Hi. It's been a while since I've had to look for new employment. I've spent 15 years as a legal assistant at a very corporate law firm and 6 years as HR for a notoriously liberal employer. I have some tattoos on my arms and I have a small piercing on my nose. If I was interested in going back to the corporate sector, do you think my tattoos and piercing would disqualify me? Thanks!
A tattoo shouldn't disqualify you from a job it's about work ethic and how you handle yourself professionally .
It depends I would not believe so it's should be about work ethic and how you handle yourself personally. But some corporations do frown on those things but a tattoo does not make you unprofessional.
Yes it would
They could. It depends on the tattoos and the discretion of the employer. I have tattoos also but mine are in relatively inconspicuous areas ie my legs and back. As a courtesy I always ensure they are covered or mostly covered which is to say I wear slacks, pants or skirts long enough to pass my calves. I hope this helps.
My nose is pierced as well. But personally, I would wait until I was hired, and then yes I would display. I worked for an Attorney that is now Partner in a large firm. She had several piercing in on of her ears, but every now and then she would show her tattoos. I saw her on facebook, and she has tattoos all over her shoulders, which I love, but I would wait until I got the job.
I worked for conservative corporate real estate. One guy with tats on his arms always wore long sleeves. One lady had a small tat on her ankle. One lady had a tramp stamp on her back side you might notice along w her thong showing thru. One young lady had a small nose stud. That's actually all I've seen in my 36 yrs at work. This was in LA.... where are you located? My daughter found out absolutely NO tattoos allowed on Hawaiian Airlines flight attendants just FYI. In your job search you should ask the recruiters you speak with about it. They were really strict with me interviewing about no jewelry - no "distractions." don't have any tats and it's never been mentioned to me but i have heard of smoke- free jobs. Well you may be in for a shock these days when you can't find a decent place to work...who knows what these rude and unprofessional interviewers are thinking disqualifies us.
Janice, it isn't often that I will admit to youthful indiscretions but when I was coming of age Cher was very popular therefore I got my "cheeks" tattooed so I could be just like her. Today, unless it is offensive or racist, body art no longer makes you automatically unemployable. Keeping them covered until you obtain employment may slightly increase your chances but having a tattoo, a piercing or a purple mohawk will not alter your talent, experience and work ethic. I wish you well. On a personal note, aside from the cheeks, I also have a tattoo on my hip, another on my stomach that covers radiation treatment tattoos and my right ear has multiple piercings. Good for you and don't let anyone hold you back.
Emily pretty much covered (no pun intended) it! I have a tattoo as well, but I made sure it was in an area where it can only be seen when I want it to be seen.
Oh Janice, I forgot there's another option I didn't list! They actually make some pretty boss tattoo-covering make-up these days. They seem to cost around $30 and a few different companies make them. I was in an opera with a guy who had a giant chest-piece and had to use makeup to cover it and it really worked well! Here's a great article about it: http://www.instyle.com/how-tos/cover-tattoos-with-makeup
My last job was at a huge company that was extremely corporate. There was a manager there whose entire arms were covered in tattoos. I also had my eyes examined the other day, and the doctor's hand was tattooed. Then there's a librarian at my local library, who has green hair. So I don't know how much this matters nowadays.