Mia Freedman Tuesday 17 April 2012 5:48pm

• (11)
• (9)
• (239)

Mia

You thought the idea of being asked for your facebook password in a job interview was alarming? How about being asked about your body art. I was speaking to a friend who works in HR in Hong Kong and she says in interviews now, many employers are asking about tattoos. Not because they’re worried the Aztec design on your lower back might scare the customers (one would assume in conservative fields like banking, law and finance that area would be well covered) but for reasons of character. They want to know what kind of person you are.

Yes, there are people younger than 65 who still believe tattoos are a sign of reckless rebellion. And one day they may be the one standing between you and your next job. Remember when the hardest question you had to answer was “what’s your weakness?” and then keep a straight face when you answered “I work too hard.”

But tattoos aren’t exactly a novelty anymore. And nor are they small and discreet.

Perhaps inspired by Ruby Rose, Pink and Rhianna, women are apparently rejecting discreet little symbols, roses, love hearts and dolphins for bigger, bolder designs. “Girls want tattoos that flow with the contours of their bodies, like Angelina Jolie’s tattoos,” tattoo artist ‘Moldi’ was reported as saying. “The scrag tag has really died off.” (a ‘scrag tag’, also know as a ‘tramp stamp’, is a tattoo on your lower back). And men are following suit, or maybe even leading the way.

Scarlett Johansson's tattoo

•  
•  
•  
•  
•  
•  
•  
•  
•  
•  
•  
•  
•  
•  
•  
•  
•  
•  
•  
•  
•  
•  
•  
•  
•  
•  
•  
•  
•  
•  
•  
•  
•  
•  
•  
•  
•  
•  
•  
•  

Does a tattoo really reflect who you are? Or maybe just who you were on the day that you got it? Do you think having a tattoo is any reflection of  what kind of person you are?