When I got my first tattoo at 18 my parents were convinced that I’d consequently limited my future career options to bartender, waiter or organised criminal.

12 years later (don’t do the math), and while it’s still advisable to cover your tattoos during the interview process, you’d be hardpressed to find an industry, especially a creative one, that doesn’t have at least one tattooed employee.

Once you’ve been hired, it’s unlikely that you’ll cause a stir once your ink is revealed, reports Business Insider.

“Nobody gets fired for having a tattoo after you’ve accepted a job,” Ruettimann said. “In most industries, your boss and colleagues will just shrug their shoulders and adapt to the way you look.”

But there are two types of tattoos that aren’t likely to fly: face and neck tattoos. Ruettimann said those tattoos will likely disqualify you from jobs where you’ll be meeting clients in particular.

Tattoos on your face are generally a bad idea. They don’t age well and they’re hard to cover up if necessary.

Tattoos above the neckline retain a non-professional air. Anna Felicity Friedman, a scholar who runs the website Tattoo Historian, told The New York Times wrote in a recent article that face tattoos are gaining popularity among musicians because they’re so shocking.

“If you want to be transgressive – and a lot of rappers want to create a transgressive character – the last frontier is the face,” Friedman said. “Some of it is to give them a rebel/criminal allure. And some of it is a more artistic or free-spirit reference.”

Less controversial, but up for debate, is the hand tattoo. Like other ink, the reception of a hand tattoo really comes down to how it’s perceived by co-workers. In a law-firm for example, clients, often older more conservative clients, are definitely going to see your hand tatt.

Whether the ink is on your face or secreted away on your ankle, few executives nowadays are tattooed. It’s important to keep any tattoos hidden when shooting for higher-up roles.

“The higher you go in your career the more scrutinised your appearance will be, regardless of industry,” Cenedella said.

That might be the case for now, but it’s likely to change as tattoos become more mainstream. Here are a few final tips from me for choosing a tattoo should you decide to ink up, because a shitty looking tattoo isn’t going to increase your chances of getting hired:

• Be willing to spend some serious cash. Tattoos are for life, so going for the cheaper, less experienced tattooer is just plain stupid. Rather pay a professional tattoo artist to do what they’re good at.
• Take your tattoo artist’s advice. An experienced tattoo artist will work with you to ensure the best possible design, placement and concept. Be wary of tattooers who just stencil and ink without consultation.
• No religious symbols, political symbols, partner’s names, band names, band logos, genitals or portraits of living famous people – if they’re not dead, they can still disappoint you.
• Finally, if it’s trending don’t tattoo it. Remember that dolphins and butterfly tramp stamps were trending a few years back, and nobody in the present is happy with their past selves for getting that done. Choose a tattoo that speaks to you and your aesthetic.

You’ll notice that I make the distinction between a tattooer and a tattoo artist. Anyone can buy a machine and learn to follow the lines of a stencil. You want an artist to work on your skin. Do your research and figure out the difference.

Happy inking.

[source:businessinsider]