Hi guys, I'm 26 years old and working full time in airline operation. I've been thinking about getting tattoos for long time since I graduated from uni, I am not a wannabe gangster or musician, simply like tattoo as a form of art. I would like to get full sleeves done however I worry that tattoos may affect my work or daily life as people nowadays still relate someone who is heavily tattooed as someone been marginalized by the society.
Please share your opinions, many thanks!
Do you have tattoos and do you regret getting them?
CharityCase on 24/11/2016 - 13:31
Last edited 24/11/2016 - 13:32
Last edited 24/11/2016 - 13:32
Poll Options
- 91I have tattoos and never regret getting them
- 48I have tattoos but I regret getting them
- 11I don't have tattoos but will get some in the future no matter what
- 145I want to have tattoos but will think carefully before getting them
Comments
Conversely, some companies almost seem to prefer tattoos. I used to work at [large international fast fashion brand] where half the sales reps and literally all the visual merchandisers had tattoos. Or visit Dangerfield, where tattoos are seemingly a prereq for hire.
Yep. I've seen the same even just at some coffee shops. No win!
Conversely, some companies almost seem to prefer tattoos
This.
As long as you have a tattoo, you can skip the resume and interview process at jb hifi.
5) I have no tattoos and have no plans on getting them.
6) All my disposable income goes to Enloops instead of body art.
Unforgivable that he left option 6 off.
7) Bikies?
If u collect enloops, you belong to marginal group too haha
Trust me, this is not funny on Ozb mate.
You better watch your back, the Eneloop Mafia will not take kindly to what you just called them.
6 = filthy casual
7) Eneloop body mods
When I think about how stupid I was ten years ago, I'm glad I didn't get any tattoos. In ten years I will probably look back on my current self and think I was stupid. Ergo, I don't trust myself to put a permanent design on my body.
What a tattoo says to me about you:
- You are impulsive
- You have poor taste
- You have bad judgement
- You follow fads
- Would you like to wear the same article of clothing, accessory or jewellery piece every day for the rest of your life?
- Would you like your skin to be a life-long exhibition for someone else's artwork or doodling?
- Have you had invariant tastes and interests for most of your life?
- Would you like to be relegated to a social underclass years from now when tattoos become uncool and you are conspicuously excluded from the younger in-crowd?
If you answered negatively to any of the above you shouldn't get a tattoo.
In my opinion, tattoos are hideous vandalism of the otherwise beautiful human body.
Would you like your skin to be a life-long exhibition for someone else's artwork or doodling?
This makes me feel I should strike a deal with Coke for them to pay me to advertise on my body.
It wouldn't be a first…
What a tattoo says to me about you:
You are impulsive
You have poor taste
You have bad judgement
You follow fadsI have a tattoo on my ring finger. Does that fall under bad judgement or poor taste? O.o
It probably falls under your (next) wedding ring.
I'm a one-woman man and an insufferable romantic, hence the tattooed wedding ring:)
@Kangal: She did. It's usually kept in my wallet and I only wear it when I'm trying to hide my tattoo.
Poor taste. You did ask after all.
Pretty hard to argue with this straight talking logic. Buck the trend and remain a clean skin to avoid the high chance of ending up with an armful of regrets
Do you want to be associated with Bikies… criminals.
In a constantly career changing world, you might find one day that you want/or have falled into a conservative profession, ie Finance. Those tattoo's will effect your prospects
Or worse still, footballers?
I totally agree with you, I think having a tattoo hints that a person may have those qualities. I think that a person with tattoos may also have these qualities:
* they are willing to make a commitment to something which isn't a sure thing and stick to it
* they are open to making mistakes but want to own the decisions that they makeI don't have any tattoos but I think expression of a persons feelings/experience is a great thing. Whether you want to do that with something like a tattoo or as simple as a bangle with charms collected over the years is irrelevant. What matters is that it is meaningful to the person expressing themselves.
Except "sticking with it" and "owning their mistakes" isn't really a choice for them now is it.
@stumo: That's what I mean. They are able to take the plunge and accept the consequences.
The only analogy I can think of is stock trading. There are high volatility markets that are more profitable in the long term and there are stable markets which are less profitable. I'm just saying people who get tattoos are more willing to accept risk and so more opportunities are available to them. That kind of risk may be unacceptable to you. That's fine, it doesn't make anyone right or wrong. I'm just adding to the generalizations previously stated to tell the other side of a story.
BTW I think making a mistake yourself is still better than sticking with the crowd and regretting it. The reason I don't have tattoos is because that's not how I want to express myself.
I have a tattoo. I got it to mark an occasion and I'll never regret it. It's inconspicuous and can't be seen with a top on, which is what I would recommend anyone getting a tattoo so that it can be private to them and not affect work.
Some people wear a watch everyday or necklace or heirloom or meaningful item.
Your comment is narrow minded. The body is a canvas, I will probably get my kids to draw something and get those tattooed and show them when they are older. You are not going to care past working age if your tattoos look crap, you will be wrinkly and they will remind you of good times.
Read what the op is talking about "sleeve tattoo"… now look at what you wrote… big difference
The body is a canvas,
Why? Maybe if it's fat, broad and unshapely…
The healthy human body, like that of many other animals, is a beautiful machine.
I will probably get my kids to draw something and get those tattooed and show them when they are older.
By all means save your children's drawings in a scrapbook, photo album or even a wall hanging. But why on Earth would you want them permanently drawn on your skin?
Do you want to look like a fridge with doodles and stickers permanently stuck all over you?
I don't want to stop you from doing whatever you want to your own body, but it's best to be informed.
I really don't understand people going on about getting a tattoo to remember something by. Are you suffering a severe memory loss? If not and you need a tattoo to remind you of that moment, it's probably not veey important anyway. In my opinion, it's one of the most ridiculous excuse to get a tattoo. I'd understand someone wanting to get it to look cool more than this ridiculous excuse…
Besides that, i think tattoos are stupid.
Disclosure: Yes I have tattoos.
RE the above and trying not to bite, my mum was to an extent against tattoos. She now where's a tattoo of a rose, with her mother's name and the day of which she passed.
Something to remember her mother by (loved roses) and carry with her, close to her. Just in case, you know, she forgot about her own mum. That sounds really stupid to me……..
Or narrow-minded on your behalf. Each to their own! Just goes to show, no matter how much this world evolves, you can NEVER satisfy everyone. Get over yourselves.
Oh yeah, and I highly doubt it's a fad when tattoos have been around for centuries. Get ya heads out of the sand.
@db87: Agreed, you will never please everyone and just do what you feel is right for you. This topic has proven how many closed minded and judgemental people are here.
Wow. Talk about judgemental. I'm glad you're just some anonymous person on the internet and I don't have to deal with you in day to day life.
Yes, because my opinion is clearly unique. /s
How did this comment get so many upvotes? Are people really this narrow minded? How about determining somebody's tastes, impulses and judgements based on interactions and experiences rather than something as subjective as a tattoo? Jesus.
How is having a tattoo subjective? You either have one (or more) or you don't, that's an objective fact!
Visible tattoos are an outward facing exhibition to society. You don't choose your skin colour, your hair texture or the shape of your nose, but you do choose whether or not to get a tattoo. In those two ways they are an "interaction".
@Scrooge McDuck: I say it's subjective because there are a plethora of reasons for getting a tattoo and selecting a design and placement. To assume every tatted person's decision process is the same is ridiculous. Your profile of someone with ink is about as reaching as saying all car owners are anti-renewable.
What your statement says to me about you:
You have bad judgement (on people)
You do not have an open mind
You judge a book by its cover
You like to think you are better than other people in some way
You are slave to social status
You are not as worldly as you probably think you are
You follow the status quo
You have an elitist attitudeHaving tattoos and being a functional and contributing member of society are not mutually exclusive to one another. You don't have to be a high flying corporate success 1 percenter in order to avoid being "relegated to a social underclass".
I agree with what others said about tattoos hindering job opportunities, but this is because of close mindedness from all corners of society. A tattoo has no adverse affect on how one performs their job, but only that it carries negative connotations from those such as yourself who make passing judgements on people that they give no chance to get to know someone better. Unfortunately, someone interviewing as a senior employee or the business owner themselves worries that if they hired some one with a tattoos as detrimental to their business, even if they don't care themselves.
Whilst I agree with you that the human body is beautiful, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Tattoos are not only an artform for people to express themselves, but also hold cultural significance to some people. Tattoos have been around for thousands of years and though many are no longer for cultural reasons, tattooing has a massive sub-culture.
The more diversity there is in the world, the more beautiful it becomes.
Wow….u sure are judgmental
Didn't expect that reception. At this point I'm just interested in the one person that voted negative. Haha.
I have a tattoo .. it says "Ozbargain for Life"
I also have a full sleeve with all the bargains I've scored from OzB .. Might need to extend it to my back soon
I'm planning on getting a full sleeve next year. The office air con temps are always cold where I work in professional services so I'm always covered up all year round. I do not think it would ever affect my job prospects going forward.
The modern person goes through multiple career changes…
One day you could be a in a hip environment where tattoos are cool… 20years down the track you find that you've slipped into finance… only to find that your career in finance has been limited due to your tattoos.
There use to be a show where they talked to random people on the street, get their life story. It was absolutely fascinating to see how our life can change.
Tattoo's will limit that scope.
As someone who has worked in finance management for the largest insurance company in the world, that is complete and utter crap.
Obviously tattoos on your neck, head and face are going to be judged, but having a full sleeve tattoo or multiple tattoos on your arms is not going to affect you if you're good at what you do and you get the job done.It's 2017, not 1964.
Job interviews yes… anyone who doesn't know you yes it will… its called first impression.
There are guys at my work with full sleeve tattoo, who hide it with their sleeves always down. But occasionally when they wear white I see through it.
These guys have proven themselves, and if they were to interview for a promotion, the fact its known they have full sleeve tattoo won't matter because they've proven themselves… and MOST importantly, they have the 'smarts' to always keep it covered.
There are people with punk haircuts in the office…. guess what happens to that hair when they see clients, its flattened down.
It's literally 2016.
Again, as someone who has hired these professionals as part of my job, it literally makes zero impact.
If someone had a neck tattoo and a mowhawk then yes, that may play some part in 'appearances', but 9 times out of 10, the best candidate will get the job, or someone with personal connections- regardless of their tattoos on their arms/legs/body.He's so open minded, he has an eye to the future, but not too distant as to seem abstract minded
Chances are, with how prevelent tattoos have been over the last 20 years, taht everyone you will be working for will also have tattoos. I work in a corporate job. State manager, most of the heads of departments have tattoos. It's not like it was 10-15 years ago. People are less judgemental with things like this now.
Though I would still start with something small and leave it a few years and see how you feel about it first.Tattoo's are not that prevalent, they come and go as fad but they're not prevalent.
I'd say 10% of the population having tattoo's would be a stretch… that's not prevalent.
The Op wants a sleeve Tattoo… I'm pretty sure less than 1% of the population has a sleeve tattoo, that's not prevalent.
The Op isn't a State Manager or a head of a department… he's 26
I'm pretty sure people in my office have tattoo's but I rarely ever see 1, why do they all cover up? Because they know its not acceptable.
I think you're out of touch if you think its "prevalent"…
Even if it was above 10%… walk around anywhere public.. and guess what its probably 1-2% visible.
What are sleeve tattoo's as per what the Op is talking about.
This wouldn't even be a discussion if it wasn't a big deal.
@ONEMariachi: Think you will find in Australia the percentage of people with tattoos is somewhere in the 10-15% range, their was a documentary not that long ago talking about this, from memory they had a number around 14%. A lot of industries and cultures still look down upon tattoo's.
Edit: My wife has about a 20 centimetre tat on her lower arm. She got it when she was about 20, she is 30 now and regrets it greatly though it is quite artistic and doesn't bother me and most people like it. She has been investigating the best and safest way to get it removed.
Was that Front Up on SBS?One of my all-time favs
Until they turn down the aircon
Seems like every man and his dog has a half/full sleeve or two these days. Maybe wear one of those fake tattoo sleeves around for a few weeks and see how you get treated.
Whatever you do, don't get face/neck tattoos unless you're in a tribe.
Even then you'd want to make sure it's a remote tribe.
got one when i was 18, and now 48 not regretting the tatoo but regretting my body is not as toned and curved as 18 yo anymore.
Yes lol. Plus I cant decide if to get it recoloured/restyled. Not sure I care enough.
You're 48? You look 28! O_O
haha Scrooge dont worry i was just making things up.
thanks for remembering me tho!
had one when i was 13 yrs old, regretted that one, went to Bali and had it covered with an awesome barong tattoo 6 years ago, went to japan earlier this year and had a samurai mask tattoo. Love them both now. They are awesome :)
So you now walk around with a permanent mask … on your face?
Two permanent masks, Samurai then Barong ;)
had one when i was 13 yrs old,
How? Where? o_0
No regulations. Definitely not here in oz :)
In Japan, those with tatoo are forbidden to Onsen ( public bath house) due to the public fear of sharing with YAKUZA ,
And I'm also agree the point of tattoo is vadalism of the nature beauty of body
Everyone to their own opinion :)
Love my tattoos. They are work of art.
Depending on size and location and business of the onsen you can still get in with tats - I've done it ;) Some places dont hugely care but will ask you to leave if they get complaints from others.
Gaijin get a bit of leeway since (if you're not of asian heritage) its pretty obvious you're not yakuza
Some people judge those with tattoos poorly.
Some of those judgemental people are involved in hiring people/raising future spouses/admitting future children to selective things/etc.
You may be lucky and never encounter these people, or you might one day hope they will bestow their goodwill upon you.
And you might enjoy the reverse and find yourself trying for a job at a hipster cafe or at some funky software startup where a tatt is an advantage.
For the vast bulk of people tattoos are pretty irrelevant, but balance that potential for unwanted discrimination against the pleasure getting the tattoo will give.Yes and no. You won't see them unless I'm wearing a t-shirt, where you might spot one in my inner arm. I wouldn't recommend a sleeve unless you want to be a barista or something. Large tattoos might look cool when you're young and keep yourself in shape, but generally don't age very well. There's still some discrimination in certain fields, and sleeve tattoos are difficult to hide unless you plan on wearing long sleeves through summer.
I have a 3/4 sleeve on my left arm as my first tattoo. Everyone kept saying I should get a small one for my first one, but this one's a design I really like and I've thought about placement and size for a long time.
No regrets whatsoever.
What I suggest is once you've got a design you want, think about it over a waiting period (3-6 months or more!), and if you're still liking the design and not sick of it, that will mitigate the risk of you not liking the tattoo anymore.
Good luck!
Where did u get it done and how much it costed
Around $2000-2500. It was quite a bit. I don't regret it, but if I shopped around longer, I would probably have gotten a cheaper deal. I'm happy with the quality though!
I'm from WA, and I got it from Primitive Tattoo.
I personally took about 4-5 months waiting time thinking of the design I wanted before I pulled the trigger.
Also, I work an office job as a web developer, 8 hours a day. Our dress code is long sleeve shirts so people don't see it often, but when they do, most don't care. Tattoos are very common nowadays, unlike how it was years ago.
So you brought ur own design?
Bring either a design or an idea, talk with your artist as he'll know best how to integrate it with the body part you want the tattoo done.
Take note though that before they put work on it (drawing, designing, etc), you will have to pay for a bond (that deducts off your final tattoo price).
Research artists around your area. Check out their portfolios (a lot of them are in instagram). See whose drawing style matches the tattoo you want.
Note
- hes in a field where he has little client contact.
Its a noted "nerd" field… the fear he might be an dangerous violent thug is minimised.
If he were to want to change career say into finance… he'll be adversely judged
@Baghern: Jesus, how old are all of you people. 'The fear he might be an dangerous violent thug is minimised.' No one thinks like this anymore.
Umm yes they do… notice a lot of people here who have tattoos, state they cover up…. why do they feel the need to do that?
What is with everyone thinking we are all going to end up in finance? The advice is this thread is, don't get a tattoo, because in 20 years you'll be in finance. Jesus, this isn't how careers work.
Its an example. Life isn't straightforward.
Did you read what the op wants, a full sleeve tattoo… you don't think that would effect many career prospect?
What a lot of supporters of tattoo's being okay in this thread seem to be ignoring what the op stated - FULL Sleeve tattoo.
Get tattoo sleeves off ebay wear them see how it feels ;)
If you want a trial, get a henna tattoo.
whats worse is when these try hard girls get full arm and back tatts
when youre older it will look like a dogs breakfast
Why is it try hard only for girls to get those type of tattoos?
Doesn't the same apply for males who get full arm & back tattoos, we're all going to age.
That's alright because it appears that your gender politics is also a dogs breakfast.
If he loves men, that's his choice.
And good on him for coming out on OzB, it's the best platform to do so because members are so caring as can be exampled in this thread.
I have known people looking for "public facing jobs" (retail, teaching, sales, tradies etc) who have had trouble getting jobs, which they have either been told or assumed is because of the large tats. Lots of people also have small or unassuming tats, one colour and small, or somewhere that's usually covered, no problems.
I'd like to get a tat someday, but I'm too worried about how it will look as I age. Maybe I'll just get it when I'm already old and wrinkly and it'll look fine :D