Popular TikToker Ash Putnam has expressed frustration after her application was denied as a result of her tattoos.
Putnam, from California, said she went into the store to ask why she hadn’t gotten the job, and the hiring manager told her she didn’t have enough experience.
The hiring manager also denied that her tattoos played any role in the rejection.
Putnam wasn’t convinced and took to TikTok to complain.
Many commentators claimed her attitude may have been to blame, rather than her tattoos.
Others thought her body art likely played a role in the rejection.
Some of her visible designs include a skull with horns on her neck, solid black patches on her arms, and a pattern on her forehead.
Putnam, 23, also has multiple facial piercings including a large silver ring hanging from her septum.
“I hate that my tattoos are such a defining factor for me getting a job or not,
“Just because I have tattoos doesn’t mean I’m not going to be a good worker”, she said.
Putnam’s video amassed 7.4 million views, garnering several reactions.
A commenter, @ashxobrien who said they used to be a hiring manager for the store, said: “I will tell you it’s the facial piercings and tattoos.”
Another commenter, Ivy Johnson, who also has many tattoos, said she had worked in corporate America as a hiring manager before starting up her apothecary business.
“Your tattoos are very aggressive,” she said. With customer-facing position, that doesn’t go over well”, she said
According to Pew Research Center, almost a third (32%) of people in the US have a tattoo, and 22% have more than one.
Some studies have suggested that tattoos can affect someone’s career progression.
In 2018, a LinkedIn survey found that 40% of respondents said they had rejected a candidate for a job because they had a visible tattoo.
88% of recruiters and HR professionals who responded said they thought tattoos limited a candidate’s prospects.
However, according to Indeed, the stigma of tattoos is lessening every day, with many employers no longer having an issue with hiring tattooed employees.
Olekanma Favour is a resourceful, self-motivated, and result-driven writer with a passion for crafting compelling narratives and insightful content. She loves tackling complex topics and weaving engaging stories.
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