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Do tattoos affect your career or future?

i wouldnt hire someone with a lot of tatoos if i wanted to keep them for a long time
it shows me that they arent very aware of the long run, and that peoples minds change as well as your thoughts on the meaning behind the tatoo

youre basically saying to an employeer that you seek instant gratification rather than being patient for it

but it also shows a lot of good qualities such as caring deeply about the phases you go through which usually means if you like what youre doing, it will show in your performance.

also depends on the people you are trying to attract/impress.
 
I know some inked people who have done VERY well, but personally my two tattoos (top of my right foot and middle of my upper back) are always covered in professional clothes (shoes can be a bitch, but a bandaid with the tight I'd wear in that sort of environment could probably cover it anyway) and unfortunately, there are people who judge. Although, as I've gotten to my mid-20s, I do appreciate body art a lot more...less so piercings now, have taken most of mine out, still have navel, tongue, right nostril, tragus, 2 lobe piercings on each ear (the first ones no longer gauged) still in but wouldn't get any more piercings at this point, and I'm sure those will come out over time too. Tattoos are forever.
 
I think one of the main issues that is polarizing for people regarding tattoos is their PERMANENCE.
Think about how fickle we really are in terms of our appearances; always changing and evolving our tastes, our likes and dislikes..we try to keep ourselves "current" with our clothing,hair, even our vocabularies..There is obviously a certain gravity to submitting yourself to something that you wont be able to change. To some people this is disconcerting and I totally understand why.
I got my tatoo when i was 19 and its still there! Some people aren't bothered by the "forever" concept and some are. But come on now they aren't "forever"( just until you leave your body...its just a body so have fun with it)
 
Some people in the world WILL be judgmental, that's how it is.
If you're worried about not being able to keep a job, make sure your tattoo is small and in a spot that can be hidden.
It also depends what type of industry you're in. Some industries will mind a lot more than others.
AND how old are you? Is there the possibility that you will change your area of work in the future? Even if you don't think so now, there is a possibility. My mom was like 30-something when she went back to school and became a teacher. Things change. If you're like 40 or something and in a steady job then it is probably okay. If you're in your 20s and don't have a steady job yet (meaning, things change! :p) then you've gotta think it through.
Personally I don't even like tattoos (I just don't find them attractive or appealing at all ... however I wouldn't "not hire" someone if they were the best candidate for the job) and would never get one. It's so permanent. It's there forever. Scary to me. But it works for others!
 
You guys think ESL teaching abroad would be the type of field that discrimiates about tats and gauges? I've got those and plan on leaving to Thailand very soon.
 
^you might scare off their students. be sure to check with the company/school you are going to work for before you go there and find no work waiting for you.
 
sssssssssss said:
i wouldnt hire someone with a lot of tatoos if i wanted to keep them for a long time
it shows me that they arent very aware of the long run, and that peoples minds change as well as your thoughts on the meaning behind the tatoo

youre basically saying to an employeer that you seek instant gratification rather than being patient for it

but it also shows a lot of good qualities such as caring deeply about the phases you go through which usually means if you like what youre doing, it will show in your performance.

also depends on the people you are trying to attract/impress.
Click to expand...

I think you should consider altering your perception somewhat..
 
Where I live, in Japan, they won't allow people in most gyms, or at the many hotsprings/resorts, if they have even a single tattoo.
I wanted one for years, but never figured out exactly what I wanted, and now I am glad that I don't have any, as my gym asked me when I joined, and we go vacationing to hotsprings all the time.
 
^very different in china. my tats get very little attention when i am there, and i actually found a few tattoo places during my last visit. not all in dark alleys, just most.
 
If I were you I wouldn't base my decisions in the one life I have on what is expected of me in society. Fuck em do what you want. Honestly in my humble opinion not even a good job is worth not doing what you want with your self. You only need so much money to thrive and if you are someone who NEEDS tons of money to stay happy then you should end it now because you'll never be happy.
 
What amazes me is the number of pretty young gals with neck tats, calf tats and hand tats....I DONT judge but wonder if at the ripe old age of 18, people are really ready to be inked forever.

I respect the commitment but wonder what happens in 20 years...

Peace
 
As long as you can cover them with a short/long sleeve shirt, then it should'nt be a problem. However, I may be a bit biased as I have two half sleeves myself.
 
it really depends on the area you live in. i live in the fucked up midwest so right now, i worry that my one large upper arm tattoo could lead some to not hire me. i'm currently looking for a job and it's way too hot for even a cardigan, as far as just walking in to a place and getting an application. a lot of the places who accept tattoos also require loads of experience or an outgoing bubbly personality, neither of which i have. when i do get a job i'm going to look into this special effects foundation that covers tattoos and scars, both of which i have some that could use covering. until then i rely on the "willing to hire the fucked up looking girl" managers. really stupid, because i know it wouldn't be such an issue in other cities. i wouldn't stick out as much there. they are more scrutinizing here. most old bastards seem to have this idea in their head of what the perfect employee would be and there are so many girls similar to me but more clean cut in ways also: art school parentally funded types who are more personable and not as fringey as i am. ie the perfect barista type. people tell me i should work in rock n roll type bars but i don't even have any bartending experience so i'll wind up as the weird cashier somewhere probably. good times! i should make an effort to befriend the lady bartenders who like me at the local dive, maybe.

of course after getting an education i assume this wouldn't be a problem at all for me, as it's just one tat and i could wear a cardigan. right now it's all a bit chaotic and unnaturally hot. i also just went off on my own tangent...
 
I've only ever heard of one place that had a strict no-tattoo policy and it was a top law firm.

If you think about it though, for the kinds of places that would mind you'd be dressed in a suit, all covered up. And the places that won't mind you'll be wearing whatever. So I wouldn't worry about it.
 
^ i worked at a ski resort for 8 years and they had a no (visible) tattoos policy for $8 an hour ticket sellers...

so it depends on the employer.

alasdair
 
Where I work, they don't care if you have tattoos/piercings at all. I work with people with tons of cool tattoos, facial piercings, even crazy-colored/cut hair.
 
I work in medicine and there is a no visible tattoo policy which works for me as it is my personal policy.
I didn't get my sleeve done until I was in my 30's. I think one should choose the location of their ink wisely regardless of vocation.
 
I have a half sleeve on my left arm but im going in the army and im getting all my medical training there so im going to wait until after i get out and get a steady job to complete my sleeve. Either way im serving our country i think i deserve to have a tattoo and still be able to have a good job
 
I have a couple of tattoos - one on my back and one on my belly. I'm a software engineer in your usual corporate officey place, but never had any problems or comments. They are easy to cover, and I do keep them covered most of the time, but yeah, no one cares. I wore an eyebrow piercing for the first year I was there, before it escaped from my face. Again, no probs.

I don't think I've ever had anyone react really negatively to them. My eyebrow piercing had to come out while I was working in a few places (Pizza Hut, hotels, that sort of thing), but that was just policy.

I can't think of anyone I know who's super successful who has a lot of tattoos, but I don't think it can be that big a deal for most jobs. It shouldn't be -- sure, some people will have a knee jerk reaction of "eek, looks rough" but we've all had that - when you think someone looks like a dodgy fucker then they turn out to be perfectly fine.
 
i dont think that its a wise move for people to have visible tats or huge piercings in a work place, even though the places I work are full of tatto junkies and punk piercings... it is just a mentality that most people have against it
 
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