Tattoo or No Tattoo?

Dear Jean,

I want to get a tattoo on my ankle.  I think they look great and several of my friends have them.  My parents told me that I’ll never get a job if I get a tattoo.  Is that really true?

Reply:

No, that is not true.  Having a tattoo on your ankle does not mean that you will never get a job.  A tattoo on your face, neck or hands, though, may restrict you.  It changes from company to company.  The difference depends on many things, such as customer contact, the age of the company owner, and the type of company.

If someone had told me a few years ago that I would have people working in my office who have tattoos, I would have told them that they were wacko.  The picture I had in my mind of women with tattoos was very different from the reality of two very professional women I once hired who had roses on their ankles.  Over time, everyone changes.  I know I have.