Got Ink?

Time to vote: should a person with a tattoo cover it before an interview? On the first day at the internship? On every day of the internship?

An internship at a creative center may be a great place to show ink. Well, unless the facility has clients, who may not be as open-minded as the creative folks there.

How about the typical office, with people dressing up all week but then dressing down on Fridays. Does a tattoo qualify for Casual Friday?

Is covering a tattoo with clothing an example of selling out? Or being smart?

Strategy for people who are thinking about getting a tattoo: try a temporary tattoo for the roughly 2 weeks that the good ones hold. If it still feels like a novelty after 2 weeks, have it re-applied (still on a temporary basis). If you still like wearing ink after 4 weeks, you've probably given the decoration a fair test. You will have been in many different public settings and you'll have an idea about how other people react—and how you react to their reacting. You may be ready to conclude that you want the permanent decoration.

But you still may want to investigate what type of tattoo is easiest to remove later. Just in case.


The content on this blog is not offered as legal advice or guidance. Consult your college, advisor, or internship supervisor for help with issues surrounding internships. © 2009 Mary Bold, PhD, CFLE. Dr. Bold is a co-author of the book Reflections: Preparing for your Practicum or Internship, geared to college interns in the child, education, and family fields. More about Dr. Bold can be learned at www.marybold.com