Think about the ink

I first published this article a few months ago but decided to republish following a couple of conversations yesterday that both included the Tattoo Conundrum.

The first was from a tattooed friend telling me that she spends time before an interview trying to gauge what to do with her tattoos. Her tattoos are on her legs and on a warm Queensland summer days a skirt is more preferable than trousers, and stockings are well ..No.

Her words "I don't want people to make a decision on me due to tattoos or misconception, I want them to make a decision about my skills and abilities so I think about how I can cover"

The second conversation was with a recruiter who said "Call me old fashioned but Tattoos do make a difference to my decision making"

So thinking about the inking is worthwhile

Before I start, let me tell you I am a 53 year old cleanskin so this is just an opinion, not necessarily correct but an opinion nonetheless.

Tattoos are becoming more and more common. Once the domain of the few, bikies and pirates, body art has gone mainstream. Even grandmas have hearts and butterflies on their bums. People want to express themselves in a way that shows off their uniqueness and creativity.

Employers don’t necessarily want to stop or control individuality. But the truth is that tattoos present a conundrum for employers. Although they don’t want to stop self-expression they do want to retain a certain level of decorum.

A tattoo isn’t a bad thing but does it fit with the companies’ dress code?

Then there’s the matter of what the tattoos represent. A tattoo featuring a naked woman might be less confronting than a tattoo of their childs name.

Companies can and do decide not to recruit if they feel that an applicant is showing too much ink, or if the subject matter is inappropriate or offensive. If the role has customer-facing responsibilities, the employer may not wish to place somebody with visible tattoos in such a position.

I understand that those of you with tattoos might find this annoying, or even offensive but it’s simply true I am not judging just informing. 

What (and where) you decide to display on your body makes an impression after all that’s why you had the tattoo in the first place.

So, what do you do if you have a passion for ink, but need to apply for a job?

• Know the culture of where you’re interviewing. Some companies may not care. Modern bars, restaurants retail fashion may view having tattoos as some kind of asset. Startup IT/Tech companies may have no dress code at all and not care a jot about appearance. On the other hand, a corporate consultancy with significant client interaction may not want to know that you've got a tattoo.
• Cover up during the interview. If you’ve inked your arms, make sure you wear long sleeves. If you have tattoos on your upper chest, wear a shirt that covers completely. Let the focus be on you and your skills after all that is what you are being interviewed about.
• When you start just take a day or two, watch what everybody else does and follow suit. If the employees wear short sleeves and show off arm tattoos, it’s probably OK for you to do the same. Follow the lead of your new colleagues.
• Think twice before getting that tattoo somewhere on your body that you can’t cover up. Those that know me understand that I appreciate personal expression, but remember every decision a person makes has consequences, and this is no exception.

Tattoos up the neck and onto the face, or on the hands, are near impossible to cover tactfully. Once you’ve made the decision to place ink somewhere you can’t hide it, you – rightly or not – may have limited your career options. It may not be fair, but it’s reality.

A recent survey asked “Would you recruit a candidate with a visible tattoo” 

These are the answers 

…………………………………….Interesting

The other bit........

Orange Collar is an Oil & Gas, Mining & Metals, Civils & Construction Hub covering the whole of Australia. Our team of specialised professionals are globally respected and offer no-nonsense recruitment, professionally written resumes, unique DIY Resume packages and results focused HR Consultancy. Register at www.orangecollar.com.au

Send you resume direct to me Mark Daniel for a free, confidential no obligation resume analysis. [email protected]

My feedback is honest and to the point and sent in a voice file so you can listen, rewind and consider at your leisure.

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