Tatted and Proud!

You look at me and what are the first things you notice. All you see is a short girl with long curly brown hair. I open my mouth and all you hear is this loud voice that came out of this little body. You look at my resume and see that I am a very involved person and a leader in many different activities. When you look at me do you think I would have a tattoo? To answer that simple question I have a tattoo. When you look at my with a t-shirt and shorts on you would never be able to see it, but when it comes to summer and I am in a bathing suit you would be able to see my tattoo.

            When getting hired for a job these days, a big part of getting the job is based on appearance. When looking at my appearance an employer would never be able to guess if I had a tattoo or not, nor would they know the meaning behind it. My tattoo has meaning behind it; it was not just put on my body to be there. When a person puts ink onto their body there is always a meaning whether or not it is just for art or if it has a personal meaning (Why Do).

            My tattoo is not only on my skin but also on my two sister’s skin as well. Together we all have a matching tattoo. On our sixteenth birthday my older sister had bought myself and my twin all matching necklaces. Little did I know two years later that the three of us would get that all tattooed onto our bodies. The necklace is a big heart with three little hearts inside of the big heart. Each little heart represents one of us and the big heart is the love that we all share for each other. Now around the side of the necklace it says “Chance made us sisters, hearts made us friends”. This just states that yes we are connected all by the same mother and father, but with our hearts we all became the best of friends.

            Looking at my tattoo some people just see black ink tattooed on my rib cage, but once they ask, they find out that the black ink isn’t only on my rib cage but two other people’s rib cages; and if they just give me two minutes of their time they will know the meaning behind it. At first glance I do not stereotypically look like a girl that has a tattoo. Once you see my tattoo it is real and it does have meaning. When you get tattooed you do not get tattooed just for the hell of it, while some people may say that it has no meaning it most likely does, whether it is a personal meaning or just an art form there is a meaning and sometimes a story behind every tattoo (Why Do).

"Why Do People Get Tattoos?" Web log post. TheTattooedEngineer: Tattoos and Tech. The Tattooed Engineer, 26 May 2011. Web. 6 Apr. 2013.

This blog talks about why people get tattoos and their meanings for getting them. This blog is very helpful because it has plenty of articles that deal with tattoos in many different. This source is credible because the man behind this entire article may just be an average man but it does say he has some knowledge about tattoos by having tattoos.  The blog is very resourceful and a lot of information for tattoo artist or any wanting a tattoo. 

Don’t Let Your Tattoo Send the Wrong Signal

Tattoos come in all types of shape, sizes, and color. Some have meaning, while others are just a form of art. Coming into the corporate world, your future employer most likely will not appreciate if you have tattoos that are in spots that cannot be covered. They tend to be considered ‘unprofessional’ to have (Kilgannon). What is the main reason behind not letting tattoos show in the corporate world?  Why are the considered ‘unprofessional’? To a person a tattoo can mean a thousand things while to your employer it can just mean one thing; that is a ‘no’ when it comes to hiring you for a job.

Tattoos carry the stigma of being ‘unprofessional’. They also are carried with bad reputations, such as gangs (Kilgannon). When it comes to dealing with gangs that is something no employer wants to take any part in. Having a company see an employee that has a tattoo that is gang related puts a horrible stereotype not only for the employee with the tattoo but also for the whole entire company. Gangs carry a stereotype that is much worse than tattoos because they deal with guns and violence (Kilgannon).

An indicator to an employer that a tattoo can possible be gang related is based on color. In an article in The New York Times it states “To many bosses, red ink on the skin means “gang colors”. The next stereotype that an employer sees is the color of the tattoo they think of the background and history that is carried with that tattoo. No employer wants to deal with a criminal, someone who was in prison, or the violence that they can bring. They will automatically pass judgment and say that gangs are without a doubt ‘unprofessional’.

Having a tattoo automatically puts you in a bad placement no matter what the meaning may be behind it.

Kilgannon, Corey. "When Tattoos Hurt Job Prospects." The New York Times. 2013 The New York Times Company, 1 Apr. 2009. Web. 6 Apr. 2013.

This article is about how having a tattoo hurts you getting a job in the corporate world. The article comes off the extremely popular New York Times website. There are plenty of useful, helpful and reliable information that comes from the New York Times website. The author of this article is very credible he has written plenty of articles for this website and none of them have had false information. As a whole this is a great source to use.

At age 18 do you think you can handle all of that?

At age 18 majority of adolescents are graduating high school and becoming with what society calls these days ‘adults’. At age 18 you have spent more than half of my life in school; 12 out of the 18 years you have lived you have spent those years getting an education. But at age 18 do you really know what you want to do for the rest of your life? At age 18 do you really want that tattoo on your body; because it is going to be there the rest of your life?

            To get ink tattooed onto a person’s body you need to be at least 18 to get it done without parent consent (Ashley). But did anyone every stop and think about it that the tattoo age is to young? At age 18 we have not had enough experience to know that we want something to be permanent on our bodies for the rest of our lives. The only thing that we have done at age 18 is go to school, and that’s all we really know. A person is considered an adult at age 18. At age 18 you can vote in the presidential election, buy tobacco, enlist in the army, and get a tattoo. We do not have enough knowledge to know that this is what we want to do at age 18. But what makes age 18 so different from ages 17 or 19; these things that adults can do, like, enlist in the army and get tattoos are not decision that should be made at such a young age.

            At age 18 society also wants us to go to college and figure out what we want to do for the rest of our lives. But has anyone ever taken a step back and really thought that 18 is too young of an age to do some of these things. To get a tattoo at 18 is too young of an age to permanently mark something on your body (Ashley). Getting a tattoo is a really important decision. You never just want to go into a tattoo parlor and pick something out of a book (Ashley). At age 18 that is how a lot of people pick how they get their tattoos, they just want a tattoo so they just pick anything. Also 18 year olds get tattoos when things such as peer pressure and alcohol are involved and that is just never a good mix (Ashley). Having a tattoo affects job opportunities, and it automatically gives people the right to pass judgment on you just because you have a tattoo. At age 18 do you think you can handle all of that?

Ashley. "Be Responsible When It Comes To A Tattoo." Web log post. Infinite Tattoos Blog. N.p., 26 Mar. 2009. Web. 6 Apr. 2013.

This blog post discusses to be responsible when it comes to getting and picking out a tattoo. This blog is credible because all the post on the blog talk about tattoos. The author has articles about researching the tattoo artist, getting a tattoo in the right state of mind, foot tattoos, and a lot more. The blog has a numerous amount of articles that would interest a tattoo artist, someone getting a tattoo, people who have tattoos, or even for people who are just interested in them. The author of this blog is a woman named Ashley. There is no personal information about Ashley posted to know if she is any expert about tattoos or not. Based alone from her picture posted, Ashley seems like a person that knows what she is talking about because she has two full sleeves of tattoos. Based on knowledge if someone has two sleeves of tattoos they know a little something about tattoos themselves.

What Do You Want to Be When You Grow Up?

Do you know what you want to do for the rest of your life? Well if you do that’s great, but if you don’t then you need to think long and hard before you get a tattoo. Depending on what you want to do with the rest of your life and where you work and depending on the tattoo placement you cannot be hired for a job because of that. Getting a tattoo requires a lot of thought. Before putting permanent ink onto your body make sure you think about your future and if having a tattoo in a certain place is appropriate for what you would like to do later in life.

            As time changes, companies are changing their dress codes, but they are still strict when it comes to tattoos (Body Art). A rule that seems to be pretty general in all work places is the “Don’t Show, Don’t Tell” policy. If a tattoo cannot be seen when wearing appropriate dress attire then do not tell anyone you have a tattoo (Body Art). Companies these days also go with the as-long-as-they-cannot-see-the-tattoo-then-they-have-no-problem-with-you-having-it approach. Even though companies may be changing their dress codes you still need to think long and hard about the placement of a future tattoo.

            Also evaluate what you want to do with your life because the judgment of having a tattoo is all based upon where you choose to work. If you are looking to do something in the music and arts environment as jobs then they are more accepting of you having a tattoo (Body Art). If you wish to become a business man and work on Wall Street one day they do not like tattoos showing at all (Body Art). They want to keep it extremely professional and they feel tattoos are unacceptable. It all depends on placement and environment when having a tattoo; just make sure you think long and hard about it before you actually put the ink onto your body.

"Body Art and Tattoos in the Workplace | Fox News." Fox News. FOX News Network, 21 Oct. 2006. Web. 06 Apr. 2013.

This article talks about having tattoos in the workplace and in different work environments. This source is credible because it is an article coming from the Fox News website. The author for the article is not given, so information to tell if the author is credible is not applicable. This website is a good source because it is coming from a very popular new website that is used by thousands of people. People such as employers or people who have tattoos would be interested in this article because it tells them what some professions think about having tattoos.

Welcome to 2013!

While many employers are stereo typically under the “no tattoos allowed” policy, there are more up and coming employers who are a little more lenient when it comes to their employees having tattoos (Matheson). In today’s society it is more common and open for the younger generation to get tattoos and them not to judge each other for having tattoos; in comparison to older generations, they feel tattoos are unacceptable and you should not permanently put something like that on your body. It is much more common for a person to go into an interview having a tattoo and them possible still have the chance of getting hired rather than back in the old days they wouldn't even consider hiring someone who has a tattoo (Matheson).

Many places will hire a person with tattoos such as the YMCA and Disney (Matheson). These companies look at tattoos in different ways but will still hire you if you have a tattoo. Disney Company will hire someone with a tattoo as long as it is covered and cannot be seen. YMCA will hire people with tattoos depending where they are placed and what they are. The YMCA hires many lifeguards every year to watch the pools and majority of their lifeguards are between the ages of 21-30 and have tattoos (Matheson). With their employees having tattoos they first must be approved because they will be seen by many children. If they have profanity, racial slurs, or a marijuana leaf tattooed on them then it needs to be covered because they are unacceptable to have (Matheson). There are also many restaurants and other jobs who do hire plenty of employees who are tattooed and they are shown and they do not have a problem with it.

It is now 2013 and things are completely different now. Technology has changed, society has changed, and so is the way people look at others for having tattoos. While there still are a big part of companies who think having tattoos is unprofessional and they cannot be seen in the work place, there still are plenty of other companies who think the opposite. If a tattoo is what you wish to put onto your body don’t have the fear they you will never be hired. Know that it may be harder. Times and people are changing and in today’s society employers are way more accepting of tattoos.

Matheson, Charisa. "Body Art in the Business World." MARITZ INC. St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Inc., 11 June 2001. Web. 6 Apr. 2013. <http://jw3mh2cm6n.search.serialssolutions.com/?ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&ctx_enc=info%3Aofi%2Fenc%3AUTF-8&rfr_id=info:sid/summon.serialssolutions.com&rft_val_fmt=info:ofi/fmt:kev:mtx:journal&rft.genre=article&rft.atitle=BODY+ART+IN+THE+BUSINESS+WORLD+TATTOOS%2C+PIERCINGS+AND+WILD+HAIR+COLORS+ARE+MORE+ACCEPTED%2C+AND+IN+SOME+CASES+WELCOMED%2C+BY+BUSINESS+OWNERS+AND+HR+MANAGERS&rft.jtitle=St.+Louis+Post+-+Dispatch&rft.au=Repps+Hudson+Of+The+Post-Dispatch&rft.date=2001-06-11&rft.pub=Pulitzer%2C+Inc&rft.issn=1930-9600&rft.spage=10&rft.externalDocID=73942491>.

This database is about having tattoos in the business world and what people think of them. This source is discuss how it is becoming more accepting to have in the corporate world compared to back in the day.  The source is credible because it came off on the East Carolina University database. When it comes to finding out if the author is credible or not I could not find any information if she has any right discussing this topic. When it comes to the article as a whole this source is reliable. 

Smile! It is the Best First Impression to Make.

First impressions are everything. By first glance a person will pass their judgment on you just by the way you look at that moment in time when they first see you. When going into an important job interview they always say make a good first impression because that is what stays in there head. But why it is when a person with a tattoo comes in to apply for a job and goes into for an interview they automatically make a bad first impression? If their resume is the exact same as they person sitting next to them, why is it that the person without tattoos will get the job?

            While tattoos are becoming more up and coming in today’s society a lot of companies are still extremely closed minded to their employees having them. If a person comes into an interview with a tattoo they are most likely not going to get the job. Even if they have all the qualifications to have the job they will not get the job because in the corporate world appearance in everything to them. It all comes down to what you are wearing and how you are going to represent the company. Now a day people are so caught up in appearance they could care less if you ever had the qualifications for the job!

            It is sickening to the fact that someone will not be hired because of their tattoo, this just shows that a company will hire over appearance instead of qualification. An employer would rather you have your tattoo removed instead of hiring you; in comparison to just hiring you because you are qualified (Tattoo Removal). Tattoo removal is not the solution to the problem. It is a serious procedure and needs a lot of thought into before going through with it. At first glance you can be the best person for the job, but as soon as that ink is shown on your skin judgments and opinions will get passed. Make sure your first impression is the best impression.

"Tattoo Removal Company Is All about Changing Lives." ABI/INFORM Complete. McClatchy - Tribune Information Services, 5 Nov. 2012. Web. 6 Apr. 2013. <http://search.proquest.com.jproxy.lib.ecu.edu/docview/1130468404?accountid=10639>.

This article from a data base talks about a company that deals with tattoo removal. This is a very credible source because I found it on the East Carolina University library database. The database focuses on a store owner who deals with removing tattoos and is business. The author is not given to know if the author themselves is credible or not.  This source as a whole can be extremely useful because it comes off a database.  

Annotated Bibliography

Ashley. "Be Responsible When It Comes To A Tattoo." Web log post. Infinite Tattoos Blog. N.p., 26 Mar. 2009. Web. 6 Apr. 2013.

This blog post discusses to be responsible when it comes to getting and picking out a tattoo. This blog is credible because all the post on the blog talk about tattoos. The author has articles about researching the tattoo artist, getting a tattoo in the right state of mind, foot tattoos, and a lot more. The blog has a numerous amount of articles that would interest a tattoo artist, someone getting a tattoo, people who have tattoos, or even for people who are just interested in them. The author of this blog is a woman named Ashley. There is no personal information about Ashley posted to know if she is any expert about tattoos or not. Based alone from her picture posted, Ashley seems like a person that knows what she is talking about because she has two full sleeves of tattoos. Based on knowledge if someone has two sleeves of tattoos they know a little something about tattoos themselves.

"Body Art and Tattoos in the Workplace | Fox News." Fox News. FOX News Network, 21 Oct. 2006. Web. 06 Apr. 2013.

This article talks about having tattoos in the workplace and in different work environments. This source is credible because it is an article coming from the Fox News website. The author for the article is not given, so information to tell if the author is credible is not apical. This website is a good source because it is coming from a very popular new website that is used by thousands of people. People such as employers or people who have tattoos would be interested in this article because it tells them what some professions think about having tattoos.

Kilgannon, Corey. "When Tattoos Hurt Job Prospects." The New York Times. 2013 The New York Times Company, 1 Apr. 2009. Web. 6 Apr. 2013.

This article is about how having a tattoo hurts you getting a job in the corporate world. The article comes off the extremely popular New York Times website. There are plenty of useful, helpful and reliable information that comes from the New York Times website. The author of this article is very credible he has written plenty of articles for this website and none of them have had false information. As a whole this is a great source to use.

Matheson, Charisa. "Body Art in the Business World." MARITZ INC. St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Inc., 11 June 2001. Web. 6 Apr. 2013. <http://jw3mh2cm6n.search.serialssolutions.com/?ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&ctx_enc=info%3Aofi%2Fenc%3AUTF-8&rfr_id=info:sid/summon.serialssolutions.com&rft_val_fmt=info:ofi/fmt:kev:mtx:journal&rft.genre=article&rft.atitle=BODY+ART+IN+THE+BUSINESS+WORLD+TATTOOS%2C+PIERCINGS+AND+WILD+HAIR+COLORS+ARE+MORE+ACCEPTED%2C+AND+IN+SOME+CASES+WELCOMED%2C+BY+BUSINESS+OWNERS+AND+HR+MANAGERS&rft.jtitle=St.+Louis+Post+-+Dispatch&rft.au=Repps+Hudson+Of+The+Post-Dispatch&rft.date=2001-06-11&rft.pub=Pulitzer%2C+Inc&rft.issn=1930-9600&rft.spage=10&rft.externalDocID=73942491>.

This database is about having tattoos in the business world and what people think of them. This source is discuss how it is becoming more accepting to have in the corporate world compared to back in the day.  The source is credible because it came off on the East Carolina University database. When it comes to finding out if the author is credible or not I could not find any information if she has any right discussing this topic. When it comes to the article as a whole this source is reliable.

"Tattoo Removal Company Is All about Changing Lives." ABI/INFORM Complete. McClatchy - Tribune Information Services, 5 Nov. 2012. Web. 6 Apr. 2013. <http://search.proquest.com.jproxy.lib.ecu.edu/docview/1130468404?accountid=10639>.

This article from a data base talks about a company that deals with tattoo removal. This is a very credible source because I found it on the East Carolina University library database. The database focuses on a store owner who deals with removing tattoos and is business. The author is not given to know if the author themselves is credible or not.  This source as a whole can be extremely useful because it comes off a database.  

"Why Do People Get Tattoos?" Web log post. TheTattooedEngineer: Tattoos and Tech. The Tattooed Engineer, 26 May 2011. Web. 6 Apr. 2013.

This blog talks about why people get tattoos and their meanings for getting them. This blog is very helpful because it has plenty of articles that deal with tattoos in many different. This source is credible because the man behind this entire article may just be an average man but it does say he has some knowledge about tattoos by having tattoos.  The blog is very resourceful and a lot of information for tattoo artist or any wanting a tattoo.