The stigma around tattoos
Three high schoolers explain their tattoos and how they affect their jobs
Matching, homemade tattoos. Senior Cole Hohenstein displays his tattoo done by his older sister, Avery. He made a pact with his two older sisters to get coordinating tattoos symbolizing each of their astrological signs. Avery ordered tattoo materials off of the internet to begin her tattooing career and proposed the idea of giving family members some tattoos. She asked Cole to be her guinea pig, and he said yes. “I remember when she showed me this idea of getting matching tattoos of our symbols and I loved it. Then she tattooed me,” Hohenstein said.
Many people are getting tattoos nowadays, and there are countless kinds of tattoos and places to put them. Everyone has their own thoughts on tattoos and whether they’re good or bad, especially when it comes to employers. Several jobs have their own policy on tattoos, and it can make or break whether an applicant gets the job or not.
Senior Austin Gray has a half sleeve tattoo which starts on his shoulder and goes to his elbow. He has always wanted a tattoo since he was little, but he also realized he needed a job to pay for college and other expenses. He eventually got a job at Wendy’s.
“[Wendy’s] doesn’t have a problem with tattoos; actually most of my coworkers have tattoos,” said Gray.
Many workplaces don’t have rules on tattoos.On the other hand some workplaces require people to have easily coverable tattoos because it’s more professional.
“I have a half sleeve at the moment which is very easy to cover up, but anything below that can become difficult to cover and more difficult when trying to find a more serious job,” said Gray.
Senior Abby Lyons has a flower tattoo on her forearm that she recently got. Lyons works at Justice, which is a store that sells girls clothing and fashion for tweens.
“Justice doesn’t have a problem with tattoos; my managers and boss love it,” said Lyons.
Many companies that employ teenagers at are completely fine with tattoos. A problem arises when people get uninviting tattoos.
“At Justice, the only problem with tattoos is if the tattoo is visible and is inappropriate for children,” said Lyons.
If you’re deciding to get a tattoo, think on it and think about the placement and what the tattoo consists of. It can make or break you on getting that last open spot at a workplace. Junior Karina Dahlquist just got a flower tattoo on her side this past spring break. Dahlquist took her time to think about her tattoo and her reasoning to get it.
“My tattoo consists of four flowers on my side, and each flower is for each of my grandparents. I’ve always wanted to get a tattoo, and each of my grandparents have affected my life in a way, so putting their birth flower on my skin brought me so much joy,” said Dahlquist.
There are many reasons why people decide to get tattoos. Whether to show homage to their loved ones, create a bond to someone who has died, show how much you love a celebrity, or even just to get something you like permanently on your skin – whatever the reason is, you should get some insight on if you truly want this piece of art on your body.
“Even when my grandparents die, I’ll have something to cherish to remember them by, which makes me feel even more happy and honored to be able to put their birth flowers on my body for forever,” said Dahlquist.
There are many purposes to get tattoos, but think before you get them, and know the rules and regulations of your job and/or future jobs to make sure you’ll be fine and ready for your job.
