 "Photo: Mitch Ramos / UCD Advocate")
 "Photo: Mitch Ramos / UCD Advocate")
In light of tough economic times, advisors at UC Denver discourage job-seeking students from doing anything that would give prospective employers a reason to weed them out of the applicant pool. One potential job-killer on the table for discussion: tattoos and their effect on students’ desirability as job candidates.
Every day, Americans are being laid off and forced back into the job race. The national unemployment rate hovers at 10 percent, making competition for a stable career fierce. With some experts saying the United States is in the worst economic situation since the Great Depression, this is bleak news for the first-time job seekers.
A recent survey completed by the National Association of College Employers states approximately one-third of employers would allow a visible tattoo to negatively impact their decision to hire a candidate.
According to Pew Research, a non-partisan public research center, between 35 and 40 percent of adults ages 18 to 40 have at least one piece of body art.
In a corporate world and brutally competitive job market, students are encouraged to think about how visible tattoos and body modification may affect their ability to be taken seriously in a professional environment.
Joanne Kraning, director of the UCD Career Center, believes that the information released by the National Association of College Employers is enough evidence for students to do everything they can to compensate, including covering their body art.
“Enjoy [your tattoo] when you’re not in the job interviewing process,” she said. However, she advised that when actively seeking employment, students with visible tattoos should ensure that all components of their application are absolutely perfect.
Kraning’s advice mirrors that of Tam Barthel, an internship advisor with the UCD Experiential Learning Center, who spends her days helping students tailor information in their resumes to their desired career path.
When working with students, Barthel said that she addresses the issue of appearance by having a conversation about the culture of the organization in which they are applying.
She asks students with body modifications questions like, “How does the organization address [tattoos]? How are you going to cover it up?”
Nevertheless, Barthel stated that this advice does not apply to all UCD students, as concern about a student’s appearance heavily depends upon their field of interest. Barthel found that the acceptance of tattoos favor those in the College of Arts and Media.
“If it’s business, the trend is more than likely to want them to have it covered up,” she said.
On the other hand, John A. Challenger—owner of Challenger, Gray & Christmas, the nation’s oldest outplacement firm—believes that times have changed.
Challenger has found in his research that employers are less concerned with tattoos and more offended by baggy, underwear-revealing pants and cell phones during job interviews.
Regardless, Challenger warns job seekers not to forget that human resources managers may make hiring decisions based upon their own biases, which may or may not define tattoos as rebellious or defiant.
According to Ryan Fochtman, a heavily tattooed senior at UCD, “it comes down to the individual with the tattoos.”
He asserts that an applicant’s professional attributes and qualifications are far more important than any physical adornment. “In my experience, it’s possible to change opinions of people based upon what you as a person offer,” he said.
“If people are going to misrepresent themselves, it won’t be because of their tattoos; it will be because they presented themselves without integrity [or] a strong character, which are what employers are looking for,” he said.
What is most important to Fochtman is that he achieves his goals. He said that he is willing to accommodate future employers and their preexisting judgments about tattoos in order to achieve his ultimate objective of becoming a professor of philosophy.
The question presented to students by both Fochtman and UCD advisors is whether or not their career goals are important enough to make the self-sacrifice to cover up body art when the cultural standards of a potential employer demand it.
Whether a job applicant is ink-stained or not, the quality of a student’s professional credentials is paramount, said UCD advisors. They encourage students to work on their resume, cover letter, and interview skills.
Fochtman encourages students to consider their own biases in addition to prepping for the job application process. He warns against discriminating against employers for their pre-existing inclinations.
While he believes that tattoos are becoming more socially acceptable, and therefore less of an issue in the workplace, he also believes there are more important issues than the decision to get tattooed, such as the economy and a commitment to an over-arching goal. “People should direct their lives based on their goals; [tattoos] are arbitrary.”
At the end of the day, the common thread of advice is, in Kraning’s words, “Do everything you can to set yourself apart in a positive light.” For students, whether this means choosing which long-sleeve shirt to wear or how to write the perfect cover letter, the UCD career center and experiential learning center are available to help students present themselves as strong, well-rounded candidates—regardless of how many tattoos they may have under their clothes.
For information on the Experiential Learning Center call 303-556-6656 or visit Tivoli 260.
For information on the UC-Denver Career Center, call 303-556-2250 or visit Tivoli 267.
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