School

Goldfish Swim School Ratings

Popular jobs at Goldfish Swim School

Salary Satisfaction

Job Seeker Tools

Employer Tools

Browse

Stay Connected