being judged on appearance.

Originally Posted by eupnea

She said it wasn't a problem and we had a fun little chat about tattoos because she has a couple herself.

The vet's office where I take the kitties has several people with obvious piercings working there, and the vet program at the college where i will be doing my internship for my CVT certification is headed by a woman with several large tattoos.

I don't know. Maybe I'll wear retainers in them to start out. I'm probably just used to seeing these things myself. I wish it wasn't so taboo though. I like the way I look.

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I wouldn't worry too much about it. If the boss has no problem, the other people may just need time. It sounds like a fun job! I hope you get it!

I can't speak so much to the piercings as I can the tattoos, my left ear is pierced three times but I only wear the one ring in the very top of my ear...but..
I can speak for the tattoos. I *currently* have 8 tattoos and they are located on my body in places where they can't be seen unless I want you to see them. I am a full-time college student......who'd have ever thunk it....at my age....but non-the-less, sometimes in the warmer weather I wear shirts that will partially reveal some of my *pieces of art* and the people that have already gotten to know me in class usually say......"Well I would have had NO IDEA that you would have a tattoo, let alone numerous ones". This makes me wonder if they would have known from the beginning that I choose to have art on my body, IF they would have ever gotten to know me for who I really am. I am going into the medical field ( Respiratory Therapist) and I'm not sure what anyones feelings are as to tattoos. Being discriminated against for having piercings or tattoos would be practically impossible to prove, but it has and does happen on a fairly regular basis. All of my work has a Native American theme behind it so it isn't like I have nude work on me, which I think would cause people to judge you further, but regardless of what a person has (tattoo wise) people are gonna be the way they are. For myself and beiing a little older and wiser (45 and holding) I have grown to realize that people are either going to like me or dislike me, but there is one thing for sure, they will make their FINAL decision based on the way I treat them and how I am INTERNALLY. I was not put on this earth to meet anyones expectations, don't get me wrong, I want to get along and not be judged in any way for my appearance, but for who I am BELOW the skin. If I can make this journey called life and at the end of it look back and really feel that I have been a positive influence on the people that I have associated and have earned the respect and trust of the people that I have been associated with....then I will have lived a very successful life....in my opinion. I am not a butt-kisser and I don't want anyone to kiss mine either, but I do respect and honor the choices that people have made, whether I agree with them or not. The world is full of people that think we should live up to THEIR standards and not develop and establish standards of OUR own, in many ways these people live MISERABLE lives, and if they can't rise up to our level then they try to drag us down to theirs. With me it isn't going to work, I am who I am and when this journey called life is over, I will be in what I would like to think is a much better place than someone that expects the world to conform to their standards. If you really need the money and like the type work that it is....GO FOR IT !!! Who knows, when they really get to know YOU as the person that you are, it could be that YOU are the one that opened their eyes to "Not judge a book by its cover".
O.K........sorry for getting on my soap-box.......quietly bends over and picks up *soap-box* and exits...........

Winter Hawk

The bottom line is....if you are dealing with customers and they are mostly conservative, I feel you ought to dress to make a positive impression. It may not be fair, but since when is the world or life fair?

As I posted earlier, I am an elementary school administrator. I have multiple piercings in both ears with a cartilage piercing in one. I have had these multiple piercings for a minimum for 10 years, some as long as 25 years. At the last school where I was hired, the principal felt as though it wasn't the most professional look to put forth to the parents. So, off those earrings came. You don't get a second chance to make a first impression.

Thanks for the support you guys.
I'm waiting to hear from one other place where I would be working with large animals (I have a thing for cattle) and if I don't get that job I will probably be taking this one.

If I do, I will most likely put retainers in my piercings until I get a feel for the place and people get used to me.

I think generally, in life, if you are ever looking for a career type job..they would not accept visible tattoos/piercings.

There's a certain level of professionalism that you have to maintain to be considered seriously for an important position.

This is the very reason I never got any face peircings..I kind of wanted to but I knew that someday I would want a good job dealing with clients and coworkers in an office setting.

I definetly think it sucks to be judged..but perhaps they aren't judging you, but just trying to figure out if you would fit into the work atmosphere there. That's important to employers.

Originally Posted by eupnea

Thanks for the support you guys.
I'm waiting to hear from one other place where I would be working with large animals (I have a thing for cattle) and if I don't get that job I will probably be taking this one.

If I do, I will most likely put retainers in my piercings until I get a feel for the place and people get used to me.

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I was going to ask if they called you up and offered the job, but said you couldnt wear your piercings would you still take it? But you just answered the question!

Originally Posted by Trouts mom

I think generally, in life, if you are ever looking for a career type job..they would not accept visible tattoos/piercings.

There's a certain level of professionalism that you have to maintain to be considered seriously for an important position.

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I just think that it is silly that people think if a person has a tatoo or peircing that it lowers the person's capability of being professional or something.

This attitude speaks for how judge mental people are because it is based on looks and not on capability.

I have 2 facial peicings (nose and eyebrow) and I'm going to be a teacher. We must be a lot more liberal here because it is easy to get a job and not very many people think badly of you.

I'd say take the job because when people get to know you and are exposed to people with peircings and tatoo's, they see the person underneath them and then maybe the next time they come across a person with tatoo's and peircings, they won't be so quick to judge. Goodluck!

IloveSiamese said:

I just think that it is silly that people think if a person has a tatoo or peircing that it lowers the person's capability of being professional or something.QUOTE]

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IloveSiamese said:

I totally agree with you there, I know that of course they are just as capable..I wasn't trying to give attitude at all, I was just giving some insight.

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Trout'smom:
I totally agree with you there, I know that of course they are just as capable..I wasn't trying to give attitude at all, I was just giving some insight

Yea for sure. I just mean other people who don't feel that way! Like I think here in Canada, once my generation takes over, it will be way more liberal and accepting of differences.

I can completely understand why some people might think piercings are unprofessional. It makes me sad though because its so superficial. My piercings make me like my own appearance a little better. They are a decision I made for myself and not for anyone else. I know a lot of people get pierced to shock and offend, but not everyone.
Also, with how common some piercings are becoming, I can't believe there isn't more acceptance. Of course, if I had a tiny little nose stud rather than my septum pierced, I'm sure no one would have said a thing. There's a bit of a double standard IMO.

As I'm checking who's in favor of piercing and tattoos, I'm finding one thing in common, you're all pretty much 25 and under. I only say this because I remember at one point I thought that way too...it didn't matter what you look like on the outside, it's how you do your job and treat others that counts.
One thing I have learned though, and it IS sad, that first impressions make a HUGE difference when you're applying for a job. One place I worked at (a bank) a guy came into the interview dressed in jeans and a black T-shirt. The interview was cut short, even though he knew how to do the job. It was only because the 40+ people were calling up my boss at the time saying "You're not REALLY going to hire him are you?". The sad thing is that it could've just been that's all he had in clothes.

Unfortunately many societies are are still this way. The news with place a picture of some guy with a nose ring and tattoos on a report and it'll be associating him with some sort of violence. We (in general) tend to think that someone with tattoos and piercings are upset, evil, and mean. Same way we stereotype a lot of things.
Even one woman here where I work is concerned about another girl we work with. She thinks that the girl is depressed and that's why she tries to pierce herself all over. The difference is the woman is 50 and was brought up differently then we are today. The girl with the piercings is 24. We're brought under a level of self expression as opposed to "what is proper". It's going to be a while (5-10) before its widely accepted in the workplace.

I feel this is turning into quite an IMO thread, but I would like to add my opinion!

Yes, I may be in favour of educating people about those who are pierced (and I am under 25 and pierced!) However, I am starting my own business and my Mentor is well over 40 and has the most utmost respect for me and what I am doing!

I do not appear to offend people around my local area or the city centre and have had people favour me over my wheelchair using sister and 60+ mother when asking for directions! (plus the people who've asked have been extremely well dressed with rather upper class accents!)

I find that it is quite shallow that people find that piercings are unprofessional! Weren't we all taught, as children, to not judge a book by it's cover?!

In my personal experience, selling work and meeting people, they find me as I am and I appreciate that they enjoy my participation in their work and experience!

I have a nosering and a 14-gauge in my upper ear. And a huge tattoo, but most people never see it unless its summer.
You know, I've had a couple of jobs that had restrictions on it. One was food service and they didn't care what amount of metal you had in your face as long as you took it off before you started work-- some kind of health code, as it was food service. Another I had to take it off, but they have a uniform there. Khakis, polo shirt, hat, black shoes, the whole deal, and no piercings more than twoin the ears. It didn't bother me. Half the employees had piercings, but we took them out. My one now seems the most professional, but I'm allowed to keep my piercings in. I also work for a University, so it may be more liberal.

Really, I think people can judge you by the things you choose to change about your appearance. If you come into an interview dressed like you're going to an amusement park, or if you go to the beach wearing a suit, or whatever. I'm not sure why people are offended by tattoos or piercings, but they are. And if you know that people will be offended, why not get retainers, etc. You are still you regardless of what you look like, and if they will be more willing to get to know you without being distracted by it, why not? I know it seems wrong, but people have different sensibilities and tattoos and piercings were viewed very differently not very long ago. Its the same as how I take out my nosering when I visit my Grandma.

When I worked as a bookkeeper, I occasionally had to go to the storefront to run registers while cashiers were on break.

I sport 25 tattoos, a lot of them visible, and 15 piercings, all but two are visible.
I also had a mohawk of green dreadlocks, or bright blue or fire engine red, etc.
This was in an area populated primarily by the 65+ crowd, retirement age.
We were across the street from an assisted living home, 99% of our business was with the elderly.

Most of the sweet ladies never made a single judgement about me based on my appearance, they were all such lovely people.
In fact, most of them made requests for my next haircolor.
I would always oblige the requests, as long as it wasn't pink.

Arlyn, that made me smile just picturing it.

Originally Posted by IloveSiamese

I have 2 facial peicings (nose and eyebrow) and I'm going to be a teacher. We must be a lot more liberal here because it is easy to get a job and not very many people think badly of you.

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And I am a public school administrator. Here in the States, educators are held to an even higher standard than most. I feel the parental community is still quite judgmental.