Tattoos, Piercings and the Art of Your Body
In the spirit of full disclosure, I will admit that I have two tattoos. My husband also has two. So, it’s safe to say that I am not uber conservative. We all make choices. Granted, I decided to get my first tattoo on my 30th birthday. Neither of my tattoos is in conspicuous places. One is never seen unless I am wearing a backless dress or a bikini. The other is generally seen if I wear something sleeveless.
Recently a friend told me a story that made me think about my tattoos – something I rarely do. She told me about someone that she knows whose son just got his third tattoo. So what? You are thinking. Well, the son is only 15! I am not commenting here on someone else’s parenting skills, but on other things – namely:
- What happens if he decides that the tattoos he got at 15 are no longer cool at 20 or 25? He could certainly have his ‘ink’ removed. From my understanding though, the minor annoyance of getting the tattoo hardly compares to the removal process, which is far more painful and time consuming.
- What happens if his chosen vocation is in a conservative industry or company? Likely he will not be able to wear short sleeves to work. Worse, maybe a company won’t consider hiring him. Sure things have gotten more relaxed; but there are people and places that will certainly discriminate based on your ‘art’.
The point is that you do not know where your career path will take you. All things must be considered. Obviously I have no problem with tattoos! Just like you should be careful about what you write on your Facebook page and the pictures you post on My Space, so too should you be careful about the body art you choose. I don’t believe a 15 year-old is mature enough to decide whether he wants a tattoo. I am sure he hasn’t given any thought to his long-term career plan. Why would he? He’s only 15! The same thing applies for piercings. Walking around with that bone ring through your forehead will get more stares than job offers.
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Ultimately it is not about the tattoo, but the choices you make regarding your overall career plan. You need to establish and maintain your positive brand. Image is important. Think before you ‘ink’ – especially in places that might inhibit your career success.
This blog's author, Debra Wheatman of Careers Done Write, provides executive career services including resume and cover letter preparation, job search / interviewing strategies and professional branding including how to effectively use LinkedIn, Twitter and other social media in your career.
Visit CareersDoneWrite.com to learn more about how we can put your career in gear with interview catching resumes and professionally written career documents.