Do Visible Tattoos Cost Students Jobs?

Barton Silverman/The New York Times

TAMPA – Thirty-six percent of 18 to 29 year olds have tattoos.

Though getting inked has become more accepted, there is still an ongoing debate about tattoos in the workplace.

Every business has different guidelines regarding permanent body art.

Lisa Brock, adjunct professor at UT and principal of Brock Communications does not hire people with visible tattoos.

“At Brock Communications, tattoos must be hidden. It is not the brand image I want to reflect and my clients, for the most part, are not comfortable with them either,” she said. “At any rate, this is a good subject to research before you interview. Tattoo expression and adornment is clearly a statement of this generation but it doesn’t belong in my work place.”

However, a company without a tattoo policy still may not encourage visible tattoos.

It is important for students to consider job prospects before making the decision.

Freshman Kyle Kempinski has a cross design on his back where it wouldn’t be seen during an interview.

However, he does not believe that employers should turn people away because of body art.

“Having a tattoo should not be judged as a ‘bad’ thing in any way,” he said.

Junior Shane Armbrister agrees. “If someone is the best candidate for a job, then they should absolutely get hired, regardless if they have a tattoo showing,” he said.

Though his tattoo is not in a visible location, he would not let a potential job affect his decision about getting another one.

He feels that an employer that would judge him based on his appearance would be “losing the opportunity for a good employee.”

For some students the decision is contingent upon the particular job.

“Whoever is best for the position… should be hired, but you also want someone who can represent your company positively and respectfully,” senior Shannon Navarro said.

“Tattoos can be distracting and inappropriate.”

Navarro would never consider getting a tattoo.

“As a performer, my body is my instrument. I don’t want anything that’s going to stop me from a getting a part in a show,” she said.

“I have to be a blank canvas.”

Though senior Erin Branzell considered future employers before getting a tattoo, she put herself first when making the decision.

Branzell has “hello beautiful” in her own handwriting tattooed on her forearm.

“I pretty much decided that any job that would turn me away because of my tattoo wasn’t a job I wanted to have,” she said.

“A future employer’s opinion is never going to trump what I feel is appropriate to put on my body.”

Junior Verner Dsouza doesn’t have a tattoo, but he plans on getting one someday.

Dsouza believes that tattoos can be a form of self-expression.

His opinion about tattoos in the workplace is also varied.

Dsouza would understand if an employer chose not to hire someone with tattoos all over their body.

“But I think employers should ask about the reasoning behind those tattoos before make assumptions about them,” he said.

Dsouza wants his future tattoo to be significant to him.

“My tattoo is going to be engraved ‘believe’ on my right chest, and it’s going to be in reversed font, so I can only read it when facing a mirror,” he said.

“That’s the first thing I want to see at the beginning of my day. It’s a form of motivation.”