Tattoos in the work place?

I've been thinking about it more and more the last few days; trying to decide my reasons for wanting work done. I'm about half way through a combined major in geology and economics. My future, most likely, has been pretty much laid out in front of me by my Dad. He owns a drilling and exploration company, works in the diamond exploration field and has many, many connections. I have been working alongside him for the past 7 years now so I know a good portion of his contacts. Getting a job won't be hard.

Maybe it's just my mind running but I can picture the lifestyle I'm going to be getting into. Very business-like and very old-fashion too. From what I've been told, the mining community is quite the "old boys club". I desperately don't want to conform to this group. I don't want the cookie-cutter lifestyle that comes along with what I'm planning on doing. As of now, most of my friends are pretty alternative. Once I'm finished school and get a job, I'll have to cut my hair, take out my piercings and wear a suit everyday. I figure if I have work done now, I'll have something that can never be taken away from me. A reminder from my younger years? I want something that will hopefully allow me to stay in touch with who I really am.

Does that make any sense? I might be way off base in my thinking but that is just how I feel.

Originally Posted by DucatiCole

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I desperately don't want to conform to this group. I don't want the cookie-cutter lifestyle that comes along with what I'm planning on doing.
Then why do it? Do you want to go this route because it is easy and secure or because you believe you will enjoy it and be successful? There is nothing wrong in not doing what your parents do. A.

Look, I can give you the trite answer but that is what I really think. Forget rebelling through appearance and all that rubbish. It won't really change who you are nor will it change what you will still need to do at work. Thing is, you can have the best of both world. You will be in the old boys club, attending business functions overflowing with expensive scotch in your slick suit AND you can still have parties with all your friends getting drunk while watching Pink Flamingoes with a Merzbow CD playing in the background (long hair or not). The surface stuff in reality does not really matter I personally gave up on most of that sort a long time ago because I felt trapped that way. I'd rather be the person that will surprise and/or scare someone through my tastes and views than through my appearance If you can cover the tattoos, get them. But I think it is a good idea that you are examining your motives over them. Not enough people do that IMHO. I hope those scatterred thoughts made some sense. Edit: Aaron has a point there, too. It does sound like a great opportunity IF you want to take it.

Originally Posted by skalogre

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You will be in the old boys club, attending business functions overflowing with expensive scotch in your slick suit AND you can still have parties with all your friends getting drunk while watching Pink Flamingoes with a Merzbow CD playing in the background
This Is How We Roll

I'm in college majoring in geography right now. Have a half-sleeve and some chest work right now. I'm really itching to get my tattoo extended to a full sleeve. That means right to the wrist. I foresee that I'll be working in an office environment and thats holding me back.

So if i can cover up my tats, does it even matter how much work i have done?

Originally Posted by skalogre

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Forget rebelling through appearance and all that rubbish. It won't really change who you are nor will it change what you will still need to do at work.


that's some deep ****..... totally agree

Originally Posted by m@T

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This Is How We Roll

Heh, I practically lifted that from one of your past TIHWR posts

Originally Posted by bob

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I'm in college majoring in geography right now. Have a half-sleeve and some chest work right now. I'm really itching to get my tattoo extended to a full sleeve. That means right to the wrist. I foresee that I'll be working in an office environment and thats holding me back. So if i can cover up my tats, does it even matter how much work i have done?
You know, probably not. However keep in mind that you should make a very careful decision about what areas you'll have tattooed. If you want some inspiration, look at you local library (or check a local bookshop) for a book like The Japanese Tattoo or Bushido: Legacies of the Japanese tattoo that has a lot of traditional-yakuza style full body tattoos. You'll notice that they have a very specific shape and coverage in order to allow the wearer to conceal these when trying to pass off as a respectable citizen

Thanks for the reply. I already own those books. Those are exactly themes I'm interested in. And I'm also a very respectable citizen with a love of tattoos. But you're right, it is something to think about.

I'm curious as to how you would know about those books though?

Originally Posted by DucatiCole

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I've been thinking about it more and more the last few days; trying to decide my reasons for wanting work done. I'm about half way through a combined major in geology and economics. My future, most likely, has been pretty much laid out in front of me by my Dad. He owns a drilling and exploration company, works in the diamond exploration field and has many, many connections. I have been working alongside him for the past 7 years now so I know a good portion of his contacts. Getting a job won't be hard.

Maybe it's just my mind running but I can picture the lifestyle I'm going to be getting into. Very business-like and very old-fashion too. From what I've been told, the mining community is quite the "old boys club". I desperately don't want to conform to this group. I don't want the cookie-cutter lifestyle that comes along with what I'm planning on doing. As of now, most of my friends are pretty alternative. Once I'm finished school and get a job, I'll have to cut my hair, take out my piercings and wear a suit everyday. I figure if I have work done now, I'll have something that can never be taken away from me. A reminder from my younger years? I want something that will hopefully allow me to stay in touch with who I really am.

Does that make any sense? I might be way off base in my thinking but that is just how I feel.


1. my dad, who comes from what could be called a very good, if poor, family (somebody over on the mayflower, ascestor militia officer in revolution, grandfather had a reference in the enclyclpedia) , had trouble putting food on the table for part of his life, and got to 55 without a penny in his retirement fund, even though he had a pretty good education as an engineer. he would say that the single moment that most influneced his life and career was when, in his early twneties, he chose not to put on shoes to greet his aunt who came to visit. she was the wife of the uncle who had inherited the grandfather's business and who had offered him a job for when he graduated. somehow, the offended lady had gotten the offer taken back, and his "connections" didn't pan out.

2. connections get you jobs, they don't keep them for you.

Originally Posted by Get Smart

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I work in a "creative environment" so the tattoos are no big deal.
Same here, my co-workers never had any trouble with my tattoos. Before I moved to the USA, I worked in a really fancy salon and sometimes I had clients say rude things about my tattoos. So I was getting to a point where I prefered to wear long sleeves. I don't know. Since I grew really tired of answering the same old tattoo questions (where did you get it, didn' t it hurt? how much did it cost? what did your parents say? what are you going to do when youre old?) I chose to wear long sleeves alot more than I thought I would when I got my full sleeves.

Originally Posted by bob

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Thanks for the reply. I already own those books. Those are exactly themes I'm interested in. And I'm also a very respectable citizen with a love of tattoos. But you're right, it is something to think about. I'm curious as to how you would know about those books though?
My wife has a few large-ish tattoos, the ones on her back are of a dragon and a phoenix. We did some extensive research in themes and style before she committed to the designs, just to get things right and not fall in to the weird symbolism trap or something like the "Insert General Tzo's chicken here" trap Plus I was trying to get together a unified sensible theme for the koshirae of my iaito and wanted to avoid anything too trite, so I also loaded up on books on Japanese mythology and art. Btw, if you want more ideas, there is a seller on eBay that has some EXCELLENT books on all sort of themes including tattioo designs. The majority are in japanese but many have great illustrations:

Originally Posted by skalogre

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not fall in to the weird symbolism trap or something like the "Insert General Tzo's chicken here" trap

on that note this pic is pretty funny, shoe on the other foot

Originally Posted by Get Smart

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on that note this pic is pretty funny, shoe on the other foot

Sorry to necro this thread, but I haven't been active on the forum much lately and I guess I missed it.

I'm a 35-year old lawyer and am currently working on full arm sleeves. My interest is in vintage Americana flash and vintage-inspired custom work - Sailor Jerry and his spiritual progeny. An American traditional sleeve, unlike a Japanese traditional sleeve, is generally not one "flowing" piece, but a collection of separate pieces. Some people get pieces by many different artists.

I currently have 15 separate pieces on my arms, going down to just above my wrist bone. Some are pretty large, some are small, some are flash, some are custom. Because they're trad ( ) and trad-inspired, they're "two-dimensional" as opposed to "realistic," and are very bright and bold ("if it's bold, it'll hold"). Most are very well-done, especially the pieces I've got since I committed to full sleeves, but they're a bit trashy-looking, especially since I'm a skinny pale white guy.

I have a black Sacred Heart (covering up a super-trashy, very old tattoo), a winged coffin (which was apparently in this month's Tattoos for Men, so I'll have to pick up an issue), two pin-ups (a modified Sailor Jerry in a sweater and skirt, and a Ryan Downie in granny glasses, done up kinda gothy), a little dragon and oni dressed as boxers and staring each other down across my biceps, a Sailor Jerry "DEAD END" Ace of Spades, a rat, a 13, a skull/dagger/crown/roses "KING OF FOOLS" piece, a split Reaper/girl piece, a Sailor Jerry fly, a flaming jackelope (long story), a blue oni with his own severed hand in his mouth and lightning bolts shooting out of his eyes, and a Discordian symbol (very old). I'm trying to do a reasonable mix of "aggro" and "fun" - a guy my size covered in nothing but "RAHHHH" tattoos smacks of overcompensation.

Anyway, that's a long windup to "I've got a lot of visible, trashy tattoos."

I wear long sleeves at all times when I'm working, even if I don't have to make a court appearance. Everyone in my office and many people I work with outside of the office know that I have a significant amount of tattoo work, but many don't. I take great care to always appear and act professional when I'm on the clock. I don't show any tattoos around my clients. When I'm off the clock, no one ever guesses I'm a lawyer.

It's not that I'm ashamed of my tattoos, but I know that despite their current mainstream status, some people still associate them with people they consider "lowlifes" or "counterculture." I want to minimize the possibility of undue prejudice against my clients because a particular judge, magistrate, or commissioner thinks I'm a flake. I also just don't think it's professional to flash them around the office, even if only my co-workers are around.

When I'm not on the clock, I don't take any special steps to cover them up. For the record, I'm not trying to send any message other than "I dig tattoos." A few have some special significance, but most are just designs I thought were bad-ass, or that one of my tattoo artist friends had been wanting to put on someone for a while. I shudder to think exactly what meaning someone would think a flaming jackelope has to me.

I don't make them a talking point, and I maintain a professional appearance and demeanor and do my job. Note that I'm currently a public defender, and work with very laid-back and open-minded people. When I worked at a very conservative defense firm, I started my forearm pieces, and I actually wore Ace bandages over the ends of my forearm pieces to keep them from showing. I definitely would have taken some **** at that firm had they been common knowledge. That's a big reason I left.

So, the only real impact my tattoos have had on my professional life is that I left a fairly lucrative job with tight-assed simpletons because I don't voluntarily associate with people who would show me either respect or contempt based *solely* on cosmetic matters, and they weren't paying me enough to dictate what I do in my off time.

I'm serious about not hanging around people who like me just because of tattoos, too - there are definite "tattoo groupie" girls. The attention is cool, obviously that's part of the appeal of having tattoos, but I can only take vapid, superficial girls in small doses. Because I'm already married.

Been a while, Goblin. Good to see you back.