If you’ve got ambitious plans for your career and your potential, you’re probably up to speed with all the job seeking tips and recommendations for advancement. Things like a stellar CV, professional development, confidence training etc can all help to pave the way to your vocational success.
But if you find that you’re not getting the interviews, job offers or promotions that you feel you deserve, it may be time to consider whether your choice of ink is getting in the way.
Employer opinions on visible tattoos
There’s no doubt that a significant proportion of the modern workplace is made up of people with tattoos. And this trend for body art is increasing, with the Millennials and Gen Z workers increasingly opting for some type of ink.
There have even been some big companies boldly pioneering the acceptance of tattoos as an expression of individuality and character. One example is Virgin Atlantic, which has recently relaxed its regulations about visible tattoos for its cabin crew – a move that is likely to have a positive impact across a whole range of industries.
Yet, it’s also true that there’s still a degree of disapproval or negativity towards visible tattoos in certain occupations. Even though the culture is largely moving towards a more liberal and open-minded level of diversity in the workplace, there are still certain jobs where the industry or the individual employers are averse to visible body art.
If you’re looking to advance your career in any of the traditional sectors, you may find that your tattoos are met with disapproval. The problem is made worse by the fact that much of this is unspoken, i.e. you might never be informed that your tattoo was the reason you didn’t get the job, but the subtle cues it represented to your prospective employer may not have worked in your favour.
Of course, this depends greatly on the type of job or career path you’re pursuing. If you have ambitions to be a top personal trainer, for example, your tattoos may enhance your personal brand. Whereas if you’re keen to progress within a conservative law firm or finance position, there’s a good chance that any visible body art may not be welcome in people-facing roles.
Statistics show that a substantial proportion of the general public (around 36%) regard tattoos negatively, perhaps attributing dated stereotypes or discriminating against those with visible tattoos. Face and neck tattoos in particular appear to be the most controversial.
While this may represent the minority of the workplace, it’s still evidence that tattoos can play a part in hindering your career progression. As such, it may be worth considering how your ink choices may be impacting your career potential and future success.
A revolution in tattoo removal
If you decide that you could improve your career potential by getting rid of your tattoos, you’ll be pleased to know that the industry has seen a whole range of tech advancements in recent years.
For example, the latest technology used in tattoo removal by NAAMA Studios, one of the leaders in the industry, makes it faster, easier and more painless than ever to say goodbye to unwanted ink.
The old techniques of the past, which could extend to years of painful treatment, have been replaced by rapid and effective laser technology that is kinder to the skin. This means that faster recovery times are the norm, and so the treatment schedule can be accelerated considerably.
So, if you’ve been feeling that you’d prefer to erase any old ink choices but were thinking it would take too long to be worthwhile, it may be time to think again. Depending on the size and location of your tattoo, and your skin type, it could be possible to remove your tattoo within months, so that you can enjoy your job search or career progression free of any concerns about employer opinions or regulations regarding body art.
Selective tattoo removal
If you decide that one or more of your tattoo choices could well be harming your career progression, you may opt to have that particular ink removed. Yet this doesn’t mean that you can never again have a tattoo, or that you must remove all of your body art.
The current regulations and cultural opinions regarding tattoos in the workplace only relate to those that are visible while you’re at work. So, a full sleeve may not be an option if you want to wear short sleeves in the office, but tattoos that are hidden by your regular workwear aren’t going to have any impact on your career.
This is one way you could still enjoy your individual expression in a way that doesn’t affect your job opportunities or promotion track. Weighing up factors such as your industry, the type of tattoo and your degree of ambition will help you to decide whether tattoo removal is for you.
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