Yesterday, I read a forum post from a young woman in her late twenties.  She was extremely upset, and could not believe that something as small as a tattoo could be causing her such a big problem.  She wrote that she just found out that the reason that she didn't get the job she's been dreaming about since she was fourteen was because of her tattoos.

This young lady has been working two jobs to put herself through nursing school for the last couple of years, and she recently graduated near the top of her class.  Her school told her that she had great promise, and they even helped her get an interview for a great paying job at a prestigious hospital.

She had just returned from the interview, and  initially, she thought it went very well.  Shortly afterward, she overheard something that rocked her world - and not in a good way.

After the interview, she went down to the cafeteria to grab a quick bite before heading back home.  After she sat down to eat, she couldn't help but overhear two of the administrators at the next table, who were having a conversation about the latest round of potential hires.  She tried to act casual as she eavesdropped on their conversation.  A few minutes went by, and then she heard one of them say, "that one girl probably would have been a good choice, if it wasn't for that tattoo."  "Yeah," the other responded, "We wouldn't want the patients to think they got sent to a biker bar instead of a hospital."  As they laughed and continued their conversation, the young lady's heart dropped a mile as she tried her hardest to contain her tears.

While she never dreamed that the little star tattoo on her arm would end up being the barrier between her and her dream job, it seems to be happening more and more these days.

Getting a tattoo may have  seemed great at the time, and with most of your friends also being inked, it may seem like no big deal to you.  The truth is that there is a standard in the professional working world, and tattoos (especially visible ones) don't meet that standard.  Like it or not, there is still a stigma attached to having a tattoo, especially if you are female.  While you may never hear anyone calling you "cheap" or a "tramp" behind your back, it just might be happening to you if you are trying to enter the professional workforce.

Even though it's almost 2009, The harsh reality is that the professional world has not changed their attitude much about tattoos and body art.  If you want that high powered, great paying job with good benefits,  you may want to remove those tattoos before handing out those resumes.

No related posts.