Tag: Careers

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Careers: Tattooed Data Quality & Audit Officer

44-year-old Richard Hughes is a Data Quality and Audit Officer for his local authority  in South East Wales. Richard is a researcher and part of a team that maintains and delivers helpdesk support to the authority, as he puts it “it’s as clinic and white collar as that, but, it pays.” We chatted to Richard about his extensive tattoo collection and how this fits with his career…

How long have you been in current role, how did you get there and what have you done before? I’ve only been in the role for just over a year, but before that, I was a civil servant for 20 years in various government departments both in Wales and the UK. I’m a fluent Welsh speaker so my role has taken me to various places to meet and engage with the public, including the national Welsh cultural festivals, plus the Royal Welsh Agricultural Show and many others.

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Richard’s back by Yeshe, who owns Dharma Tattoo in London

What initially drew you to tattoos? I’ve always been fascinated with tattoos, their permanent nature, the belief they were exotic and dangerous appealed to me on many levels. My mother hates them with a passion; which is probably why I like them so much! – my mother’s side of the family are all very straight laced stereotypical ‘grey’ people, whereas my dad’s side are all farmers and all a bit more daring and care free.

No one had any new tattoos though, just the ones they got on stag dos 30 years before, or in National Service. However, in school, a lad called Danny who was 14-15, had a blue ringed octopus which he got whilst abroad. It was spectacular, not like the stock Welsh dragon flash you saw in the shops, and I really got into it. I was in college in Luton between 1993 and 1996 and visited Dunstable Tattoo Expo in 1994 (I think) – different world to conventions of today. I stood out like a sore thumb.

What is your favourite tattooing style? I love Japanese art, always have from the willow pattern on our Welsh dresser and all the Japanese antiques my nan had.  I love the story and the work that has gone into it – I can identify with the Japanese work ethic.  I find it all very calming. I’m highly stressed and anxious at the best of times and it takes me to a happy place.

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Chickens by Lala Inky

How old were you when you got your first one? What was it and do you still love it? I’d been putting it off for months and years for no other reason than worrying what my folks who think, but I grew out of that bloody stupid notion and I went to Dai and Pie Tattoo in Swansea. I got a palm sized tribal dragon in red from Dai on my left shoulder. I was hooked, buzzing off the experience.  I remember some flash he had for a koi half sleeve, and loving the style, the colours.

I phoned the studio back up the next week about having more done, and Pie told me to me to fuck off and have a think about having anything more done and not rush into it. Best piece of advice I’ve ever had. Think about it, don’t rush into it. It’s covered up now but a bit of it still peeks through!

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Tattoo by Bananajims

Can you tell us about your tattoo collection There is a theme or sorts, water, fish, shells, flowers etc. I’m obsessed by chickens and everything means something, I wanted something for the wife and my daughter, so Lala (who was working from a studio in Cardiff at the time), designed the ‘poultry piece’ for me, I like it, Lala likes it and that’s all that matters. I gave up what people think about me years ago – it’s a truly liberating experience if you can master that.

This was followed by the waterfall by Lala on my left arm. Then Yeshe did me a lobster, after that I went back and had the bull and the Japanese poet, based on a woodblock carving  and he did my koi half sleeve at the Brighton Convention in 2014.  I did enter it into the competition at the end of the day  – but I was told Japanese never wins – they were right! At Brighton in 2016, Yeshe did my back in four and half hours!  I haven’t had a chance to go back and add to it, but I will.  Yeshe is such an amazing bloke, both him and his family and the extended family at the shop.

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Tattoo by Olivia Chell

Olivia Chell has a work in progress (wip) on my right forearm and Ellie Williams of Modern Body Art has two chest panels and a money toad on me, and more wip.  I also have ones from Banana Jims, who’ve I’d been corresponding with for years and Ali Baugh who did my plaice.

What sorts of reactions do your tattoos get from family and at work? My wife doesn’t really have an opinion on them but the kids love them; my boy is fascinated by them. My folks are none the wiser and that’s fine by me. I remember how Yeshe wanted me to go with him to see Aaron from Cult Classic Tattoo stand to show the koi half sleeve we did (Aaron is his friend and mentor and his views and comments on it were important to Yeshe), I was so happy I could do that for him and shows the measure of the man. I genuinely do not give a toss what people think about them, another stress relief mechanism – they’re mine, I love them.  I’ve paid good money to have them done professionally, so do one.

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Money toad by Ellie Williams

Are you allowed to have your tattoos on show when you’re working or do they have to be kept covered? When I worked on the stand for Welsh Government, my forearms weren’t done but I doubt they’d let me out in public without long sleeves or a fleece on – in saying that, nothing was said but I always covered up out of choice. Where I work now, loads of girls walking around with full sleeves! Great to see, but I’d bet they’d say something to me or anyone else. It is double standards but I get it – if you’re front of house, it’s one more thing for the neds to complain about.

Have your tattoos ever hindered your role or helped it? Never hindered me, although I had to declare them all for work!  The tattoos are a reflection of me, not the other way around, I do find them very personal and there’s a time and place to display them. I  cannot wait to finish some of the work that has been started, as I’ll be more easy to show them off, without impunity. Money is always the issue as ever – I have more money in deposits scattered across the country than I have in my bank account!

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Careers: Tattooed Critical Care Nurse

28-year-old Imogen Crisp is a critical care nurse in Manchester who sports an impressive tattoo collection. We caught up with Imogen to find out about her job, what sort of reactions her tattoos get, as well as how she feels as a heavily tattooed woman…

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How long have you been working in your current role? I have been a nurse for four years and worked in my current role for three and a half.

What do you love about your job and what do you find difficult? I love my job because of the sense of reward I get for caring for someone and their loved ones in some of the darkest times. To connect with a person at their most vulnerable and even if only slightly makes it more bearable. I have seen the beauty of the arrival of life, the suddenness of the end of it and every stage in-between. Who can say that for a job? Before becoming a nurse, I felt my life had no real direction or focus, now (fingers crossed) I have a whole career ahead of me and a real sense of purpose. It’s a humbling job and makes you appreciate what you have in life. I have also met some of my closest friends through this work, there is no deeper friendship than a nursing one, trust me.

The most difficult parts of being a nurse I guess is sometimes it can be emotionally draining, you become attached to patients and families and having to see them in some of the toughest times never gets any easier. Also the sense of weight on your shoulders, that you have someone’s life in your hands and you can’t have an off day. You often find yourself sacrificing your own needs to make sure you get everything done for that patient, the old cliché but I have gone 12 hours without a wee. In saying all this though, the good most certainly outweighs the ‘bad’ there is nothing in this world I would rather do.

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Are you allowed to show your tattoos at work? Our uniform covers most areas anyway, but you still must be bare below the elbow so any lower arm tattoos are visible and don’t have to be covered.

How do you think attitudes are changing towards tattoos, especially in healthcare? I have never had any issues with my tattoos at work, colleagues and patients have only ever had positive things to say, it can be a good conversation starter at times. Colleagues who don’t have tattoos or who come from cultures where tattoos are not as ‘popular’ find them very interesting and want to know more about them.

I like to think that attitudes are changing for the better towards tattoos not only in healthcare. People are becoming more open minded, and wouldn’t judge me on my capability as a nurse because I am tattooed which when I first started was a big fear of mine. So far four years in and it’s not happened.

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What sorts of reactions do your tattoos get? Outside of work the majority of my tattoos are on my lower body, so if they are out, you get the odd few stares and comments, usually men shouting ‘nice tattoos love’ which I just politely smile at, other times people are genuinely interested in the art or meaning behind my tattoos. I think heavily tattooed girls still has a bit of stigma attached to it, more so than men, people see it as more of a shock factor for a girl to be so covered, but attitudes are changing we will get there eventually.

Do these differ when you’re at work? In work I only have one or two that poke out the sleeve of my uniform, people usually ask what it is and if they can see it properly, I am always happy to show, its usually only positive reactions.

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Have tattoos helped you to love your body? Absolutely! I knew from a young age I wanted tattoos, and would spend time planning what and where, I didn’t get all the ones I had planned at 16 (thank god) but I did start as soon as I was 18 and now my body is a story of my life. I have tattoos that have meaning, tattoos that remind me of dark times in life, and tattoos from friends and ex’s (wouldn’t recommend but here we are!) I regret none of them, and I believe they make my body beautiful and even more individual.

Is there a particular tattoo that means the most to you? I have yellow roses on my thigh with banners that say ‘Nana’ and ‘Mumma’ the two strongest, women that influence in my life. I idolise them both, when my nana passed all my cousins also got a yellow rose tattoo as it was her favourite flower. I have script that says ‘Good night, God bless’ which is something my grandad still says to me every day. And I even have me as a pin up style nurse, which I got after being qualified for a year.

Do you have any future tattoo plans? At the moment nothing is booked, I’m thinking about getting my back done, but my god does the pain get worse with age! I don’t quite know if I’ve got it in me yet. Maybe something a little smaller.

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Support the Cause: STAPAW

We chat to non-profit organisation STAPAW, who work to help companies change hiring and dress code policies to allow tattoos, piercings and body mods, to find out more about what they’re fighting for and how you can get involved…

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What is STAPAW, when was it founded? We’re a non-profit that started from a social media flash gathering to help save a girl’s job who had tattoos and piercings. Today we’re an international merit-based employment advocacy group. The name STAPAW stands for Support Tattoos and Piercings at Work. Since then, it’s evolved into a movement that works to get companies to change their hiring and dress code policies to allow tattoos and piercings at work, as well as other things like coloured hair, unusual hair styles, stretched ears and beards. The goal isn’t to get companies to hire staff with tattoos or piercings, because people with tattoos and piercings don’t necessarily make great workers. What makes someone a great worker is their experience, education, skills, work ethic and qualifications, and our goal is to make the employment process based on this instead of looks.

What inspired you to create it? After STAPAW saved a close friend’s managerial job over the holidays, people started popping up all over with similar stories asking for help. STAPAW continued to have a social media presence, but didn’t become an actual organisation until a few months later. A few months after the initial Facebook page was made, PetSmart made a public announcement that they changed their hiring and dress code to allow visible tattoos and piercings because of consumer feedback. It was then that STAPAW realised the tangible impact that could be made by helping employers see they have the public support to have the freedom to base the hiring process off of qualifications instead of looks.

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What message do you want to share, what do you hope to achieve? You don’t need to have tattoos or piercings to support the piercing and tattoo acceptance in the workplace movement. We’re a movement of consumers stating that we don’t mind purchasing products or services from businesses that hire staff based on merit – in fact we support it! Our petitions go to companies on an individual basis, and we petition companies to have the freedom to hire based on qualifications instead of looks. Legislative change tramples on the rights of the business owner. We believe change through education is the answer. Change hearts not laws. If you have tattoos or piercings, whether you make a conscious effort to or not, you represent people with tattoos and piercings every day by your actions. Do not be a good worker, be the best worker. Demand respect by your actions, not your words.

How can people get involved? People can visit www.stapaw.com and sign up to become a volunteer and join to help promote the cause. Local businesses and tattoo shops can also carry STAPAW petitions.

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What things/stories/news can people expect to see from you? We constantly have interactive content where we ask followers to call or email cities, employers, universities or city councils that pass restrictive bans on tattoos or piercings. We have new petitions, new statistics and breaking stories on our social media and our website. Recently we ran the shocking story on Iran imprisoning and beating tattoo artists and putting a Sharia Law ban on all tattooing. We also broke the touching story about the boy with cancer whose dad got the son’s cancer scar tattooed to boost his son’s self-esteem. It always varies.

What would you say to an employer who doesn’t allow tattoos or piercings? This is a link answering the top 10 reasons employers don’t allow tattoos or piercings at work www.stapaw.com/tattoos-and-piercings-in-the-workplace . Whether you own a business, or you’re an employee, this is a must read!

Have your tattoos and piercings affected how you’ve been treated in the work place? Let us know on Instagram @thingsandink!

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Careers: Tattooed Retail Manager

We chat to 33-year-old Natasha Janzemin, Retail Manager for MAC Cosmetics based in London, about her love for cosmetics, the freedom she has at work to explore her creativity through her style and tattoos…

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How old were you when you got your first tattoo? I was 17 when I got my first tattoo at a shop in Fulham. I went on my lunch break from college and got a compass star, naturally on the lower spine!

What drew you to tattoos, did anyone influence you? For as long as I can remember I have loved alternative styling and the darker styles of fashion and lifestyle. I saw Cher in her ‘If I could turn back time’ video with her mesh body stocking and the tattoo on her behind and it definitely gave me food for thought! Also, my grandad had a few tattoos, I was so intrigued as a child by them. The twist is that he was Iranian so having them was very rare. He had his hands tattooed and his forearms and I just loved them. He had a heart with a serrated edge surrounding it on his hand which I always remember.

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Can you tell us about some your tattoos? I tend to have work done based on my mood like my Danielle Rose piece of a woman putting her red lipstick on. It’s a very feminine and dark, all rolled into one. Or when I researching and really immersing myself in John Willie imagery I had my bullet bra tattoo done and when I had green hair, I saw a flash piece for Halloween of a green haired witch on broomstick years ago by the lovely rose Whitaker which I had to have! This has cemented a firm friendship between us! Also my ornate dagger between my breasts on my sternum done by the insanely talented Clara Sinclair, combining again softness with an edge. Right now, I’m in to a lot of esoterica and also medieval oddities. I recently have a mace on my arm as well as creepy doorway, almost something you would see Nosforatu peeking out off! The next one I have planned is the hanging man tarot card. Adam ruff at parliament always gets it right!

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How did you get into your current role? Working for MAC has been and continues to be an amazing journey! I worked damn hard to get where I am coupled with respecting my colleagues and customers alike. I started as a supervisor and worked my up to my current role as retail manager of my Camden store. Working for a brand where you can be yourself, where actually, being yourself is celebrated is an amazing feeling to have! You do your best work when you’re being yourself!

Did you have to study or get any qualifications or have you worked your way up? I’ve worked in retail management for years. Since I was 17 I’ve been running stores and I’ve worked in a fair few brands for the past 16 years. I’ve always loved cosmetics, in fact been obsessed with them and creating and executing looks! I believe in hard work and that’s exactly what I’ve done to grow in my retail career. I’ve never trained in retail management but just got stuck in and learned from my mistakes and moved forward.

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What is a typical day like? A typical day for me is never the same twice! I have a great team of people I work with who all bring a lot of fun, creativity and personality to my everyday working life. I do the normal setting up of the store, organising and then see where I’m needed. I may be office based some days or on others, working the floor with my team, interacting and making customers happy through make up and having a good time with each other. It’s amazing to work with such a talented bunch of individuals and so great to be able to create looks and introduce products to our customers to make them feel amazing!

How do you dress for work? Do you show off your tattoos? How would you describe your style? For work we have an all black dress code which is great for me! I dress how I feel for the day. My tattoos are exposed depending on the weather really.  It’s great working for a company who don’t see tattoos as a barrier to executing your job successfully. I wear black all the time and I alternate between Doc Martens and Vans for my feet. Some would say slightly goth but I just dress in what I feel comfortable in!

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Do you find in retail people react more to your tattoos? I find that people are definitely drawn to me because of my tattoos. Where I work in Camden, a lot of tourists come in and ask about them. I think a lot of people are intrigued about body art if they haven’t got anything and working in retail makes it more accessible for them to ask questions rather than someone they may see on the street.

Do you have any advice to other people considering their careers when getting tattooed? The only advice I could give is maybe to start getting pieces in areas where you can cover them until you decide on a career. Unfortunately some career paths will be obstructed by visible work, although I do feel more and more leniency is being displayed in more traditional careers nowadays for visible work . Now I have a career with a great brand who accept and celebrate art and individuality, if I took the plunge and got something more visible it wouldn’t be a problem but just add to the diversity in image we have here!

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Careers: Tattooed Licensing and Marketing Director

We chat to 33-year-old Grace Pantony, Licensing and Marketing Director for Marshall Amplification, based in Milton Keynes, about developing Marshall as a lifestyle brand, her tattoos and of course love for music…

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How old were you when you got your first tattoo? I got my first tattoo, when I was 18. I had a big tribal piece on my back. I am now in the process of having this covered up.

What drew you to tattoos, did anyone influence you? At the age of 14 I really got into heavy music, and tattoos came along with this culture. I listened to a lot of metal music and was adamant as soon as I was old enough I was going to get some tribal like my idol Kerry King of Slayer! Also, my dad had always been into tattoos and was covered himself, so it was something I grew up with and never thought anything of, other than I wanted one as soon as I could.

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Back (cover up by Ade at Axios)

Can you tell us about some your tattoos? I got my first tattoo when I was 18, this is now in the progress of being covered up by Ade at Axios Tattoo in Hove. Ade’s specialism is Japanese tattooing, and I first came across his work about 15 years ago when he was working in Guildford. I love his style, and have also had a full sleeve and Japanese mask done on my leg done by Ade. I always said I would never get a band tattoo, but have now got four band related tattoos. I don’t regret them at all though and already have another band filler that I want doing at some point.

My current favourite tattoos of mine are my knees done by Elliott Wells at Triple Six Tattoo in Sunderland. I am so in love with the placement, the colour, the design – everything! I never get bored of looking at them. Elliott really has mastered peonies, and I would love to have more work done by him in the future.

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How did you get into your current role? I started at Marshall as a temp after returning from a work placement in Los Angeles with a previous employer. Being really into music it was such a perfect company to work for and I was really happy to get the chance to even temp at the company. Once my temp position ended I was thankfully offered a job within another department, and it has been happily ever after!

Did you have to study or get any qualifications or have you worked your way up? I have worked my way up within Marshall as well as doing study in my spare time. I have studied skills that were identified as specific to the career direction I was looking for but that also benefited Marshall and the position I was in with them.

I have worked really closely with the managing director of the company to develop the Marshall brand within the lifestyle category which is outside our core product. This was a new segment for Marshall, therefore a new department was created. I saw this as a great opportunity so seized this chance and put myself forward to take the bull by the horns and run with the development of this department, it was something I had a huge interest in and also Marshall is a brand I love, so it was a perfect fit.

grace1I was drunk at Leeds festival with my friend and I drew a dinosaur, afterwards we felt it needed to be a tattoo!

What is a typical day like? No day is the same. My job is really varied. Which is what I love the most. I have always been someone that needs a challenge and variety in my work. And this job certainly does that. I am the director for licensed products as well as marketing for the core brand. The role means I am immersed in Marshall in all ways, I live and breathe the brand.

An average day can involve approving a new product off the factory line through to event planning and coordinating. Reviewing counterfeit goods and trademark registrations with IP attorneys to setting up a record label – it’s my dream job! The role has developed so much, and I work with such a great team. We all love the brand and have a huge amount of fun, sometimes it makes you question that what you do is your job! But saying that it is hard work, we all work really, really hard but having a great team makes this a whole lot easier.

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Music Week announcing Marshall launching a record label, of which I sit on the board of directors.

What do you love about your job? I love the variety that no day is the same. That I am challenged every day to push myself and learn more about the industry and products we work with. I am forever learning a new skill, and I love that. And I would be lying if working within music wasn’t a huge part of the love for the job. I get to be around music all day. Listen to it, work with it, and getting to go to gigs for your job – life doesn’t get much better than that! It’s a dream.

How do you dress for work? Do you show off your tattoos? How would you describe your style? I am by far the scruffiest and most casual director at Marshall. My go-to is high waisted jeans, vans and a band or Marshall baseball tee. I am a comfy dresser at work and also you never know when you will be lifting amps, so a skirt and heels really isn’t practical, especially as I can’t walk in them at the best of times. I don’t make a conscience effort to show my tattoos at work, but I certainly don’t hide them, and thankfully have never been expected to.

Before Marshall I worked for the government and hid my tattoos through the interview stage and also until I passed my six month probation, so to say they were shocked when they saw them was an understatement. But I always believe that you should be judged on the standard of your work, not on if you have tattoos. Sadly, I don’t think the government is quite ready for that way of thinking yet. But thankfully Marshall are more than happy with it.

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Marshall always sponsor Movember, and I got a Mo tattooed to be an official Mo’sista

How do people react to your tattoos? I normally get “you didn’t look like the sort of girl to have tattoos” and I am not sure if that is a compliment or an insult so I just ignore it. I live in Milton Keynes, where it is becoming more common to see people with a lot of tattoos but I still think there aren’t that many females who are fairly covered, so whenever I go out I get people asking about them. But it’s always in a positive way. You always get people that only want to know how much you have spent, it still seems to be the most common question. I always find that bizarre, and again ignore it.

In a work capacity, no one has reacted negatively, if anything it is a positive as my arms have been used for marketing campaigns for the brand, so that I do take as a compliment!

Do you have any advice to other people considering their careers when getting tattooed? Regardless of career choice, you should always research what you want and who is the best person to do that. I learnt the hard way and lived with a bad tattoo for far too long.

When it comes to work and tattoos I think honesty is the best policy and also knowing what you want to work in and if tattoos are still a bit of a taboo in that career. I am lucky that I work in music and that tattoos are common place. But that doesn’t mean I don’t think about it when getting another one. When I got my fingers done, the first person I asked if they had any problems with it before I got it done was my boss. I wouldn’t want to do anything that could jeopardise my job regardless of how tolerant they are of tattooing – so yeah, be honest and run it past them before walking in with your hands done, it softens the blow that way!