Extreme tattoos or piercings and the workplace

Please don't take this topic as a knock against the aforementioned body mods, because I think they're sexy as hell. That being said, did those of you with extremely prominent facial piercings or tattoos on the face, neck and forearms consider the impact they might have on future career options before having them done? It would seem to me that an individual with ink on all over the face and forearms, 10 facial piercings and the huge earlobes might be limited in what thay can do to earn a living.

When selecting the locations for my ink and piercings, I deliberately chose areas that would be hidden even by a golf shirt in case my future career path lay in the professional world as an attorney, office manager, etc... My thinking was that most of the higher income professions such as these tend to require a more "clean-cut" or "professional" appearance, and that tattooed knuckles or facial piercing scars would automatically disqualify me from serious consideration by those making emplyment decisions. In retrospect, I'm glad I did, because I certainly wouldn't have the career I do now if I hadn't thought this through.

Take a look at this guy:



What can this guy do for a living in the public eye, other than play in a band, work at a record store or tattoo parlor?

I guess the question is this: How many of you with permanent body mods in extremely visible places have found some doors closed to you out there in the workplace? I'm aware that a lot of members here are young, but have any of you begun to regret the choice because of the restrictions they've placed on your choice of career?

I am curious to know.

There is some discussion about this in the Tattoo group.

I'm sorry (no I'm not) but that tattoo is just unfortunate.

He could certainly open his own business if need be.
There are also a number of internet companies that could care less what you look like as long as you can run their computers.

I have neck tattoos and I've never had a problem. That's cuz I'm a hairdresser and have leeway--I do however work in a fancy pants salon and I try to not be too blatant about my amount of work. I scare soccer moms pretty easily. And I'm really friendly.
And no, I do not regret it.
Guys like the one you posted used to be able to claim disability because of their face tattoos. Weird, huh

not to mention call centres, and construction workers.

some people get visable tattoos to keep themselves from falling into those kids of jobs. they don't want to be part of a mainstream office culture.

I've had no problem wearing tshirts at work with my forearm tattoo, but my girlfriends employer makes her wear longsleeved shirts over her forearm tattoos. I dont think in general tats have much effect on employment oppurtunities, but maybe the facial ones. Although I agree with Atlantis' comment on that.

[Edited on Dec 08, 2005 by themilkman]

Tattoos can be a problem for actors

This guy has no problems. He's actually really kick ass too.

Before I decided to get my forearms tattooed I thought about my present job, my desired job and any that might fall in between.

Currently I work in retail, and the store I work at has a longsleeved version of the uniform. I'm eventally going to be a highschool teacher, so other than maybe parent teacher night, visible tattoos will be fine. The inbetween jobs will probaly be retail jobs as well, and I've never heard of a place that doesn't allow a black longsleeved shirt under the uniform.

So yes, I definatly thought about the future emplyment thing long and hard before I inked my arms. That being said, I've had friends who did the same thing thinking "Nobody cares about that anymore. Any place in any town would hire me with arm tattoos." I think that attitude is less tham realistic.

I would get anything that would be covered by pants and a longsleeved shirt. Anything that would require me to wear gloves and a dickie? Not so much.

what about an ascot?

those are all the rage with the kids these days.

and yes i agree whole heartedly, my arms are getting done and I've thought the long-term repercussions out, on the whole I say go for it. Most people today are cool with it, but you may need to prove your worth a little more in the workplace. Work harder than the next guy and they'll overlook your appearance. Just don't interview with your tats showing.

i decided to never get a tattoo a judge can see.

i think a lot of it has to do with your enviroment. if you're on a one horse town having a full sleeve is going to be a bit of a problem. but if youre living in a well developed area, that has more fluxuation in the types of people that live in the area its different. in a bigger city theres more job opportunitys and demand...and those citys for the most part seem to be more accepting and used to the culture.

ive never regretted any of my tattoos. ive also taken my time with them as well. before i got my sleeve i waited a year, and my first tattoo of a pair of traditional swallows i did as well. i dunno, life is short. rent is due.

That's what Brian Setzer says. Nothing past his forearms or above his collar.

Yeah i consider myself sooo lucky with my job as a payroll assistant in a huge plastering & masonary headquarters. its the big office that the owner hangs out in and lawyers & stuff come in and here i am at the front desk with a forearm full of tattoos and an upper arm and a lightening bolt on my neck. my boss has decided to keep me for some reason. i only got the job by filling in for my friend for a few days... that turned into permanent. and that is why i am lucky.

and also that shows that some businesses have open minds & open doors.

I've never had a problem with tattoos or piercings. I've worked in retail, in a pub, for a care agency and now in a special needs school with plans to foster. I have dredlocks, nostril, lip, tongue, septum, daith pirecings, stretched lobes, a sleeve, wrist tattoo, nape piercing, foot and high back tattoo. I've never hid them and never had it brought up as in issue - which is really lucky given that the kids I work with are prone to being very violent.

I think confidence can make a difference too. If you go in with the attitude that it won't effect your ability to work, it's not taken to be one. This was even the case when I spent time following surgeons as I was interested in being a Dr and speaking to my current head teacher about teacher training. If you show professionalism beyond your appearance, that's what matters and what should be taken into account above all else.

A couple of folks in here have mentioned getting into teaching with heavy tattoos. I don't recall ever having seen a teacher with any visible tattoos, let alone something like sleeves (mind you, I spent a comparatively small amount of time in school.) I would think that there are still enough conservative administrators, and if not faculty, then certainly enough conservative parents, to end up making visible tattoos a problem for teachers.

Anyone had any experience with teaching kids while having visible tattoos, or being a student of that teacher?

-ReAct

It's not a full time teaching position, but I was a substitute teacher for about 4 years with visible tattoos. I never had a problem. Occasionally a student would ask about them and would politely remin them that it had nothing to do with their assignment.

My daughter has had several teachers with visible tattoos and she is still in grade school. Not extensive tattoos, just visible.

My teachers for my portfolio class and my ladder logic class both had visible tattoos, one was a Marine, with a Marine themed tattoo on his forearm that definitely took some time. The portfolio teacher had wrist tattoos.

I really don't think anyone noticed them, they were never mentioned and no one discussed them.

I think if you're good at teaching you'll be fine. Tattoos still carry a stigma, but not as an extreme one as they used to.

The high cut sleeve shirt we wear for work reveal my tattoos. No one has said a word to me. I also told my boss i am planning forearm tattoos and his answer was "Just keep doing your job and we won't care, just don't make it anything extremely offensive"

The original tat in this thread looks like it was drawn by SlAnG 500 before he started doing it on cars.

I used to work for a government agency and they certainly had issues at first with both my tattoos and my facial piercings. After a while they actually ASKED me to show my tattoos to the new guys coming in and the amount of ink and piercings I had no longer was an issue, they liked to have me around and knew I was a good asset for them. When I finally left my position, my bosses paid for my wrist tattoo as a goodbye gift.

Right now I want to get into teaching for a bit and the prospective boss/principal had absolutely no issues with my wrist tattoos or my Marilyn. I'm going to teach college kids, so I guess it's not exactly the same as grade school.

I am a full-time teacher, and I do have several large tattoos. If the kids ask if I have any tattoos, I'll answer truthfully, but I'll never show them. It's none of their business, and it distracts from the lesson that I'm trying to teach. None are visible in everyday work clothes, mind you, and I don't plan on wearing shorts to work to show off my tattoos.

There are several other teachers that I work with that do have visible tattoos (small wrist/ankle tattoos) that haven't had any real problems with either students, parents, or school admin.

The biggest problem I had was when they found out I model on here and thought it was a site to encourage teen suicide with hardcore porn....epic debates.

Tattoo-wise, biggest issue is the kids trying to wash them off. autism seems to block the ability to understand what a tattoo is, bless them!