<p>So what I want to know is, can I land a job in the engineering field (working for a respectable company) or is the field still very old school in hiring practices? Will qualifications overpower image?</p>
<p>Before anyone asks the answer is NO, not all of them can be covered.</p>
<p>I work for a top defense contractor and the only tats i've seen are on old navy guys. But these guys bring experience to the table and it's over looked. Keep in mind these tats aren't offensive either. It's gonna depend on who is highering you and what your tats look like. I mean if you are competing for a job with a guy of equal credentials/personality who has no tats, i'm sure he'll get the job. That's just society. Major companies also have an image to keep. There is a reason you can't wear shorts and sandals to work (at least i can't). Business attire if the customer doesn't frequent your location and suit/tie if they do. So yea, if you have a big skull on your neck you'll unfortunately have a harder time in my opinion when looking for and engineering position. Especially if you're coming out of college and don't have any real experience to bring to the table.</p>
<p>cover them up and you'll most likely be fine</p>
<p>
[quote]
Before anyone asks the answer is NO, not all of them can be covered.
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[quote]
cover them up and you'll most likely be fine
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..........</p>
<p>Wow, this is the second thread in recent days where someone has said something completely contrary to what the OP stated. People need to read!</p>
<p>I have some colleagues with tatoos, but then again, I'm in the construction industry, so that's a little bit different. I think your best bet is to go with a young company. Those seem to be more accepting of differences.</p>
<p>Depends on whether your employer sees it as offensive or not and whether it's too distracting. Also, like the previous mention, companies do worry about their image.</p>
<p>You will find that engineering companies are extremely conservative. Having exposed tatoos will definetly hinder your ability to get a job. Like someone else said, if you have spent time in the military then i wouldn't really worry about it to much. If not, i would recommend trying to hide them or having any exposed ones removed if you want to make life easy.</p>
<p>It really depends on the company, young companies might overlook them but the "Old Guard" such as Exxon, might not be impressed. I remember that some field/construction or "non-desk" companies might not mind too much. </p>
<p>I say that you don a nice outfit and strategically cover as many tattoos up as you can during an interview. </p>
<p>As long you don't look like this</p>
<p><a href="http://portent.org/images/scarytattoo.jpg%5B/url%5D">http://portent.org/images/scarytattoo.jpg</a></p>
<p>I think you still got a good shot.</p>
<p>^^ No, I don't have any tatoo's like the idiot in the link!</p>
<p>If I wear a collared shirt, you can only see a black line about a half inch on my neck. Otherwise, a long-sleeve shirt covers up the ones on my arms. In the past, I have met some people outside of work who didn't even notice that I had any tatoo's. I appreciate all the feedback, and was just wondering what everyone else thought. I suppose that I am not as worried about landing the job initially, just maintaining the amount of respect the job demands as time goes on. I guess that's when qualifications and knowledge out-weigh the image. Thanks again for all the responses, and good luck in life!</p>
<p>In which case I really wouldn't worry. The main deal is getting past the first impression. Once you've got the job and can prove yourself while <em>doing</em> the job, people will tend to respect that more than anything your physical appearance might affect.</p>
<p>
[quote]
If I wear a collared shirt, you can only see a black line about a half inch on my neck. Otherwise, a long-sleeve shirt covers up the ones on my arms. In the past, I have met some people outside of work who didn't even notice that I had any tatoo's. I appreciate all the feedback, and was just wondering what everyone else thought. I suppose that I am not as worried about landing the job initially, just maintaining the amount of respect the job demands as time goes on. I guess that's when qualifications and knowledge out-weigh the image. Thanks again for all the responses, and good luck in life!
[/quote]
</p>
<p>In that case, I wouldn't worry either. At an interview, you'd be wearing a collared shirt with long sleeves anyway.</p>
<p>Joe,</p>
<p>You should be fine. As long as you nail the interview and get the job, the company "shouldn't" care about your tattoos.</p>
<p>use makeup</p>
