Appearance - Beards, Tats & Piercings

[Fishindude77]

Let's hear some opinions.
Beards - I'm talking about the duck commander, bushy, long beards, not neatly groomed stuff.
Tats - Visible tatoos of any type when wearing standard work clothing.
Piercings - Stuff above and beyond ear rings, or even a second ear piercing on women.

What do you think?
Do these items affect someone's employability?
Do they affect someone's earning potential?
Do they create a negative first impression?

[97guns]

Yes to all questions.... I'm not sure if millenials see tattoos as a sign of wealth or what but I know some guys with more money on their arms than their net worth

[bigdaddybus]

I work at a top 30 company in the fortune 500 with between 50K-100K people. We have had a lot of changes the last couple years regarding what is acceptable in our corporate environment.

We employee quite a few people with their arms sleeved with tattoos, bright colored hair (blue/pink/etc) is not unusual. Beards tend to be the hipster types with skin tight jeans.

We tried shorts a few years ago, and that was quickly taken away.

Like most things I think "everything in moderation" is ok. I have heard of a guy who wore pajama pants to work being sent home, women dressing like they are going bar hopping being sent home, and an employee being sent because their BO was distracting. All are things I consider just basic common sense, but not everyone has it.

I don't see a tatted up hipster with a nose ring making it to CEO in my company, but they far from shunned.

[cornfieldj]

Wouldn't it depend completely on the type of employment? Someone who is looking for work as a bartender or maybe some kind of artsy or events-planning work could very likely be hired with tats, facial hair, piercings. Want to work in financial services? Less likely.

I would not rush to say it will hurt someone's earning potential -- really depends on what kind of work they go into. I could see someone selling real estate with facial hair and tats. That person could be fantastic at sales and appeal to a specific kind of millennial homebuyer.

[kork13]

Yes to all questions.... I'm not sure if millenials see tattoos as a sign of wealth or what but I know some guys with more money on their arms than their net worth

For most all of my friends with the above (especially tattoos), it's about "expression". The ones with alot of ink are fully, admittingly aware of the outrageous expense, but the expression of self is more valuable to them than the money.

... So be it.... But I would never do that to myself, and yes, I think those people do have to overcome the initial judgements of others when they show up full of tattoos or piercings. I think beards are somewhat more socially accepted, but only in certain circles.

[StormRichards]

I work for a big corporation and see all of the stuff mentioned, BUT not among middle to top management. Some low level managers of operations work environments.

I think the OP's question was more geared toward Corporate jobs and undoubtedly it impacts earnings potential. Of course a bartender is not going to feel the impact in his/her wallet.

Not buying the real estate agent suggestion above. Unless you are in a hip area, I doubt a tatted agent is going to be a top earner.

Times are changing though and I suspect someday it will be more common at the management/executive level.

I appreciate seeing QUALITY tattoos on other people, but would never spend the money and do it myself.

Piercings in the nose and lips are a put off to me, and I especially hate the earlobe stretching that people do. Of course people are free to express themselves in anyway they choose, but I find the earlobe stretching disturbing.

[scfr]

As others have said, I think it depends on the line of work.

For anyone considering getting a tattoo, I'd suggest getting it some place that can be easily covered up. Not only to maintain a wider degree of current employment options, but also what if in 40 years tattoos are really OUT of fashion, and sporting one dates you and makes you look old fashioned?

[Fishindude77]

I think the OP's question was more geared toward Corporate jobs

Not necessarily .... any kind of quality job / employment.

[StormRichards]

I think the OP's question was more geared toward Corporate jobs

Not necessarily .... any kind of quality job / employment.

Well what is a quality job is quite subjective.

[disneysteve]

I'm 52. To me, tattoos have always been a sign of low class. It was something trashy people did, hence the term "tramp stamp". It just wasn't something that respectable people did (The one exception was folks in the military).

Today, however, that just isn't the case. Tattoos have become much more socially acceptable and I know people in all walks of life and all economic statuses who have them.

That said, I will admit that they still bother me even though some of my best friends have them. I am not in a position where I hire employees but if I were, a candidate with visible tattoos at an interview would be a negative in my first impression. I totally admit that it shouldn't be but it is. It just isn't a professional look in my opinion. Neither is purple hair or a pierced nose. I'm old-fashioned and relatively conservative regarding what is appropriate in a professional work setting.

Again, I totally admit that none of this stuff should matter. If my dentist does a great job, why should I care if she has her eyebrow pierced? If my attorney knows his stuff, what difference does it make if he has a tattoo on the back of his hand? It makes absolutely no sense. It's just the way I was raised. I am trying my best to not judge based on those types of appearances, though, especially as they become far more commonplace.

[rennigade]

It was something trashy people did, hence the term "tramp stamp"..

A tramp stamp is located on the lower back. Thats not a generic term for a tattoo anywhere on the body...its a specific place.

As far as tattoos in the workplace...I think its a good idea to have the ability to cover up a tattoo with an article of clothing. When I was younger I thought tattoos were dumb...but as I get older I seem to like them more. I think half sleeves and full sleeves are awesome...assuming the graphics are "cool" and flow well. Back/chest/leg tattoos are still lame for the most part.

If you have tattoos that are exposed then yes...it will almost certainly affect how far you can climb up the corporate ladder. As they become more acceptable throughout the years this will change but at the moment it doesnt help much.

[Eagle]

Let's hear some opinions.
Beards - I'm talking about the duck commander, bushy, long beards, not neatly groomed stuff.
Tats - Visible tatoos of any type when wearing standard work clothing.
Piercings - Stuff above and beyond ear rings, or even a second ear piercing on women.

What do you think?
Do these items affect someone's employability?
Do they affect someone's earning potential?
Do they create a negative first impression?

I work for a Fortune 500 company.

A. Among the salaried employees I see:

Very few people where with bushy beards or long hair.

Very few people here with visible tattoos.

Very few people here have piercings beyond ear rings for women.

B. Among the hourly employees I see:

People with bushy beards or long hair.

People with visible tattoos.

People with visible additional ear, nose, tongue, and body piercings.



I personally think that these can to some degree present a negative first impression, affect a person's earning potential, affect a person's eligibility for promotion, etc. At least I think this is the case in more traditional, office job settings.

Perhaps this isn't as big of a deal in shop settings, etc.

Also, many companies have strict policies regarding dress code.

So this may be more of a white collar verses blue collar concept idea?

[disneysteve]

I personally think that these can to some degree present a negative first impression, affect a person's earning potential, affect a person's eligibility for promotion, etc. At least I think this is the case in more traditional, office job settings.

The question really becomes WHY? It seems that the only real reason is because it's always been that way.

Obviously, if I went out tonight and got a tattoo, it would change absolutely nothing about my professional knowledge or abilities. If I left work and stopped at the mall and got a piercing done, I would be the exact same person that I was before that. But it would absolutely affect people's perception of me. It's really a shame when you think about it that way.

[bennkar]

The question really becomes WHY? It seems that the only real reason is because it's always been that way.

I see it (tattoos) negatively in most cases, and boy have I seen some crazy tattoos up close and personal. Most tattoos look, to me anyway, very poor quality or are excessive. Small discrete tattoos of high quality can be great, though I have only seen a few of them.

Really, to me they are just being lazy and wanting to fit in. If they want to look great here's a thought - be clean, dress neat, and keep yourself in shape. Workout. Jog. Do something constructive. You can look much more impressive and amazing to others doing that and not have permanent marks all over your body. This method is harder and people want easy results, and tattoos are easy. (Yeah, I'm 54 and an old fogey now I guess, but I workout daily and could probably kick the @$$ of most of the 40 y.o.'s I see with tattoos today. )

[Outdoorsygal]

Tattoos are controversial as are piercings. Hence their appeal

It's a LOOK AT ME mentality

Grooming is important so a long bearded man being a chef is probably not very appetizing.

If he's playing James Capen Adams aka Grizzly Adams in a new Grizzly Adams movie, well it's perfect.

Context is key