How having tattoos could make you more employable, a new study finds

For everyone who’s ever been told that getting a tattoo will ruin your entire life and stop you ever getting a job (oh thanks, parents, teachers, every elderly relative ever), this news is for YOU.

It’s a widely believed assumption that ink, especially when it’s visible, will impact your career, despite the fact that we all know people who are perfectly capable of having a job and rocking fierce body art. I mean, who wouldn't want to work with queen of tatts, Ruby Rose?

Research by the University of Miami and University of Western Australia Business School set out to find out whether there is even any truth to this myth. They studied more than 2,000 people in the US, looking at how their ink affected their salary levels or ability to get a job in the first place. And their findings were totally unexpected. They found that even visible body art actually had no effect on employability or earnings, and in some cases, even boosted applicants’ chances of getting a job.

Professor Andrew R. Timming, who contributed to the study published in the journal Human Resources, said, “It flies in the face of common perceptions that tattoos, particularly visible ones, lead to a negative judgement being made about how an employee is perceived.

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“What is also interesting is that the study found that people with tattoos are not only on an even footing in finding employment and in the workplace, but in some cases having a tattoo actually worked in their favour.”

The research looked at a range of subjects, including those with multiple and visible inks. And across the board, the researchers found that negative associations are falling away, with body art increasingly seen as a form of self-expression.

“Given the increasing prevalence of tattoos in society – around 40% for young adults – hiring managers and supervisors who discriminate against tattooed workers will likely find themselves at a competitive disadvantage for the most qualified employees,” added Michael French, lead author of the study.

So whether you have 10 tatts or none, this actual scientific proof that outward appearance has nothing to do with our ability to work hard or be successful is definitely something to be celebrated.

Here are our favourite tattoo designs from Instagram to inspire your next ink: