<p>In fact, judging by this article, perhaps middle aged and older people should be getting tattoos so as to have employers think you’re younger than you are. </p>
<p>" While more than 14.5 million Americans are out of work, tattoos are becoming less of an obstacle to finding employment, according to a Challenger Gray Christmas report released earlier this week…</p>
<p>[T]]oday, tattooing has become so common employers are increasingly forced to choose between rejecting inked employees or having a severely limited job candidate pool, said John A. Challenger, CEO of the outplacement firm.</p>
<p>“Today, even in this tight job market, most companies are not going to view tattoos too harshly,” he said. “One reason is that with everyone from soccer moms to MIT computer science graduates sporting tattoos, preconceptions about tattooed individuals are no longer valid. Secondly, and more importantly, companies have a vested interest in hiring the most qualified candidate.”</p>
<p>According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, more than 45 million Americans have at least one tattoo. The younger you look, the more ink you’ll find. Only 15 percent of Baby Boomers have tattoos, while 32 percent of Gen X and 38 percent of Millennials have body art, according to a 2010 Pew Research Center study. Half of those tattooed Millennials say they have two to five tattoos. …"</p>
<p>This does not surprise me at all, although it would shock my in-laws. It seems we’ve reached a tipping point of sorts. </p>
<p>Having said that, my 18 year old is considering getting a tattoo and he told us that he’s planning on having it put on his upper arm so that it cannot be scene in a short sleeve dress shirt or t-shirt. He doesn’t want to limit future opportunities if the person doing the hiring or deciding on a grant has a bias against tattoos.</p>
<p>My son has tattoos - more than one. I hate the things. One thing we did ask him to do is make sure any he has are covered by a short sleeve shirt. He has done so. A local police officer he was talking to was having laser treatment to try and remove tattoos on his lower arms as he is not allowed to wear a short sleeve shirt on duty because of the tattoos. That probably had more impact than anything we said.</p>
Depends on who is doing the hiring. I know our office won’t hire anybody with a large, visible tattoo. We are a professional office and deal with clients. Not worth the risk of offending them. A small one on the ankle, or something not visible would be fine. But a young lady walked into an interview with large tattoos all down her arm. She was not hired in spite of her credentials. Why would we, when there were many others with the same credentials who did not feel a need to come in looking like that?</p>
<p>When I see someone in a service position with a visible tattoo, I usually go to them for help if there’s a choice. I figure that this person must be very competent if they have been hired for a professional position in spite of their body art. It’s usually the case in my experience.</p>
<p>Where I work, a mid size community Hospital, there is one small department, that makes all of the employees that have tatoos, cover them up. They have to wear long sleeves if tatoo is on arm, ace wraps if on leg and arms if visible. I personally think more attention is drawn to the oddity of a bandage, the the actual tatoo.</p>
<p>nsm: can you provide the link to the original article? need to send to a friend who is “freaking out” about the tatoo her daughter just came home with…</p>
<p>if tatoos are becoming politically correct, it’s time for me to move…they really reek trashy for me; guess I’ll have to adjust…</p>
<p>I have 2 myself and have not had a problem in the workplace. In fact, it’s interesting how many people come out of the closet about their own tattoos when they see mine.</p>
<p>It always surprises me that people who eat only organically grown food, don’t eat meat, don’t spray ant spray because of fear of contamination with pesticides, or are even fearful of mercury in fillings or additives in vaccines, will have ink injected under their skin permanently by someone in a questionable tattoo parlor. </p>
<p>My b-i-law had a giant panther on his arm. Well it was a panther when he was slim. But when he put on lots of weight, that panther turned into a black blob.</p>
<p>I just find most tattoos are rather ugly. I get why people want them and why they have them, but I wish people had better taste, I guess. Or that tattoo artists/designers were more talented.</p>
<p>Tattoos have definitely lost a lot of their social stigma. This was driven home to me when I worked in an office and all the middle-aged, fairly conservative (in behavior) women there were always showing off their new tattoos of fairies, angels, their kids’ baby footprints, etc.</p>
<p>I’ve seen a lot of ugly tattoos, but also some fantastic ones. I wouldn’t mind getting a small one someday, when I can actually afford it.</p>
<p>S1 has three tattooes. I always told him not to do it but he’s an adult and makes his own decisons. He did not consult me before doing it and there was nothing to be said/done after the fact. He’s the one who has to keep them the rest of his life,not me.</p>
<p>All of them on his abdomen/ribcage so they aren’t visible unless he has his shirt off. He is smart enough to know that someday it might make a difference. They are black/gray…no bright colors.</p>
<p>DH’s Dad passed away in April. S1 could not come and be with the family due to his job.
He felt badly. So in memory of his GrandDad, S1 had a portrait tattoo of him put on his side. The portrait is of Grandpa in his U.S. Navy uniform (WWII era).
Tattooes are very big in the job culture S1 works in. S1 is an officer in the Navy…just like his Grandpa. The other tat is USN. The third pays homage to his college.</p>
<p>MomOfWildChild and Naturally (and anyone else who has or wants a tattoo): Can you share why? Just curious. D (17 year old soon to be college freshman) has said she wants one for about a year, but in a way that makes me think she is still deciding whether she REALLY wants one. The intereting thing is that as tattoos become more socially acceptable I think they will lose some of their appeal (at least for people like my D, for whom at least a part of the attraction of a tattoo now is that it is sort of a counter-culture statement).</p>
<p>I work three different jobs, and all of my bosses even have tattoos. In fact, one of my bosses helped design my tattoo and is probably going to help me on my next. </p>
<p>My parents still don’t really like tattoos, but have become more accepting since I have one and most of my friends have some. </p>
<p>I still have mine where they are not normally visible. By the time my kids’ generation comes into the workforce, it will be acceptable to have visible tattoos.</p>
<p>The same reason people get their ears pierced–it’s a neat bit of personalized body art. Obviously, you should be more selective about what tattoo you get versus earrings since you can’t “take it off.” But the principle is the same. </p>
<p>Instead of telling your kids “don’t get tattoos”, I recommend giving them perspectives on what KIND of tattoos it’s a bad idea to get. For example:</p>
<p>If they want to be in a job where visible tattoos will hold them back, get them in a “hidden” area. </p>
<p>Do NOT get a tattoo of a boyfriend/girlfriend’s name (it will be embarrassing when you break up) or a rock band name (your tastes willl change). </p>
<p>Don’t get something that a lot of people will find offensive, like a hand in the “flipping off” position. (Unless it is REALLY REALLY well hidden. And even then, it’s probably a bad idea.)</p>
<p>And for God’s sake, research tattoo artists so you find one who is actually GOOD. </p>
<p>At the very least, make sure they know how to spell, so you don’t end up with something like this:</p>
It’s usually the case in my experience.</p>![http://www.omgsoysauce.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/misspelled-tattoos-stupid-funny-pictures-9.jpg[/url]](http://www.omgsoysauce.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/misspelled-tattoos-stupid-funny-pictures-9.jpg%5B/url%5D){kind=link}
![http://www.omgsoysauce.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/misspelled-tattoos-stupid-funny-pictures-4.jpg[/url]](http://www.omgsoysauce.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/misspelled-tattoos-stupid-funny-pictures-4.jpg%5B/url%5D){kind=link}
![http://www.omgsoysauce.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/misspelled-tattoos-stupid-funny-pictures-11.jpg[/url]](http://www.omgsoysauce.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/misspelled-tattoos-stupid-funny-pictures-11.jpg%5B/url%5D){kind=link}
