Tattoo on my forearm. Yay or nay?

[likemyorbs]

I guess that is another example of two nations divided by a common language…

Don't people in the US use "smart looking"?
It has bugger all to do with appearing intelligent…
If I say to a guy "You're looking smart today" I mean he is looking nice and neat and tidy and might even be wearing a suit or tie. Even if he is as thick as two bricks.

Just sayin'.

Ohh ok, that makes more sense now. When he said smart looking I took that to mean intelligent looking. I've never hear that phrase used in the US, nor do I know what "bugger all to do" means. . We just use the term "clean cut".

 

[steviem]

Bugger all = ******* all

 

[arkitect]

Bugger all = ******* all

In efect, yes, but not quite so crassly.

 

[BoxerGT2.5]

What kind of company is this? And why the anti-tattoo policy? Also, what about ear piercings? I have both of my ears pierced, what if i came into an interview with them in?

Healthcare. I wouldn't call it an anti-tattoo policy as much as I'd call it maintaining a certain level of professionalism. If you want to walk around pierced and tatted up, go work in a bar. I can speak from a hiring standpoint, cover the tats and remove the earrings for any interview. It isn't until after you land a job should you ask about the dress code regarding what you can wear and what their policy is on piercings and visible tattoos. It's no different then a woman coming in to interview with her hair all over the place looking like she just rolled out of bed. First impressions mean everything, you only get one chance so make it count. Again, running around in your late teens and early 20's getting pierced and tattooed is wonderful, but don't think you'll be taken seriously with all of that in your late 20's into your 30's and beyond. FYI.....I have both my ears pierced and had my eyebrow done in college. Everything is out now and would never go back in. I have no tattoos because I never felt the urge.

 

[steve2112]

Since it has some language some may find offensive, I won't post the image here, but the tattoo location chart has always cracked me up. It shows how the location of the tattoo on your body says a lot about you.

 

[Tomorrow]

I work in a professional environment (engineering). 90% or more of our male employees wear short sleeves routinely, although long sleeves are certainly permissible.

I wouldn't normally offer this advice, but since you asked, here it is: don't get the tattoo on your forearm.

Nobody ever lost out on a job for not having a visible tattoo.

Many people love to say, "If they won't hire me because of my tattoo, it's not a place I'd want to work, anyway." Principles can be great things, but they don't pay the bills. I have my tongue pierced, but I don't wear it to work - that's just how the world works.

 

[appleguy123]

I'd never in a million years get a tattoo. Just my personal opinion.

+1 Ink distracts from the body's beauty. It's been sexually selected over thousands of years to be appealing.

 

[obeygiant]

Since it has some language some may find offensive, I won't post the image here, but the tattoo location chart has always cracked me up. It shows how the location of the tattoo on your body says a lot about you.

LMAO

Just The Facts
Tattoos theoretically could be thoughtful additions to your appearance. Unfortunately there are thousands of tattoo parlors (many open 24 hours) and people just don't have that many thoughts. So most are stupid.

Tattoos are permanent. Your motivation/blood-alcohol level is not.

Tattoos are now as edgy as a padded watermelon.
Who gets tattoos?

Tattoos are an excellent way to turn a single drunken decision into a lifetime of disfigurement and regret, which normally requires a car. Tattoos are associated with criminal gangs, the armed forces, and whiny white teenagers desperate for attention. Attempts to get all three to attend a common "Tattoo Conference" have unfortunately failed.

thanks for posting lol

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Since it has some language some may find offensive, I won't post the image here, but the tattoo location chart has always cracked me up. It shows how the location of the tattoo on your body says a lot about you.

Laughed aloud - clever and funny.

I work in a professional environment (engineering). 90% or more of our male employees wear short sleeves routinely, although long sleeves are certainly permissible.

I wouldn't normally offer this advice, but since you asked, here it is: don't get the tattoo on your forearm.

Nobody ever lost out on a job for not having a visible tattoo.

Many people love to say, "If they won't hire me because of my tattoo, it's not a place I'd want to work, anyway." Principles can be great things, but they don't pay the bills. I have my tongue pierced, but I don't wear it to work - that's just how the world works.

I agree. Personally, I don't much care for tattoos; it may be a prejudice, but it is a deeply held one, and yes, as fta expressed it, the presence of tattoos leads one into cliches about the sort of people who tend to get them, criminal gangs, the military and whiny white teenagers, none of which are overwhelmingly attractive to women, or to future employers, might I add.

To the OP: if you must get a tattoo, I'd suggest you get it on the upper arm, not the forearm.

+1 Ink distracts from the body's beauty. It's been sexually selected over thousands of years to be appealing.

I agree.

 

[rhett7660]

This is something you and only you can make. I have a sleave and I wear long sleeves at my place of employement.

If you want it get it. However from the sound of the orginal post, I would hold of a little longer. You need to be 100% sure and if you are asking questions you are not sure.

 

[Huntn]

What kind of company is this? And why the anti-tattoo policy? Also, what about ear piercings? I have both of my ears pierced, what if i came into an interview with them in?

If you're a sales clerk at Hot Topic no one is going to care, in fact it is probably encouraged. But my understanding is that for moving up the ladder, visible tattoos are a big issue in corporations.

I've contemplated a tattoo but decided against. I don't like their permanent nature, they are expensive to remove, I'm worried I'd get sick of it, and honestly tattoos look horrid on old fogeys.

 

[GoCubsGo]

I can tell you right now as someone who is in charge of hiring for my department, if you come in and I see tattoos, I won't hire you. If you are able to hide them at the interview and I see them after the fact, you better keep hiding them. If you want to be taken seriously in a grown up world, I suggest you think twice. What's cool at 22 can end up seriously hurting you at 34.

I sure hope you do have a written policy against tattoos for your sake; if you're in the U.S. You're walking a fine line and as a hiring manager you should know that. To say you won't hire but there is no policy opens you up for all kinds of hurt if you ever do stick to your guns. I'm sure your legal department has it all covered though.

As someone who has hired folks in the past, our policy is written (because we're smart like that) and the tattoos cannot be visible. If it is casual day then you're bound to wear something that covers the tattoo. I do work in a professional office where the majority of the people employed do not meet the general public face to face. The policy is still in tact for whatever awesome reason.

My opinion is that if it can't be easily and comfortably covered then don't bother. I want a tattoo on my wrist that can and will be covered by a watch. I find neck tattoos and titty tattoos to be trashy beyond belief. I also seem to find a tattoo on the upper arm of a female to be weird. To me, most tattoo locations for males don't really phase me unless they're on the neck, face/head, or ankle. As for the ankle I just find that feminine. These are my own personal opinions that aren't qualified by anything substantial enough to suggest that they matter.

A forearm tattoo on a man isn't terrible but again, see the above. I also don't associate tattoos with drug use, criminal life style or anything like that. I do associate the nature of the tattoo with those things as I believe many people would. If you have 18th street in old English lettering on your back I'll assume and probably be right, that you're a member or former member of the 18th street gang. Such as it is, choose wisely.

 

[ericrwalker]

I worked at McDonald's when I was in high school. I was forced to dry shave stubble on my chin once. Now that doesn't seem to be an issue anymore even at low end jobs.

Personally I think art belongs on a canvas, or the ceiling of the sistine chapel. Not on the largest organ of your body. (or the smallest for that matter)

 

[bartelby]

Good to see judging-a-book-by-it's-cover-narrow-mindedness is alive and well...

 

[kolax]

I'm planning to get a smallish tattoo over my right arm/shoulder.

It won't be visible when wearing a t-shirt (or maybe just a tiny fraction if the sleeve was high up).

I'm not a big fan of tattoos over the forearms, face, etc.

 

[likemyorbs]

Good to see judging-a-book-by-it's-cover-narrow-mindedness is alive and well...

Seriously...it's surprising to me on a generally liberal forum like this. I'm probably gonna go ahead and put it on my forearm anyway, as long as it looks good there. I'm gonna have the artist stencil it in a couple of locations and then ill pick one. There are multiple ways to cover it up, so i'm not really concerned about employment issues. My company now practically encourages tattoos, even in the corporate offices.

 

[Tomorrow]

Personally, I don't much care for tattoos; it may be a prejudice, but it is a deeply held one, and yes, as fta expressed it, the presence of tattoos leads one into cliches about the sort of people who tend to get them, criminal gangs, the military and whiny white teenagers, none of which are overwhelmingly attractive to women, or to future employers, might I add.

I'm kind of in between worlds. I have two tattoos, but I don't display them in the workplace - although I've never tried to cover up the fact that I actually have them. One is on my upper arm and the other is on my ankle, so either one is easy to show or hide depending on what I choose to wear (away from the office, of course).

On the other hand, I do still think there are environments where tattoos are okay and environments where they aren't, and an office is one of those places where I think they aren't okay. Cover it up, or don't get one.

 

[iStudentUK]

Good to see judging-a-book-by-it's-cover-narrow-mindedness is alive and well...

Judging someone based upon a decision they made is quite different from judging someone for an inherent characteristic. I try very hard not to do the latter, but the former is less of an issue in my opinion.

 

[ericrwalker]

Well any status of person can have a tattoo, but generally the lower class you are the more likely you have tattoos. That's a fact, trashy people always have tattoos, gangsters, and criminals almost always have them. It will give people an impression, whether or not you fall in that class.

In the USA it does seem that nearly half of all people have tattoos, though I'd say half of those are tramp stamps.

In Japan, very few people have tattoos and ones that do are usually banned from public baths/hot springs. Most of the people that have tattoos there are Yakuza (gang).

----------

You're like a scholar or something. I really enjoy your post, very logical.

Judging someone based upon a decision they made is quite different from judging someone for an inherent characteristic. I try very hard not to do the latter, but the former is less of an issue in my opinion.

 

[BoxerGT2.5]

I sure hope you do have a written policy against tattoos for your sake; if you're in the U.S. You're walking a fine line and as a hiring manager you should know that. To say you won't hire but there is no policy opens you up for all kinds of hurt if you ever do stick to your guns. I'm sure your legal department has it all covered though.

As someone who has hired folks in the past, our policy is written (because we're smart like that) and the tattoos cannot be visible. If it is casual day then you're bound to wear something that covers the tattoo. I do work in a professional office where the majority of the people employed do not meet the general public face to face. The policy is still in tact for whatever awesome reason.

My opinion is that if it can't be easily and comfortably covered then don't bother. I want a tattoo on my wrist that can and will be covered by a watch. I find neck tattoos and titty tattoos to be trashy beyond belief. I also seem to find a tattoo on the upper arm of a female to be weird. To me, most tattoo locations for males don't really phase me unless they're on the neck, face/head, or ankle. As for the ankle I just find that feminine. These are my own personal opinions that aren't qualified by anything substantial enough to suggest that they matter.

A forearm tattoo on a man isn't terrible but again, see the above. I also don't associate tattoos with drug use, criminal life style or anything like that. I do associate the nature of the tattoo with those things as I believe many people would. If you have 18th street in old English lettering on your back I'll assume and probably be right, that you're a member or former member of the 18th street gang. Such as it is, choose wisely.

Yes we have a conduct and dress code policy. But lets be honest, I'm not going to tell the person they aren't hired because of tattoos. They want to accuse me of it, have at it.

 

[chuffman15]

im covered in tattoos. my entire chest and back as well as both legs. i planned out my chest to include my upper arms. when im at work wearing a tshirt you can see anything. if i were to take my shirt off , it looks like i still have one on. unfortunately i have a mortgage and a car note and i like spending money and at least for me if i had tattoos on my forearms i wouldnt be making the same money as i am right now. im not a hater, im a realist.

i was at lowes shopping and i saw this sales guy who had so homemade tattoos on his forearms and i asked him if he was worried about not moving up on the food chain at lowes. he said " my manager has tattoos, so i think im ok." i didnt comment back to him. i just said cool and walked away. to me manager isnt big enough of a title. i want to be an owner. and i doubt you can be an owner with big homemade tattoos on your forearms.

 

[BoxerGT2.5]

Good to see judging-a-book-by-it's-cover-narrow-mindedness is alive and well...

It's called living in the real grown up world. If you know your calling in life is a construction worker, then I'm sure they are more lenient. If you plan to hold a job in the business world or interact with people, healthcare for example, then it's not advisable. The rebellious, "I'm gonna do what I want, take me for what I am" attitude is cute as a teenager or in college. Just be prepared for many to let you be you, just not in their office or place of employment.

 

[mscriv]

To me, most tattoo locations for males don't really phase me unless they're on the neck, face/head, or ankle. As for the ankle I just find that feminine. These are my own personal opinions that aren't qualified by anything substantial enough to suggest that they matter.

One is on my upper arm and the other is on my ankle, so either one is easy to show or hide depending on what I choose to wear.

I have a tatoo on my left ankle. It would appear my friend, that Jessica thinks we are feminine.

 

[OneMike]

The guns speak for themselves.


*kisses own bicep*

ditto lol

I'm a perfectionist though. I've wanted a tattoo, but I've been undecided to the point I kinda indefinitely put it on hold. Have been working on my tattoo at least the last 12 years.

 

[Moyank24]

I have a tatoo on my left ankle. It would appear my friend, that Jessica thinks we are feminine.

I'm sure they're very manly....skulls and crossbones, right?

As long as they aren't cartoon characters or Disney Princesses, you can keep your man cards.