Tattoos/Piercings and Jobs

[Becca Lee Dotson]

I'm a 19 year old female, I've been working since I was 14 and I have a good work history with no complaints from employers. I'm a hard worker and I am professional, polite, helpful, and respectful to my elders.

However I also have my lip pierced twice, about 16 various piercings in my ears and a surface bar on teh back of my neck. I also have 3 or so visible tattoos and 4 or 5 others that I can cover up.

I am currently employed at my city's Parks Department as a caretaker of teh public parks. I work outside all day doing maintenance work. My piercings and tattoos are not a problem there because I don't have to work directly with teh public.

My problem is that I'm looking for a second job in teh evenings and on weekends and I know my appearance is automatically going to mark me as a troublemaker and unreliable. I would like to apply for some jobs but I don't know how to convince possible employers to not just look at me and pass me over.

Does anyone have any advice as to how I could solve this problem? I'm a full-time college student and I really need teh money. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

[Bones]

I don't see the link?

In a college town there might also be some trendy places you can put in for a job, whether it be at a restaurant or retail, or even a piercing/tattoo shop?

[JD LaRish]

apply, apply, apply until you find a place that doesn't mind.

[Ramon Ostolaza]

Well, if you can get a good recomendation from your current employer, this will hepl wit your potential new employer, specially if you plan to do both jobs. Also, even if you have your tattoos and piercings, just try to dress up for the ocassion and show that even with your current modifications you take seriouslly the opportonity and responsability that invilves the new job.

You can beat the first "looks" impression with a good interview, trust on yourself.

[kitten]

Compromise is really key to finding a good job while being true to yourself by having tattoos and piercings. From personal experience I can say that you are judged by your looks including your tattoos. Covering up as much as you can for the right job is worthwhile. Personally, I wouldn't be covering up for the wrong job!

[JD LaRish]

"Covering up as much as you can for the right job is worthwhile. Personally, I wouldn't be covering up for the wrong job!"

i concur!

[Becca Lee Dotson]

thank you everyone for teh great advice!

keep it coming please ^_^

[Carbine]

Wear confidence, its the biggest appealing thing you can present as a perspective employee, Don't go in over confident. Half an hour before the interview eat a big chocolate bar to give you a slight sugar rush, but above all, remind yourself that you are you and you are strong, reliable and sexy.

[Becca Lee Dotson]

thank you everyone!

just an update, ive applied for about 5 new jobs and ive been called back for 4, so wish me luck!

^_^

[Bones]

Look like you are doing well, then! Good luck!

[Becca Lee Dotson]

thank you!

[Johnny]

Good luck, and hopefully you will report back with good news.

[Black is the new Black]

I used to have large guage ear piercings, four of them. Nothing too wild I know, but in corporate america that is a little unusual.

They never seemed to impact my job and I had them for about eight years. Then one day my mentor suggested that when I moved locations I remove them - not because she didn't like them (she did) but because she suspected people were not thinking of me as a true manager level employee due to them.

Sure enough, less than six months after I removed them and changed locations I got promoted. I don't think anybody was consciously judging me based on them, but I do think they were making automatic judgments.

This is why I'm getting only 3/4 sleeves rather than full length ones. So I can still roll up my sleeves without showing off my ink - again I don't think anybody would ever say anything but I do think it would impact my ability to advance if I was sporting the ink in an obvious way every day.