Ink doesn't stop you from doing great things

"El Relámpago(LZone) - Humanity First!" (lightningzone)
12/02/2014 at 08:12 • Filed to: None

DISCUSSION (43)

davedave1111 > El Relámpago(LZone) - Humanity First!
12/02/2014 at 08:22

Maybe if he hadn't had any tattoos...

Kinja'd!!!

... He could have landed a spacecraft on the fucking moon.

CalzoneGolem > El Relámpago(LZone) - Humanity First!
12/02/2014 at 08:30

I've got visible ink and stretched earlobes. It will actually stop you from getting lots of jobs.

El Relámpago(LZone) - Humanity First! > davedave1111
12/02/2014 at 08:35

Pretty sure that flights to the Moon stopped, before any of us, were born.

DoYouEvenShift > El Relámpago(LZone) - Humanity First!
12/02/2014 at 08:35

Great things no. Normal things may be an issue though.

JEM > El Relámpago(LZone) - Humanity First!
12/02/2014 at 08:45

As an engineer with a dozen or so pieces, I want to print this out poster size and give it to my mom for xmas.

CalzoneGolem > JEM
12/02/2014 at 08:49

That'll show that bitch!

PyramidHat > CalzoneGolem
12/02/2014 at 08:54

Does it? Even, now? I could see maybe 10-15 years ago, but tattoos have become so ubiquitous, I can hardly see how they'd be a factor in de-selection...

BJ > PyramidHat
12/02/2014 at 09:05

The Economist covered this back in August, and the general consensus is that yes, it can still affect your chances.

http://www.economist.com/news/united-st…

In September, the BBC ran an article on the topic of making tattoo discrimination illegal: http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-…

A number of readers wrote in with their experiences and it's disappointing to hear their stories: http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-…

GhostZ > El Relámpago(LZone) - Humanity First!
12/02/2014 at 09:06

*never get a job in a structured cubicle office culture or public relations for a multinational corporation

davedave1111 > El Relámpago(LZone) - Humanity First!
12/02/2014 at 09:10

Exactly. See what his tattoos have done?

Sir_Stig: and toxic masculinity ruins the party again. > CalzoneGolem
12/02/2014 at 09:12

I have one stretched lobe, but it's only barely stretched (12gauge I think?) and I have a fairly innocuous plug in it. I could see large spacers being an issue, but tattoos? People have had them for ages? I might judge someone based on a neck/face tattoo (check out the percentage of people involved in violent crimes and the overlap with neck/face tattoos) but not for a sleeve or something.

CalzoneGolem > PyramidHat
12/02/2014 at 09:14

BJ covered all the salient points but corporate environments are pretty stodgy about all this stuff. My job is really cool about that kind of stuff and we're a multinational bank.

jariten1781 > PyramidHat
12/02/2014 at 09:18

Absolutely. They may not call them that, but most places have 'uniforms' and visible tattoos, facial piercings, 'unique' hairstyles (including facial hair), etc aren't part of that uniform. Below the collar and above the wrist (with long sleeves) and you're good to go at even incredibly conservative places these days though which wasn't really true 20 years ago if they found out about them.

Rock Bottom > El Relámpago(LZone) - Humanity First!
12/02/2014 at 09:19

http://www.nasa.gov/orion/#.VH3Jl4…

http://www.space.com/27883-nasa-ori…

http://www.theguardian.com/science/2014/d…

The first human to walk on the moon in the 21st Century is probably on the astronaut roster right now. The American astronaut roster.

CalzoneGolem > Sir_Stig: and toxic masculinity ruins the party again.
12/02/2014 at 09:19

Unfortunately many corporate environments shun anything outside what they consider normal. Visible tattoos and piercings will make you not get some jobs.

Hermann > CalzoneGolem
12/02/2014 at 09:28

Friend of mine has tattoos on his hands and neck, so... always visible. Besides the stretched earlobes and piercings on his lips and nose. He's a very talented Industrial Designer. I asked him if he ever felt any problems while applying for a job. He answered with "I would refuse to work in a company that cares about this."

The question remains unanswered. And he remains unemployed.

Textured Soy Protein > El Relámpago(LZone) - Humanity First!
12/02/2014 at 09:30

I'll chime in based on my previous experience working in staffing firms, corporate HR departments, and now as the director of career services at a tech school.

I personally don't give a shit about how someone looks. If I had my choice, I'd go to work in a t-shirt, jeans and sneakers every day. But a lot of companies have dress and personal appearance codes. I'm supposed to dress nice because 1) my school has a dress code, and 2) to act as an example for students on how they need to dress to be professional.

I still wear earrings, but they're not stretched/gauged/etc. Just basic stainless ball studs. I took out my more extreme piercings years ago.

When it's warm out I pretty much only ever wear slacks, polos, and dress shoes. When it gets colder I have more leeway, and I break out my sweaters, 5-pocket twill pants and nice-casual boots. Or sometimes I really push the limit and rock dressified Vans or Converse—they're all leather but have white rubber soles—and I get looked at cross-eyed by some of the more stodgy people I work with when I wear those.

The clothes I wear when it's warm, I would never buy them if I didn't have to wear them for work. The winter stuff, that's actually pretty close to how I'd dress if I had a choice in the matter.

There are stodgy people involved in hiring everywhere, who when they see someone with tattoos, piercings, unique hair, or anything else slightly outside their expectations of how an insurance salesman should look, they WILL discriminate based on appearance.

What I advise my students is to assume that they will be meeting with some 50 year old midwestern white person named Bill or Sandra who reeeeaaaalllly loves wearing khakis on the weekend and spends too much time watching Fox News.

Tekamul > CalzoneGolem
12/02/2014 at 09:41

I work with Asian companies. Visible tatts are a big no-no. Even discussing it with some of the engineers brought about some really awkward silence.

I think in my field, it would still be a big obstacle.

stellastar42 > El Relámpago(LZone) - Humanity First!
12/02/2014 at 09:48

But he probably interviewed with long sleeves.

CalzoneGolem > Tekamul
12/02/2014 at 09:49

There must be some Yakuza implication there.

CalzoneGolem > Hermann
12/02/2014 at 09:50

Client facing positions are extra picky about this kind of thing.

Tekamul > CalzoneGolem
12/02/2014 at 09:55

Actually, yeah. Even with the Chinese guys, they looked at it as a reflection of criminal ties. They weren't really big on standing out at all .

Magister > El Relámpago(LZone) - Humanity First!
12/02/2014 at 10:04

Way to make a dude feel old. Some of us were born before they began. Thanks.

Hermann > CalzoneGolem
12/02/2014 at 10:05

I hope we eventually find an understanding that we shouldn't judge people by these stupid things.

A manager I had when I worked for VW said he did take in consideration a person's tattoo, visible or not. It could be either for the good or for the bad. He asked the person what's the story behind the tattoo. And some people actually had amazing ideas behind them. A well-done tattoo, that required planning and creativity shows a lot about the person. But a tramp stamp or just "the tattoo that's currently in fashion" also shows a lot about the person.

Dr Emilio Lizardo > El Relámpago(LZone) - Humanity First!
12/02/2014 at 10:06

If so, you are all very young. I was alive when man first walked on the moon.

CalzoneGolem > Hermann
12/02/2014 at 10:18

We can't even stop judging people by things that are beyond their control like their gender or the color of their skin.

CalzoneGolem > Tekamul
12/02/2014 at 10:18

I find that to be an Asian thing.

Little Black Coupe Turned Silver > PyramidHat
12/02/2014 at 11:13

Starbucks just recently relaxed their policy on visible tattoos, and it's well, Starbucks.

JoeBauers > El Relámpago(LZone) - Humanity First!
12/02/2014 at 11:16

A couple of things...

1. He didn't land, he crashed apparently 4 times.

2. Look how bad the one guy with all the tats fucked up.

k2b: da man trynta steal mah bloggy!!!!!!! > BJ
12/02/2014 at 11:35

Wow. Look at all the sad judgmental stupidity. The unfortunate thing is that with the economy still being problematic, it's a lot easier for employers to regress to archaic rules because people are so desperate for jobs. That's pretty much how they get you on everything, really.

El Relámpago(LZone) - Humanity First! > JoeBauers
12/02/2014 at 12:08

The mission is a success, so that's a good landing to me.

El Relámpago(LZone) - Humanity First! > Dr Emilio Lizardo
12/02/2014 at 12:09

Hey, I'm 28. Half of my important life is over.

JoeBauers > El Relámpago(LZone) - Humanity First!
12/02/2014 at 12:12

The lander bounced three times and ended up on it's side next to a cliff where the solar panels couldn't get enough light to charge. The screws failed, the thruster failed, the harpoon failed.

That's a success to you?

El Relámpago(LZone) - Humanity First! > Magister
12/02/2014 at 12:12

You're welcome, Gramps.

But hey, some chicks don't even consider dating a guy who isn't at least 15 years older than them. ;)

El Relámpago(LZone) - Humanity First! > Hermann
12/02/2014 at 12:21

Psh, ink is ink, doesn't matter if it has a soap opera story behind it, something meaningful or it's just something that looks to the person who got it.

Kinja'd!!!

I'm also pretty sure he would've approved this one.

BarryDanger > El Relámpago(LZone) - Humanity First!
12/02/2014 at 12:50

I approve! Funny I have an initial appointment for my 3rd tattoo this afternoon - Going with a geometrical mountain goat to channel my spirit animal/tribute to the ole GTO.

Balmut > JoeBauers
12/02/2014 at 13:07

It got there didn't it? That's success enough.

Agent451 > davedave1111
12/02/2014 at 16:15

Alan Shepard, being part of the Mercury Program, would have had tattoos* to mark electrode placements on his body. He piloted the lander, and walked on the Moon.

*Sure, they aren't sleeves, but whatever.

davedave1111 > Agent451
12/02/2014 at 16:26

Welcome, fellow member of the Campaign for Factual Accuracy in Jokes.

Agent451 > davedave1111
12/02/2014 at 16:38

Hopefully membership in the C-FAJ sends me a plaque that I can proudly display beside the one I have from the Department of UNnecessary Contraianism (DUNC).

PyramidHat > BJ
12/02/2014 at 21:26

Wow - I really thought it would not be an issue now. Grateful for the correction...

BJ > PyramidHat
12/02/2014 at 23:02

I didn't mean to pop your bubble! I think that, generally, tattoos are more acceptable than they were even 10 years ago. However, there are obviously some who are either uncomfortable with tattoo culture or are simply unwilling to accept it.

GreatSkyWizard > El Relámpago(LZone) - Humanity First!
12/02/2014 at 23:38

That attitude has quickly changed. I don't want to talk myself up too much, but i'm an award winning journalist and photographer and i've never once needed to cover tattoos or even remove my earrings or piercings. Sure, i'm not a scientist, fffuuuu math(!), but I also deal with people and am in the public eye, every single day. If I can do my job without complaints, then a scientist should never have a problem.

For those wondering, yes i've had comments, but they were more along the lines of, "You're just so sweet, I never would have thought that just by looking at you. Bless your heart." Yea, I live in the south...