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From White Collar To Lifeguard Duty

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Los Angeles Times

Published: March 8, 2009

Steve Bentley's last stint in the lifeguard chair was more than two decades ago. But last week, the out-of-work purchasing agent pounded sand alongside the usual gaggle of bronzed teenagers, taking the chilly seawater plunge for the annual Huntington Beach, Calif., city lifeguard tryout.

In this down economy, Bentley, 43, could use the $16-an-hour job. And he's not alone.

As the recession drags on and white-collar jobs vanish, adult professionals and retirees with depleted savings are applying for jobs typically reserved for the adolescent set - parking cars, serving food or keeping an eye on swimmers from a lifeguard tower.

Out of work since August, he interviewed for more than a dozen positions; many recruiters labeled him too experienced. Living on unemployment with a bit of family help, Bentley, who is not married and has no kids, took in two roommates at his Huntington Beach house to make the rent.

"Basically, I'm just shooting to finish," said Bentley, a record-setting internationally competitive swimmer. "If I finish, great. If I make the cut, that's a bonus for me."

Huntington Beach's physical test is a roughly 1,000-yard swim around the pier and a 500-yard ocean sprint, followed by a nearly milelong run-swim-run.

"Traditionally, we used to get a lot of the high school kids and college kids," said Claude Panis, a marine safety officer for the city, where lifeguards star in their own reality show. "We may be getting some people that are older, out of work."
Huntington Beach Marine Safety Lt. Mike Baumgartner agreed, saying, "Employment opportunities are not what they were."

Servers And Valet Jobs

Out of the water, there's been a surge in interest in valet parking jobs, often the domain of college students. Applications at Quality Parking Service in Los Angeles have risen fourfold in the past few months even as the company has scaled back advertising, said Ben Akbary, the company's chief executive.

"I've never seen the market this good," he said. "We have a flood of applicants every day."

Restaurants across California, too, are inundated with professional or even retired job seekers, according to an industry group spokesman.

Olympic Medalist Seeks Slot

Last weekend in Huntington Beach, lifeguards in wetsuits and neon yellow shirts cruised the surf on wave runners to rescue stragglers. A record 156 applicants - more than twice last year's number - signed up to compete for 25 summer lifeguard slots, said Lt. Mike Beuerlein, with the city's Marine Safety Division. Eighty-seven people finished all three events.

Among those panting and shivering on the beach were a former Air Force underwater search specialist, a struggling photographer, an out-of-work mechanic, surfers, All-American swimmers and a retired Olympic water polo player, all several years older than the legions of high school and college swim team members.

"They might have youth, but I have experience," said Ericka Lorenz, 28, who played water polo for eight years, medaling in the 2000 and 2004 Olympics, and is in search of her next line of work.

For Bentley, the day was mostly a success: He ended up third on the alternate list.

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