Tattoos still not accepted at work
September 1, 2011
According to a recent Pew Research study, four in 10 people ages 18-29 have at least one tattoo. Fifteen percent of 18-25 year olds think that the increase of people being tattooed has caused a positive impact in our society. That overwhelming fact has people all over the world stopping to think. It appears that tattoos are becoming socially acceptable, but can they prevent students from getting jobs?
UNA student Mac Pylant, who has twelve tattoos, said, “The thought of being able to permanently get something was exciting. When I was younger, several people I looked up to were getting inked. It was interesting to see what things you can get to remind you of who you once were and the phases of life you’ve gone through.”
Pylant believes that tattoos will not hurt job chances the way that they once did as society comes to better accept tattoos.
“Some people are very old school in their ways and prefer to not associate with people with tattoos,” he said. “But as the world is evolving I think people will be more accepting of them and the different types of people who get them. We should be open, not closed-minded.”
UNA student Jennifer Cravens believes that tattoos pose no problems in larger cities.
“Having visible tattoos and getting a job locally would be a problem, but in areas like New York and Michigan it wouldn’t be,” she said. “People are totally open-minded there.”
Many institutions have policies regarding tattoos.
“Here at Bank Independent, we have a very conservative dress code,” said Patricia Hartley, employee relations officer at Bank Independent in Florence. “Not to say that our employees can’t have tattoos, but they must remain hidden.”
She also stated that potential employees are given a copy of the dress code before their interview.
“If they can’t follow the rules of the dress code when they show up for an interview, there is a strong chance they won’t get the job,” she said.