Scrolling through my twitter feed today, I saw a picture of Justin Bieber, which is not a rare occurrence, but like every other time I see picture of JB, I noticed his tattoos. And just like every other time, I thought to myself “I wish I was going into a career where it was acceptable to be covered in tattoos.” This issue is not something that is new to me or to any of the population for that matter. Anyone with a tattoo has probably been asked “how do you expect to get a job with tattoos” or “will you be able to cover that.” It’s actually annoying. I used to do pageants and the night before a pageant someone asked me if I could cover my tattoos on stage. I was actually quite offended, and refused to do so. I mean if Miss Kansas (2013) can show off her tattoos on stage, then why can’t I? Maybe I'm overreacting. However, I’ve also been warned that my tattoos are not to be seen while I’m at work -- mind you I work in a video store. Yes, even in a video store tattoos are not acceptable. Although pageants and the workplace are slightly different habitats, should physical appearances affect how one is perceived in terms of being “professional.” Even more than that, is the tension between body adornment and professionalism still an issue in 2016?

In recent years, body adornment has become less frowned upon in a professional setting. In an article I read on the subject on LinkedIn, Sally Pearman makes the claim that, “There has been a huge shift towards individuality and self-expression in the workplace. Pastel hair colours, tattoo sleeves and facial piercings are no longer confined to students and the creative industries.” So what does that mean for us tatted up teens preparing for life after college? Will we finally see the merger between professionalism and mass amounts of ink? Maybe, maybe not. According to an article in Forbes, although tattoos and are becoming increasingly more popular in the workplace, employers are also looking at whether or not your decorative skin is offensive or demeaning in nature.

Sorry to all you job seeking citizens out there, but showing up to an interview rocking your arm tat of a skull puking up a slice of pizza is probably not going to land you the job you’re searching for. But what this does mean is that employers are no longer going to rule you out because you decided to decorate your skin. However, Forbes also mentions that acceptance of tattoos varies between workplaces, whereas some employers might be lenient, others still aren’t keen to the idea. Even so, although your intricate sleeve might not stop you from getting a job, there’s always the possibility of having to cover it while you’re at work. But hey, at least you got the job, right? Unfortunately for me though, I think it will be awhile before tattoos are accepted in the pageant industry. Maybe one day, but I won’t hold my breath.

Being someone with tattoos, and future plans of getting more, the idea of not being discriminated because of my choice to adorn my body is a relief. With every new tattoo that I get, there is always that moment of uncertainty; wondering if one day my future employer will take one look at the ink on my skin and rule me out as a viable option. I’ve always been cautious and made sure that I would be able to cover my tattoos when necessary, but why should I have to hide something that I love? Here’s to hoping that soon enough I won’t have to. But for now, I’ll probably hold off on getting a full sleeve. However, I still have high hopes for our generation of tatted up teens in the professional world.