Can having tattoos affect my career?

Tattoos are pretty much everywhere. We can say that we live in a world where having a tattoo is considered “normal”. Of course, this depends on where you live, but, in most countries, you will not be looked at differently if you have a visible tattoo; it’s acceptable to have one. However, needs to be taken with a grain of salt – if you have neck or face tattoos, people will probably stare.

But, how does this reflect on your professional life? Will you be looked over because of those? Can having tattoos really affect your career?

Rules & Restrictions

Generally speaking, most big companies don’t really mind their workers having tattoos. The hiring managers and recruiters usually focus on your suitability for the role. Mainly, they should look at your qualifications, skills, experience, and personality here. They need to see if you’d fit their team, but if you have a bunch of tattoos, that should not be taken against you.

However, whether a company is okay with tattoos or not really depends not only on the company culture and policies but also individual position you are applying for.

There are some professions that have a “no visible tattoos” policy and that is usually clearly stated in the job requirements. While those of us with tattoos might think it’s ridiculous, older generations and those without tattoos might disagree.

Most commonly, those professions are:

• Airline cabin crew
• Healthcare professionals
• Police officers
• Law firms
• Public schools
• Military

Thinking of a tattoo?

If you are thinking of getting (another) tattoo and you’re concerned whether it will affect your status in the job labor market, consider getting the tattoo at a place where potential clients will not be able to see it.

If it’s at your arm, you should be okay at most companies since this is not actually considered “unusual” any more.

However, try to avoid the face, neck, and fists.

Also, try thinking long-term when choosing a design. Surely, you know this and you are aware are constantly reminded of the longevity of a tattoo, but this is from a different perspective. If a design can seem offensive in any way to anyone, try adjusting it so it is not.

Besides, keep in mind times are a-changing! The perception of tattoos changes literally daily. A study from 2014 in which 70% of employers say they are less likely to hire a tattooed candidate is not relevant at the present day. Because more and more people are getting inked, employers have to adjust to the current trends.

Well, there has been a lot of research about it and, it turns out, there is no proof having a tattoo leads to employment discrimination or lower wages. When it comes to interviews, it is better not to cover up your tattoos, as it may seem you’re hiding something. Let the visible tattoos be visible so there are no surprises later on.

We encourage you not to give up on getting a tattoo if you really want it. That is a part of your self-expression and no employer should ignore you because of that. We are convinced you will find a company that will be fully accepting of you. And you should not settle for less!

There are plenty of remote jobs as well and no one will care if you have a tattoo or not. You just need to see what’s out there and start applying. Remote jobs have been growing in popularity since the pandemic so you have better chances of landing something now than ever before.

What if your CV is slowing you down, and not the fact you have a tattoo?

If you feel like it’s the CV that’s slowing you down, you can submit it for a free review. We’ll take a look and give personalized feedback with tips on what to improve.

You can also get in touch here and let us take care of it. However, if you’d like to give it a go yourself, we’ve got just the thing for you: a step-by-step CV writing guide that will teach you how to write CVs that bring results. Order yours here.

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