Piercings and tattoos are everywhere if you know where to look.  It is estimated that 36% of people between the ages of 18 and 25 and 40% of people between the ages of 26 and 40 have at least one tattoo.  This means that of all the people you know, almost half of them have at least some ink.

As body art rises in popularity, it makes sense that it would begin to trickle down into the workforce.  Certain industries, such as IT, technical trades, and call centers are more forgiving in their dress codes and will generally not exclude people sporting ink or piercings.

For the most part, though, the success of your job interview could hang on whether you remove that stud from your eyebrow or cover your tattoo.

You only get 10 seconds to make a good first impression.  Whether right or wrong, a huge portion of that first impression is established by your physical appearance.  Visible piercings and tattoos convey a message to prospective employers that may not be compatible with what they are looking for in a candidate.

Fortune 1000 companies, service industry jobs, and hospitality jobs are notorious for being stringent in their dress code requirements.  In general, if the industry you are seeking to enter involves a lot of interaction with the public, you would do well to tread carefully with the placement of your tattoo or piercing.

If you are considering getting body art done, be strategic about its placement.  A tattoo that is hidden by work clothes will not do you any professional harm.  Body piercings are a little trickier because the most popular places to get piercings done are visible to the general public.  In order to succeed in most industries, it is likely that you will have to consider removing your piercing during the interview and while you’re at work.

While it may frustrate you to play by the rules in this regard, at this point it’s recommended.  Don’t despair, however.  Ben Casnocha wrote in his blog today, “Follow the rules and change the rules -- at once.”  Play by the rules now, but when you are in a senior management position at your company, maybe you can be the one to hire the kid with a lip ring.  Who knows?  By then, maybe the universal dress code will require body art.

Do you have body art?  Has it helped or hurt you during job interviews?  Would you hire someone with a visible tattoo or body piercing?