Ivory Jones
Blue & White Flash / Staff Writer
Driicky Graham bombarded the speakers of a fire red Chevy Caprice, “Snapbacks and tattoos, snapbacks and tattoos! Show off your tats, show off your tats! Show off your arms, legs, chest, show off your back!”
However, is it ever appropriate to “show off those tats” when you are interviewing for a job?
The culture of body art has been around for over 5000 years and has evolved vastly. The styles, designs and reasons for enduring the pain of getting a tattoo vary from person to person and culture to culture.
More and more students can be seen sporting body art in various visible parts of their bodies. Many do not believe that their choice to permanently adorn their bodies should be a factor in gaining a job.
“(Tattos) will not affect it, my work will speak for itself,” said Vernon Mahan, a biology pre-pharmacy major.
Unfortunately, before work performance is determined, some employers are forming presumptions.
Lavenita Cottrell, Assistant Director of the Career Service Center at Jackson State University, encourages students to think twice before getting a tattoo.
“Think about who is doing the hiring and consider putting tattoos in more discrete location and if possible, use makeup to cover already existing tattoos,” said Cottrell.
She also points out that you should know the company’s image before applying. This allows individuals to guage what type of environment the company has, how liberal they are with appearances and who should apply for a position within that company.
This does not mean that you should not get a tattoo if you want one. But, if your career goals involve one day being the head partner of a top law firm, designating a tattoo on the neck may not be a wise choice.
For those who have already inked up their bodies, choose a career that is accepting of body art.
After being turned down for several jobs, Carissa Barrow, a Lincoln Tech Institute student from Queens, N.Y. made the decision to pick a field of work that would not discriminate against her body art.
“That is why I chose the automotive (industry), my tattoos will not affect my career.”
Most people interviewed, said they would not remove their tattoos for a career. This is understandable; tattoo removal takes more time and money.
If using a laser removal treatment, it could take $250-$800 per session to remove. The number of sessions needed depends on many factors: how old is the tattoo, what kind of ink the artist used and how big it is. In addition, it is a very painful procedure, described as “feeling like being splattered with hot grease.”
The good news is there are now at-home cream removal treatments that work just as well. These creams such as Fadeplex, Tat-Med and Profade are less painful and definitely less expensive then laser removal. In addition, they do not scar or damage the skin like their predecessor.
So the question students must ask themselves when determining if they will join the tatted up revolution is, will your abilities determine you career path or will your tattoos make the decision for you?
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