Will your job accept your ink?

Job discrimination against individuals with tattoos is an issue that many fail to take action on. It is common knowledge that landing a job is mainly based on your interview. But what if something were to alter the interviewer’s perception of the interviewee? Ink on the body could lead to a biased interview. Resulting in not being hired due to tattoos because it is seen as unprofessional and unacceptable in the work area.

Job discrimination against individuals with tattoos is an issue that many fail to take action on. It is common knowledge that landing a job is mainly based on your interview. But what if something were to alter the interviewer’s perception of the interviewee? Ink on the body could lead to a biased interview. Resulting in not being hired due to tattoos because it is seen as unprofessional and unacceptable in the work area.

Should people with visible tattoos be seen as less professional than people with no tattoos? Should people with tattoos be rejected from job opportunities? This is a controversial topic that many people battle with.

Society is ever-changing. There was a time when tattoos were tied with gangsters, bikers and criminals. It was considered a negative stigma unless you were “one of them.”

Nowadays, our skin is seen as a beautiful open canvas for meaningful or spontaneous ink. According to the National Public Radio, “A Harris poll in 2012 found that one out of every five adults — 21 percent — have at least one tattoo. An earlier Pew Research Center study found that the number was closer to 40 percent among the ages 18 to 29.” Even though it is becoming more appreciated in the 21st century, it is still looked down upon while applying for certain jobs.

There are many things to consider: what the tattoo is, where it is placed, how many you have and what job you are trying to obtain. However, it does not make a person less professional and intelligent as someone who has an unmarked body to begin with. 

Tattoos are a form of art that holds an amazing power to represent emotions, stories, life or death, individuality and more.

People should be able to feel comfortable in their workspace without the social stigma. Having a tattoo literally changes your career and how people view you. The cliché saying “don’t judge a book by its cover” could not be any more relevant in this situation.

It is one thing when a job rejects you based on your appearance of tattoos, and another when someone questions the ink you happily chose to have on your body forever.  Even though many jobs are becoming more lenient and accepting towards tattoos- as long as they are not offensive- job discrimination is still happening behind closed doors.  

Do not let this stop you from marking your skin. Intelligence and professional ability should not be tied to having tattoos. Society should not generalize an entire group for the art they wish to bear upon their skin.