Thursday, November 19, 2015

The Tattoo doesn't kill the Job Opportunity

Ross Thomson
Mr. Reuter
Economics B4
18 November 2015
The Tattoo Doesn’t Kill the Job Opportunity
There is a very well known saying that a tattoo will be a final decision as to if you get the job or not; basically if you have any sort of ink on your skin you are exempt from getting a job because it isn’t possible. Yet society today often consists of people challenging social normality and being an individual, and there is definitely no shortage on that; what doesn't say individuality like a tattoo?
As today’s society makes its move towards individualism, companies are able to focus more on what matters, who is going to be the best at doing the job which the person is being hired. Due to tattoos being in high demand with a 15% increase in people employed with tattoos over the past decade, consumers are able to really show that the ink in your skin really isn’t going to ruin your life.
Yet today many still consider a tattoo to be an Inferior Good studies show that many people who have a lower income are not actually in this situation because of the ink on their skin as much as it is the individual as a person itself. Studies have shown in the past that tattoos are generally on the skin of people who are more of risk takers or people who make bad choices; bad choices generally lead to things which don’t allow you to achieve success. This means that the stereotype of tattoos leading to unemployment isn’t completely because of the ink itself but the person who had not made the right choices.
While the lower income people with tattoos cause the stereotype on this elastic product, there are still employer that may actually take your tattoo into account. The most important thing in a work environment is professionalism, generally people will put tattoo’s where they can be concealed so that they are able to look completely professional if need be and this will definitely help you secure a job but other things about tattoos are taken into account as well. Another primary deciding factor on a tattoo is it’s actual meaning, this is important because there is a huge difference between a person with a tattoos of their mom’s birthday and a person with a tattoo of an upside down cross on their forehead. If a tattoo isn't appropriate for a professional workplace, sometimes people simply cannot be hired, because if you wish to have a good relationship between employees and customers, and patients, you need some level of professionalism to establish that initial bond.
Basically, a tattoo isn’t going to ruin your life or make a huge impact on your job if it isn't too much. So make the right choice about a tattoo and don’t allow it to affect professionalism in the workplace.



Works Cited
Orszag, Peter. "What Tattoos Tell Us About the Economy." BloombergView.com. Peter R Orszag, 7 Oct. 2014. Web. 18 Nov. 2015.
Hennessy, Rachel. "Tattoos No Longer A Kiss Of Death In The Workplace." Forbes. Forbes Magazine, 27 Feb. 2013. Web. 18 Nov. 2015.

42 comments:

  1. It's interesting especially in our society that a tattoo can decide whether you get a job or not. I know someone who was going to be in the Navy, but she had a small tattoo on her wrist that could be seen when in uniform so she was unable to join. I do not believe that a tattoo should be something that keeps you from a job. Many people with tattoos have to settle in the job force and are under employed because they might be overqualified for he job, but are unable to get other jobs they might be more qualified to do. So it is a good idea not to get tattoos that are viable because it could greatly affect your life.

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  2. I totally agree that tattoos should not effect your job opportunities, and employers need to realize that tattoos really aren't that bad. The majority of people who get tattoos get them because they have a special meaning to them; for me, I will only get a tattoo if it means something to me - not just because it looks cool. However, even if someone were to get a tattoo just because it's aesthetically pleasing, doesn't mean that they shouldn't be hired. People should be hired based on their skills, and how well they will be able to use their skills to help the consumer. Nevertheless, most tattoos are able to be hidden, so that anyone who might be offended by the tattoo will not be subjected to it. The stereotype regarding people with tattoos is for the most part not true these days, and more and more people are starting to get tattoos that are meaningful, yet tasteful. Overall, very interesting topic!

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  3. I agree a tattoo isn't going to ruin your chance of getting a job at all. There are plenty of people employed with tattoos in various positions. Most of the time they're covered up anyways and if they're not so what it isn't the end of the world. With personal experience of having a tattoo and being employed it doesn't affect most people at all. Tattoos are supposed to be a representation of someones creativity/ mind. It shows the things he or she has done or has went through. No two tattoos are the same. Most of the people that say you can't get a job if you have a tattoo are the ones with out them. Meaning they've never really tried anything "different" but is a normal thing in life to most people. They should experience it first then say something about it.

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  4. Tattoos are a growing demand in our world today, and I think employers are beginning to understand that. I think they are completely fine as long as they can be concealed to some extent, but that factor lies entirely on the job. Getting a good job is hard enough for some people as it is, so having tattoos all up your arms will most likely give you a more negative stereotype which will not help you as much in an interview. Like you said, what it actually is is a large part of what message it sends about you as a person.

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  5. This is a very interesting topic, as tattoos affect whether or not someone could get a job, which is a huge factor for those in unemployment, trying to get a job. While tattoos aren't always bad, they are just assumed to be bad, and intimidate the manager or owner that is reviewing the applicant. However, how is there a shortage of people challenging normality? This doesn't totally make sense, since there is no product in question, but just the amount of 'consumers' interested in challenging normality, and not just the product of tattoos which is implied. Also, how do low income people make this an elastic product, if the low income people are purchasing them which seems to be implied?

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  6. I have always been told, that tattoo's and piercing's will effect what type of job you can get, but as we grow up you see body modifications everywhere. It is interesting for someone to finally look at the statistics of it. It makes sense that it is not the ink but rather who the ink is on and until the recent change in societies view of tattoo's, they were perceived to only be on sketchy people. It is reassuring that this specific elastic good will not ruin my life if I decide to get a tattoo. Also it is impressive that the increase of employees with tattoo's is 15%

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  7. This is a very interesting topic. I think it's great and totally okay if workers anywhere have tattoos, if it's appropriate. If tattoos have a higher demand, what would cause them to still cost a lot of money? I feel like the price of getting a tattoo has not changed much at all. A reason a tattoo costs a lot might be because they are trying to get people to make a conscious decision and make them think, "because I'm spending a lot of money, I should probably really think this over". The biggest factor for deciding a tattoo is the job, which sucks because like you said it shows individuality. I agree that with getting a tattoo you should do it because it's expressing yourself, however you should also maintain a professional look.

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  8. I like the position you took and the outlook you gave on tattoos. I know many parents are always telling kids around our age to not get tattoos because they will ruin your chances at a job in the future. This shouldn't be the case. If an individual is good at their specific job then it shouldn't matter their appearance. The job market has a surplus of job availability and is hiring people based on skill. Recently our country has a big availability of job due to the extremely low unemployment rate. It doesn't surprise me to see the increase in demand for tattoos. Being a senior at PHS, our classmates are turning 18 all the time. One of the biggest conversations I hear is the talk about getting a tattoo. I feel like the tattoo market is directed at our generation, and we are the biggest consumers of this service. I am turning 18 in 7 days, and I don't think I will get a a tattoo, but I know a big handful of my friends who are going to get one , and it makes me realize how big of a demand tattoos are.

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  9. I agree that tattoos are getting a lot more popular nowadays compared to previous years. However, there are still people who believe that tattoos can be a disadvantage when trying to get a job. I agree with you when you say it depends on what type of tattoo you have and where it's located. Tattoos give people insight to who you are as a person and if the tattoo gives you a negative reputation than it can hold you back from getting a job but just because someone has tattoos doesn't mean they are any less capable of getting a job than an average non-tattooed person. Interesting topic!

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  10. I don’t think a tattoo should be the deciding factor of weather you get a job or not. Now that isn’t to say that companies should hire just anyone, I mean if someone has a vulgar tattoo, that’s just a bad personal decision, but if someone has a tattoo of their kids names or something that’s just sentimental to them, that shouldn’t affect their credibility for getting a job. It also depends for what kind of job you’re applying for, I mean if you’re going to be a doctor, it’s probably not a good idea to get full sleeves done. Doctors need to be professional, and those kinds of tattoos aren’t a very professional choice of tattoo. So for that particular profession a more discreet tattoo maybe a better choice. Good topic!

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  11. Great topic I actually know a few people who want to get a tattoo but consider the opportunity cost to be too high, even though in many places inked people may be accepted for a job, there are still many other places where they aren't. I also agree with what you mentioned earlier what we get tattooed says a lot about us.

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  12. I've always believed that it was the type of tattoo that affected your future. You mentioned something about if a tattoo has meaning or not. I've always viewed it like this, a tattoo that is meaningful and not obscene will have no negative effect on your future. Whereas, if it lacks either of those qualities, that is where it starts to affect your possibilities.

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  13. Tattoo popularity is definitely increasing, so it makes sense that they are becoming a social norm. This increase in demand has also been able to employ more Americans while not leading to a surplus of tattoo artists, so the growth may be attributed to the shear growth of our nation's population.

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  14. Having a tattoo shouldn't even make a difference in being hired or not. For example if you are the worlds best brain surgeon and you have a tattoo on your forearm, are they going to deny you the job? Having a tattoo shows off your creativity and your artistic side, having a tattoo shows you can handle pain and hardships in life. Also you have that tattoo for the rest of your life unless you get in covered up or laser removed. Jobs need to start hiring people for their skills and not their looks.

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  15. "the demand with a 15% increase in people employed with tattoos over the past decade" I wonder if the demand will increase or decrease as our generation enters the workforce? If everyone had a mindset like you, especially employers, a social revolution could change opinions about tattoos and the demand would definitely increase. An increase in demand would probably spark an increase in supply and tattoo parlors would become more successful and abundant. Personally, I think tattoos do not affect performance in the workplace, but I agree that they could potentially affect professionalism,.

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  16. Tattoo's shouldn't be a deciding factor to whether you get a job or not. People who get tattoos typically get them because of their own personal interest. Just because someone has tattoos doesn't automatically make them a bad person. It just shows that they like to express them self as an individual. If employers take that into account you should most likely not even want to work for them. Overall, I thought this was extremely interesting because it's something I've never thought about.

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  17. I agree that having a tattoo should not affect you getting a job. Having a tattoo does not take away from the type of person you are and how hard you can work. I know someone that has a lot of tattoos but he got them in certain places so when he is at work people can not see them and you mentioned that the placing and the meaning behind it has an affect on getting a job or not.

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  18. I feel like our society is moving more towards excepting all things. My grandparents still hate tattoos and they think that the people that have them are low class. But my mom has two tattoos that she can hide at work and it doesn't make a big difference. She also doesn't care if we get one now that society is more accepting of them. I don't think that a tattoo should determine if you get a job or not it is just another way of showing others who you are by how you express yourself.

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  19. I find this topic interesting because personally, tattoo's should not be a 'deciding factor' to whether or not someone gets a job. Yes, there can be tastefully done tattoos that won't draw so much attention to distract from the professionalism, and yes, there are tattoos that can be rude or offensive to someone in a workplace. This is why the Millennials are pushing back that stereotypical wall, we can see that tattoos and piercings and such do not take away from the skills or assets someone possesses, the only difference between someone with tattoos and without them is the ink on their skin.

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  20. Having a tattoo does not determine who a person is. There is always going to be that stereotype but that doesn't necessarily make that person bad and have the wrong ideas. I don't feel that it is right to hire someone based on the ink they have on their skin. However, right now it seems like the demand for tattoos are increasing, so the companies hiring are going to have to start looking more at the skills that person has to offer than judging them on appearance.

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  21. I think this is an interesting topic. I have been considering getting a tattoo lately, but I have this mind set that I have to be able to hide it for professional reasons however I do not think that is fair. If someone wants to get tattoos and have the right qualifications for a job they should be able to. In our society there is defiantly a higher demand for tattoos and I feel like that is because we are becoming more accepting of tattoos despite the stereotype. I do believe that the only thing to judge is how obscene the tattoo is. For example face tattoos are a little extreme, however people the consumer of tattoos should have the right to get a job. People without tattoos judge people with tattoos, but people with tattoos don't judge people who don't have tattoos. I hope that this mantel can be broken and the demand for this service will grow so that more people can express themselves.

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  22. I think your topic is really unique and interesting. I definitely agree that there is a trend of causality entering the professional business world. I think this is a great thing as the traditional, strict formal characteristics seem to just be burden and even a distraction from tasks at hand. I think they are useful for first impressions but not necessary for everyday interaction. History of work ethic overall ability should be the main deciding factors, not whether a a person has a tattoo.

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  23. The number of people who are choosing to get a tattoo are rising and maybe one day so many people will have tattoo's that it won't be considered taboo to have them and many people who have them get them to represent something important to them and have a deeper meaning then what you see on the skin. The fact people turn down qualified and skilled workers because they have a tattoo is crazy.

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  24. I totally agree with what you are saying in this article. However, to some extent, I do believe it shouldn't matter on what you wear. It is a symbol or a meaning of who you are. I use to work a CSH (Country Spring Hotel) as a lifeguard and the people that I worked with had tattoo's all over themselves covering their arms, legs and much more. Some of the tattoo's that were on them were not work professional, which at the meeting when I had my orientation they said, "You can get a tattoo, as long as its not offending others." I was kind of surprised and at the same time understandable because if people (take for an example children) are playing and they see a tattoo that might be gruesome or scary then that would make them complain to the managers making the business that they are running go down. I like tattoo's and I want to get one, one day but I got be careful on what's on there as well as something that means well to me in my life. I know that if it's not appropriate, just like it was stated in here it will lead to unemployment. Overall I enjoyed reading this a lot because I know a lot of people who have tattoo's and you bring up a really good point.

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  25. I really like this topic its very repeatable because that's always something I have to consider when I go into the business world. I have to be cautious on the tattoos location and what they are. I totally agree with the demand of tattoos are definitely increasing due to our generation. I'm going to be turning 18 in 16 days, but who's counting and want to get tatted. They wouldn't fire me from my job or reconsider my skills on being a manager in the summer all because of a tattoo. If you have have pink hair and not get fired then I think a simple tattoo shouldn't risk your job. Yes, they are two different things but this is in fact called expression. You're expressing who you are as a person. We need to stay away from stereotypes, that's not going to effect the economy. If the President secretly had a butterfly tattoo on his chest is that going to effect how he will run this country? NO! It's not going to fix poverty or prices of gas. It just shows that he's different.

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  26. I definitely agree that tattoos are a growing in demand and express a person's individuality. While taking into account the person's probable character depending on their choice of tattoos can let a business hire more professional workers, rejecting potential workers because of their tattoos reduces the business's ability to increase their labor. Since more people are getting tattoos, even more people will be rejected from jobs because of them, which in turn can reduce labor in businesses, and make production less efficient. However, if businesses did hire workers, regardless of their tattoos, they would be able to increase labor, which increases production, and efficiency.

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  27. A lot of companies make their employees cover up their tattoos if they have one because they feel like it's "revealing too much" but it's really only a piece of art. Companies shouldn't be concerned about if you have a tattoo or not because really a tattoo is something that is really important to you and that's why you got it.

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  28. I have never really thought about the whole tattoo and not getting a job type of thing, but it does make sense that some people could find it not professional or something. The interviews should not always look at the person and immediately deny them the job because they have one tattoo. Some people may use tattoos to express themselves or to symbolize something important in their life. There are many people that continue to get tattoos and that would mean if the jobs won't hire people with tattoos then it may be hard to hire someone since it is so popular. Overall I do also believe that jobs should hire a person for their work ethic and not all about appearance.

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  29. When reading the article it seemed the whole premise boiled down to whether or not a person with a tattoo could be professional. The stereotype as stated in the article is that they normally cannot, yet the demand for tattoos has been on the rise as more people who are professional have been getting them. Having a job with professionals I can say that appearance and behavior are very important especially if the job has you dealing with other people who demand their own definition of professionalism. So, I understand why employers would look down on someone with a tattoo because of possible future complications, but it should be more important if the person can do their job well and efficiently and then characterize that person from there.

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  30. I believe that certain tattoos do affect job opportunities, for instance there are people who have surgically implanted horns into their skull as well as other bumps to make themselves look demonic and then proceed to have their skin covered in upside down crosses and satanic symbols. In this case, such things would absolutely affect their job opportunities because of their freakish implants and clearly poor choices to make themselves an outcast of society. It is interesting how tattoos are becoming more popular however, especially in the work force. I myself am looking into getting a tattoo so I believe this is a very interesting topic.

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  31. I think that tattoos shouldn't be a factor on whether or not a person gets hired, unless the tattoo is offensive to a large portion of society and is visible. Tattoos aren't a negative characteristic in a persons work life, they should be judged off of their work ethic, prior work experience and other factors that don't entail appearance.

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  32. I believe that certain tattoos do affect job opportunities, for instance there are people who have surgically implanted horns into their skull as well as other bumps to make themselves look demonic and then proceed to have their skin covered in upside down crosses and satanic symbols. In this case, such things would absolutely affect their job opportunities because of their freakish implants and clearly poor choices to make themselves an outcast of society. It is interesting how tattoos are becoming more popular however, especially in the work force. I myself am looking into getting a tattoo so I believe this is a very interesting topic.

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  33. I found this to be really insightful because I have always thought getting a tattoo would definitely diminish my chances of getting a job. I think he made a really good point when he talked about the person has full responsibility over his actions and why or why not they don’t have a job - not the tattoo. It is definitely a stereotype that all people with tattoos make bad decisions in their life. I don’t have a problem with tattoos because I think it is a person choice to express yourself. I also can understand why people with tattoos are getting hired more - our environment is changing and people are becoming more and more accepting. Therefore, the demand of tattoos will also grow.

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  34. I agree that I do see more people with tattoos than a couple years ago however people are still going to judge someone who is heavily tatted or has visible tattoos especially in the work place. Which is why a lot of businesses either don't allow employees with tattoos or don't allow visible ones. However I do believe in years to come that will decrease and managers of high and established businesses will not mind their employees having tattoos

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  35. With an increase in tattoos among workers, business might start to change their habits when they need skilled workers. If the majority of the supply of skilled workers for a business have tattoos that were previously frowned upon, the business might be forced to change the way they evaluate potential employees. This also runs into the problem of stereotypes that people with tattoos make bad decisions all the time. Working past that stereotype will be important for businesses that want to prosper.

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  36. I agree that tattoos are becoming more common in society but I don't believe they should have to be covered up in the work place. I can understand if a tattoo is inappropriate that it needs to be covered up but if it is appropriate I believe it is just fine to show off the art work. I'm unsure if I would be able to decide on something I would want on my skin my whole life but I don't have anything against it.

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  37. It is very true that people today are all about challenging the things that aren't socially acceptable yet. This was definitely a great topic to talk about since it really is a huge thing to hear "Oh, you have a tattoo? Do you not want a job for the rest of your life?" but as time goes on, this trend seems to be fading. Even though it's true that there is some sort of association with people who make bad choices and people who have tattoos, I wonder how the people who don't approve of tattoos feel about the ones who get their grandmas birth date or something related tattooed on their back to remember them forever. Do they still think that tattoos are a bad thing then?

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  38. i most definitely agree with the fact that tattoos are a growing in demand. Tattoos to some people are just a way to express who they really are. Many people are are rejected from job because they do have a tattoo that is visible. Since there are more people nowadays getting tattoos the job rejecting rate has most definitely increased leaving people without jobs. If these companies who are rejecting the people with tattoos hired workers with tattoos it would most likely benefit them with increase in production and labor for that specific job.

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  39. Tattoos are a way of expression. And the significance of tattoos for some are very meaningful. Yes, there are some unsightly tattoos that can be distracting but that shouldn't necessarily affect the outcome of getting the job or not. Getting the job or not should be based off of skills and qualification--not appearance. And I know personally at my job we have strict rules about appearance. Such as the number of ear piercings you can have, hair color, makeup amount, and tattoos. I understand that many jobs require a professional look but a tattoo is personal. And many times a tattoo does represent the death of a loved one or the date of a life changing event or a phrase that helps that individual go about their day. Tattoos are something that shouldn't determine getting the job, it should be the skill.

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  40. In my personal opinion i don't mind tattoos because the way that i see it is that people are just expressing who they are through artwork that is drawn on their body and is there for life. But many people that are rejected from a job because of this reason is only because the employer doesn't feel you can put forth the professionalism feeling between customers/patients due to the placement of a tattoo. That is why when you get a tattoo you make a very important decision on where you are going to get it and if it can be concealed if need be. So it has its ups and downs you its just weather you make the decision to get one or not.

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  41. With the demand of jobs being extremely high at the moment, it is interesting to see a characteristic that has affected countless people attempting to get a job. I agree that discrimination towards people with tattoos is wrong although there comes a point when it isn’t discrimination and simply a company decision. I found it interesting how you made the connection between the decisions of people who get tattoos and their ability to make other choices. It is definitely smart to get a tattoo that isn’t easy to see at the workplace.

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  42. I found your post interesting. Our world is shifting in it's point of view to promote more individualistic ideals; tattoos being one of the many ways to showcase this. I grew up hearing people say things like, "Don't get a tattoo or weird piercings because you'll never get a job." While these opinions may be changing, I think it is incorrect to assume that you can do whatever you want to your body and still get a job because companies "aren't allowed to discriminate." Ultimately, it comes down to the company and how they want to present themselves. If they believe it gives them a bad image, which many companies still do, that's their opinion to make. On a side note, I think your classification of a tattoo as an inferior good isn't necessarily correct. While the lower income population may tend to have tattoos this isn't necessarily a result of their low incomes and there isn't a more high-class option to a tattoo.

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