I Can't Wait To Show Off My New Tattoo At The Job Interview!

Tattooos

Tattoos are becoming more prevalent. Once the domain of the few, body art has gone mainstream. Even grandma has a heart inked onto her bottom. People want to express themselves in a way that accentuates their uniqueness and creativity.

Employers don't necessarily want to stifle individuality. But the truth is that tattoos presents a conundrum for employers. They don't necessarily want to stifle individuality, but they have a certain level of decorum they want to maintain.

And a tattoo isn't necessarily a bad thing, but it doesn't exactly fit within the traditional dress code guidelines companies have established, either.

Then there's the matter of what the tattoos depict. A tattoo featuring naked people might be more objectionable than a simple tattoo that says, "Mom."

Companies can legally decide not to hire a candidate if they feel that an applicant is showing too much ink, or if the subject matter is inappropriate or offensive. In addition, if the role has customer-facing responsibilities, the employer may not wish to place somebody with visible tattoos in such a role.

I realize that those of you with tattoos might find this annoying, or even offensive. But it's true. What (and where) you decide to display on your body makes an impression. So, what do you do if you have a passion for ink, but need to apply for a job?

• Know the culture of where you're interviewing. Some companies may not care. Edgy bars, restaurants and boutiques may view having tats as an asset. Startup tech companies may have no dress code at all and not care a whit about appearance. On the other hand, a stiff-shirt major consultancy with constant client interaction probably won't want to know that you've got a tattoo.
• Cover up during the interview. If you've decorated your arms, make sure you wear long sleeves. If you have tattoos on your upper chest, wear a fully-covering shirt and jacket. Try to make the interviewers focus on you as a candidate, so they don't get distracted and potentially turned off by the tattoos.
• Once you're hired, observe what everybody else does and follow suit. If the employees wear short sleeves and show off arm tattoos, it's probably safe for you to do the same. Follow the lead of your peers.
• Think twice before getting that tattoo somewhere on your body you can't cover it up. I'm all about personal expression, but every decision a person makes has consequences, and this is no exception. Tattoos up the neck and onto the face, or on the hands, are near impossible to cover tactfully. Once you've made the decision to place ink somewhere you can't hide it, you - rightly or not - may have limited your career options. It may not be fair, but it's reality.

Scott Singer is the President and Founder of Insider Career Strategies Resume Writing & Career Coaching, a firm dedicated to guiding job seekers and companies through the job search and hiring process. He is a Human Resources professional and staffing expert with almost two decades of in-house corporate HR and staffing firm experience, and is a Certified Professional Resume Writer (CPRW) and Certified Professional Career Coach (CPCC).

Insider Career Strategies provides resume writing, LinkedIn profile development, and career coaching services, including a free resume review. You can email Scott Singer at scott.singer@insidercs.com, or via the website, www.insidercs.com.

Three Weekly Easy Peasy Lemon Squeezy Job Hunting Tips – August 3, 2015

Lemon Squeezy

Here are three simple job hunting tips for you to begin your week!

1. If you're driving to the interview, make sure the night before that you've got gas in the car. It seems like a minor thing, but if you're crunched for time and you need to spend ten minutes looking for a gas station to fill up, you could be late. And you could have the smell of petrol on your hands during the interview.
2. Bring extra copies of your resume to the interview. Have them printed on a nice linen stationery. It looks nicer than plain copy paper, and shows that you took the interview a bit more seriously.
3. Bring tissues, too. Don't be gross if you have to sneeze!

Scott Singer is the President and Founder of Insider Career Strategies Resume Writing & Career Coaching, a firm dedicated to guiding job seekers and companies through the job search and hiring process. He is a Human Resources professional and staffing expert with almost two decades of in-house corporate HR and staffing firm experience, and is a Certified Professional Resume Writer (CPRW) and Certified Professional Career Coach (CPCC).

Insider Career Strategies provides resume writing, LinkedIn profile development, and career coaching services, including a free resume review. You can email Scott Singer at scott.singer@insidercs.com, or via the website, www.insidercs.com.

The Risks of Being a Job Hopper

Job Hopper

A job hopper is someone who changes jobs frequently. Every so often - whether it's a year or two, or six months - an employee finds a new company to call home. The individual just doesn't seem to stay put in a job very long.

The reasons an individual changes jobs more often than he flips his/her can mattress vary. The employee might change employers because:

• She gets offered jobs for more money, and finds the allure irresistible
• His performance suffers, and he's encouraged to move on
• Caught in layoffs
• Boredom sets in
• She has an abrasive personality and wears out her welcome
• He finds things about which to be dissatisfied

...and so on.

Truthfully, it doesn't really matter. Job hopping sets off a series of red flags with recruiters and interviewers.

"Job hopping, or moving around frequently, can be a complex situation to assess for both the individual and the potential employee," says Terri Osman, a Human Resources executive. "Some level of stability or trajectory to demonstrate impact in the role and to the organization as well as to professional development for the individual is important. Moving frequently during certain times of a career is not in and of itself a problem.  The key is the reasons for doing so."

You want to give the candidate the benefit of the doubt, especially if the candidate has an in-demand skill set. But employers do exercise caution with such candidates.

As a job seeker, this can cause problems. Employers may be less willing to invest the time and money into a candidate who is likely to leave in a short period of time, due to the organizational upheaval and financial hit which could result.

So, if you've job-hopped, how do you improve your chances of finding a good job?

• Understand why you have changed jobs so frequently. Have a clear story to tell that doesn't raise an employer's alarm. Be forthcoming in walking an interviewer through the reasons for each move.
• On a related note, be accountable for your job history. Don't tell interviewers that you had issues with this previous boss and the other...  You made certain career decisions, accept the consequences. It shows character when you own the actions you've taken.
• Make the decision to stick it out for a while, even if a job is less than ideal. If you have a spotty record of enduring jobs, it might be to your benefit to obtain a few years with a single employer to demonstrate stability to future employers.
• If your resume is scaring interviewers away, consider a more functionally-based format which highlights the skills you bring to the table.

Lastly, Osman gives the following advice: "I recommend to any individual that is considering a voluntary move to weigh the immediate benefit, implications, historical perspective and ability to justify. However, don’t force yourself to stay in a role where you cannot be at your best!"

Scott Singer is the President and Founder of Insider Career Strategies Resume Writing & Career Coaching, a firm dedicated to guiding job seekers and companies through the job search and hiring process. He is a Human Resources professional and staffing expert with almost two decades of in-house corporate HR and staffing firm experience, and is a Certified Professional Resume Writer (CPRW) and Certified Professional Career Coach (CPCC).

Insider Career Strategies provides resume writing, LinkedIn profile development, and career coaching services, including a free resume review. You can email Scott Singer at scott.singer@insidercs.com, or via the website, www.insidercs.com.