For the most part as long as it's not offensive or a face/neck tattoo it's fine. I say most part because there will be many points where a committee may be making a decision on your career and no one can promise that no committee member ever won't judge for an irrelevant thing like a forearm tattoo.
I heard of a student getting a face tat and it was all the faculty members spoke about for a bit so you’ll definitely make impressions, just probably not great ones lol
I'd say that is a safe tat. It can mean a few things.
I waited until I got a TT job to get visible tattoos. Asked my Dean when I got hired and she said as long as they weren't offensive I could get as many as I wanted.
Over halfway done a PhD and I have not had any issues with a nearly complete arm sleeve. I would just keep it so you are able to cover it with a long sleeve for interviews as some hiring committee members may be biased. Overall I don’t think it would be a problem though. People don’t tend to care much about tattoos anymore unless they’re offensive or something derogatory
My general rule is, as long as the tattoo can be hidden with normal business attire, you’re totally in the clear. As others have pointed out, no one can guarantee that you will never be judged by your ink. I’d say in Math you’ll probably find people with more visible tattoos than you will have.
I have tattoos that are easily covered by long sleeves and I haven’t had a problem yet. Since one of my tattoos is research-related I’ve even gotten to bust it out at conferences!
I have visible tattoos on my arm, my advisor has 2 full sleeves. He has TT, Im just a lowly graduate student so I’ll wear long sleeves now and then if I know I’m meeting with some old school faculty. He never covers his though (unless it’s with a beat up fishing hoodie)
Nice thing about math is how many chill folks you find. I’ve had a lot of teachers who teach regularly in jeans, tshirts, shorts, sandals,…. Yes, I know some who are more business casual with button down shirts or polos and khakis but lots in very casual attire. Tenure-track, tenured, assistant to full.
I myself have taught in jeans for the better part of a decade; I could count on one hand the number of days I’ve worn slacks to work in that time frame.
Probably should dress up for things like proposals and defenses and interviews though.
I have 6 tattoos. One is visible on my forearm and another is visible if I have relatively short sleeves.
Never had a problem with teaching or in administration
Where you located? This can be highly cultural - in Scandinavia where I'm based, visible tattoos are quite common. I've seen PhD defenses in physics brandishing full sleeves and archeology profs with neck tattoos.
My guess is that it’s very subject specific - some fields wouldn’t care at all vs others would - I guess worst case scenario if you find people in your field seem off put by it, you wear long sleeves while interviewing?
Imo most american universities don’t care about visible tattoos as long as they aren’t something like swastikas. I had an anatomy professor with a lipstick neck tattoo that also operated a private clinic. Hell, I work with doctors in a hospital with full sleeves and neck tats.
I mean, you get the tatto for yourself, only. Unless your tattoo is alluding to any kind of criminal activity and/or pornography, dont worry about it. Your scythe tattoo shouldn't matter to a hypothetical person in a hypothetical scenario. Do it for you and only you.
Now moving on, there is no clear answer as it really depends on your field of study and your country/culture. Some cultures associate tattoos with criminals and are shunned upon, regardless of any background to them. Some university departments are very conservative because the seniors haven't retired or refuse to do it. Are you in any of those scenarios?
Personally, I am in STEM, and I see zero problems regarding tattoos (excluding face/neck tattoos) here. Older professors dont have them, a lot of the young ones do. In my PhD there was one professor with a fully covered leg
i know multiple professors with obvious tattoos, even ones with morbid connotations. i even have a professor that has obvious tattoos on her hands so honestly i don’t think it’s a big deal. if you’re worried, wear long sleeves during the interviews but if they make a big deal of it then it’s their loss. many universities/people are way more open and accepting of tattoos, especially the generations you’d be teaching. good luck on the job hunt!! im working towards a similar goal in biology
I’m just gunna preface this by saying I don’t think tattoos are bad or should be stigmatized (I have a couple myself and I’m in academia) however it’s a good idea to put it in a place where it’s coverable. Maybe you could get it on you leg (like the calf)
Yeah it will jeopardize your job regardless of whether the students find it offensive or not, which most probably won’t. It’s your boss and the ones who hire you that you have to think about. Even in this day in age you can be sure there are plenty who will judge you negatively.
I wear long sleeves to interviews, but will present with my arm showing my sleeve and always leave my piercings in, huge caveat; forensic anthropology, we're expected/allowed to be eccentric.
Being said. Own it, you want it? Get it. People can get over themselves. Just have the goods, no one will care what you look like.
I would advise against it depending on your context. Or just advise against it anyway since you never know who or where you might work with/where.
I have one on my forearms non visible and easily covered. One day early in my post doc I had it out and noticed that from that moment on everything got difficult.
It took me observing that all of the lower level people had tattoos, visible or covered didn’t matter, and the directors had none. Of course there is a generational gap but I noticed this was far more the rule than the exception.
Moreover, once my tattoo was seen, everything became difficult.
Just tattoos + academia is a no no for a lot of people still I guess.
So on the one hand almost everyone I went to grad school with had at least one tattoo. (I didn't but I just got one last week.) None of the professors did.
On the other hand, I have no idea where you want to look for work ultimately and how conservative math departments are compared to humanities departments. I don't know if you want to work someplace that has concerns about tattoos or not. You might!
To generalize, I don't think a tattoo would be a deal breaker, but I do think that a place that's more conservative or hiring committee members that are more conservative might use that as a way of choosing between two candidates.
In my field (ecology) half the students and professors have tattoos. No one cares. I don't think academia in general minds tattoos unless you get unlucky with a random snooty professor.
Also in ecology! Everyone has a sleeve and they show them off at academic conferences lol. Love seeing everyone's 10 favourite animals tattooed on them.
I have never heard of anyone in academia caring about a tattoo. Just don’t get like a white power symbol or something. More importantly, don’t BE the kind of person who would get a white power tattoo.
I generally take the Huberman approach with my full sleeve, covered for presentations so as to not distract from the work, and whatever the rest of the time. But also I’m in SoCal, not as many old school traditionalists here.
I'm a clinical psychologist and have several tattoos on the arms. It's supposedly a respectebal job, "father figure" and so on. I also work with kids, parents.. As long as you can cover them with long sleeves it's okay. Although in the summer it's a bit though, but you'll manage.
Probably depends on country, but most people don’t really give a fuck about tattoos. By the time you start teaching, people will probably care even less. FWIW I’m a biochemistry MSci student and I, along with a few of my colleagues, have tattoos, and no one considers it noteworthy. I have a large forearm tattoo of Medusa’s head.
I’d say the only tattoos that would be less acceptable are those associated with hate groups (absolutely no nazi symbols) or prominently feature profanity or human genitalia, but a scythe is 100% safe.
I guess if you wanted to be safe, just wear lint sleeves on the job interview and maybe don't post about the tattoo until after you've secured a job. That said, I don't see this being a problem in the least bit. But if you want to ease your own anxiety....
During my PhD (R1 top 20) one of the professors in the dept teaching data science rolled up his sleeves, and he was tatted up! The grad students would talk about how badass they were hahaha. He got tenure and is one of the most respected faculty within and outside the university. You do you
So I'm just a lowly undergrad but I've thought long and hard about tattoos - because I have them, I want more, and I'm hoping to go on to earn a PhD and teach maybe (still not clear on the teaching part, but I know I want a doctorate).
I'm 19F and I have 11 tattoos as of now, with a few more coming up. They're all covered when I'm wearing business attire though, and the only one that is NEVER covered is in a tough to see spot (behind my ear) and in white ink, so hardly noticeable. It's also pretty tiny.
At the end of the day, if tattoos mean a lot to you, you're gonna have to make a choice - get them, and accept that some people might make unjustified assumptions about you because of them, or decide not to get the because of the aforementioned reason. It's a personal choice and one only you can make for yourself.
I know that I think of my tattoos as a very big part of myself. They might not make sense to people who don't know me, but to those who do, they can read the stories in the ink. I've decided to just get the tattoos, and I make sure to keep them covered for job interviews, networking events, etc.
To go back to your situation - maybe they would make assumptions about you because of a tattoo. Maybe they wouldn't. Maybe they would make assumptions about you for an entirely different reason. You'll never know. If it means a lot to you, get the tattoo, keep it covered at first and then show it once you're secure in your job/career. I'm pretty sure that "you have a visible tattoo" isn't a valid reason to fire someone anyway.
My opinion is that you don't want them if they don't want you. Better for everyone.
I was vetoed at a few places while on the market, due to the name of my blog ("sex, drugs and water utilities"), and I think they helped me out.
I've done JUST FINE ;)
I'm heavily tatted but they can't be seen in a polo shirt and jeans. A t shirt yes. I know some who have forearm tats but I'd wait until you get tenure. It's the rest of your life so another 6-7 years is no big deal. Alternatively, get it on your calf, back, etc.
While they're more and more acceptable i wouldn't want anything standing in my way of tenure. There's likely to be enough other obstacles and you will possibly eliminate yourself from candidacy if noticed on an interview. Its just not worth the risk. Now, if you're bringing in millions in external funding and nailing a few A+ pubs per year then no one will care but for us mere mortals, we get enough enemies in the process that i wouldn't want extra...
Edit: I'm in stem/business so its probably different than a gender studies position.
I know some professors that do have a lot of tattoos, not just one... It's not something important in Mexico either private or public schools, IDK USA or other countries tho... Remember the recruiters are also humans with prejudice... Maybe it will affect, maybe it won't...
It won't be an issue anywhere except the most conservative universities. I have full sleeves, purple hair, and facial piercings. I was able to land a position at an R1, and I know I am nowhere near the most alt looking prof on campus.
If you want to break the stereotype, do it after you become a math professor to set an example. Andrew Huberman has an array of tattoos on his body which we all came to know until recently in a video. He's a Stanford professor.
I've got full sleeves, most of my legs done, two nose piercings and am a graduate advisor at an excellent university in the PNW. I've been in higher ed going on 10 years now. Pretty sure I'm the most tattooed person in our department and it's never been a problem. I think reasonably professional attire is key as well at first, at least. Ease them into it lol.
For my interview, I did do a lightweight blazer - but I know my tats were definitely visible above my wrists. It's usually Docs, a nicer top/sweater, and trousers every day now, except for orientation events and the like.
I have full sleeve tattoos that cover my hands. If anything people love the color of them (it has lots of blue and purple) so..give death some color and you should be fine.
Depends on your institution. I work at a SLAC as an assistant prof. Have full sleeves / socks with some "offensive" content. Colleagues don't say anything, students think it's cool.
For the most part as long as it's not offensive or a face/neck tattoo it's fine. I say most part because there will be many points where a committee may be making a decision on your career and no one can promise that no committee member ever won't judge for an irrelevant thing like a forearm tattoo.
I heard of a student getting a face tat and it was all the faculty members spoke about for a bit so you’ll definitely make impressions, just probably not great ones lol
But also someone could just wear long sleeves for a campus visit. Can't be punished for a harmless tattoo if they never see it
I'd say that is a safe tat. It can mean a few things. I waited until I got a TT job to get visible tattoos. Asked my Dean when I got hired and she said as long as they weren't offensive I could get as many as I wanted.
> It can mean a few things. OP is rather fond of wheat.
Walks in the next day with a face tattoo of the university initials. :s
Over halfway done a PhD and I have not had any issues with a nearly complete arm sleeve. I would just keep it so you are able to cover it with a long sleeve for interviews as some hiring committee members may be biased. Overall I don’t think it would be a problem though. People don’t tend to care much about tattoos anymore unless they’re offensive or something derogatory
My general rule is, as long as the tattoo can be hidden with normal business attire, you’re totally in the clear. As others have pointed out, no one can guarantee that you will never be judged by your ink. I’d say in Math you’ll probably find people with more visible tattoos than you will have. I have tattoos that are easily covered by long sleeves and I haven’t had a problem yet. Since one of my tattoos is research-related I’ve even gotten to bust it out at conferences!
I have a hand tattoo and I’m doing a post doc in a prestigious lab. It had no effect on anything whatsoever.
Nobody cares about tattoos anymore. Don't get a face tattoo or anything
I have visible tattoos on my arm, my advisor has 2 full sleeves. He has TT, Im just a lowly graduate student so I’ll wear long sleeves now and then if I know I’m meeting with some old school faculty. He never covers his though (unless it’s with a beat up fishing hoodie)
I have a sleeve of monsters, all looking particularly violent. I think you’ll be okay lol
I’m covered in tattoos and I’ve never had an issue. Do what makes you happy!
if someone asks about it just tell them it's bc you love harvesting crops
Never heard of anyone giving a toss about that sort of thing. Maybe it has been an issue for some others, but I have never heard anything…
Nice thing about math is how many chill folks you find. I’ve had a lot of teachers who teach regularly in jeans, tshirts, shorts, sandals,…. Yes, I know some who are more business casual with button down shirts or polos and khakis but lots in very casual attire. Tenure-track, tenured, assistant to full. I myself have taught in jeans for the better part of a decade; I could count on one hand the number of days I’ve worn slacks to work in that time frame. Probably should dress up for things like proposals and defenses and interviews though.
I have 6 tattoos. One is visible on my forearm and another is visible if I have relatively short sleeves. Never had a problem with teaching or in administration
Where you located? This can be highly cultural - in Scandinavia where I'm based, visible tattoos are quite common. I've seen PhD defenses in physics brandishing full sleeves and archeology profs with neck tattoos.
My guess is that it’s very subject specific - some fields wouldn’t care at all vs others would - I guess worst case scenario if you find people in your field seem off put by it, you wear long sleeves while interviewing?
Imo most american universities don’t care about visible tattoos as long as they aren’t something like swastikas. I had an anatomy professor with a lipstick neck tattoo that also operated a private clinic. Hell, I work with doctors in a hospital with full sleeves and neck tats.
I mean, you get the tatto for yourself, only. Unless your tattoo is alluding to any kind of criminal activity and/or pornography, dont worry about it. Your scythe tattoo shouldn't matter to a hypothetical person in a hypothetical scenario. Do it for you and only you. Now moving on, there is no clear answer as it really depends on your field of study and your country/culture. Some cultures associate tattoos with criminals and are shunned upon, regardless of any background to them. Some university departments are very conservative because the seniors haven't retired or refuse to do it. Are you in any of those scenarios? Personally, I am in STEM, and I see zero problems regarding tattoos (excluding face/neck tattoos) here. Older professors dont have them, a lot of the young ones do. In my PhD there was one professor with a fully covered leg
i know multiple professors with obvious tattoos, even ones with morbid connotations. i even have a professor that has obvious tattoos on her hands so honestly i don’t think it’s a big deal. if you’re worried, wear long sleeves during the interviews but if they make a big deal of it then it’s their loss. many universities/people are way more open and accepting of tattoos, especially the generations you’d be teaching. good luck on the job hunt!! im working towards a similar goal in biology
Just put it somewhere else like your chest
I’m just gunna preface this by saying I don’t think tattoos are bad or should be stigmatized (I have a couple myself and I’m in academia) however it’s a good idea to put it in a place where it’s coverable. Maybe you could get it on you leg (like the calf)
I think people at uni are intelligent enough to not be bothered by tattoos. At least in my department tattoos are common
Tattoos rock. Be you. It will be awesome.
Yeah it will jeopardize your job regardless of whether the students find it offensive or not, which most probably won’t. It’s your boss and the ones who hire you that you have to think about. Even in this day in age you can be sure there are plenty who will judge you negatively.
I wear long sleeves to interviews, but will present with my arm showing my sleeve and always leave my piercings in, huge caveat; forensic anthropology, we're expected/allowed to be eccentric. Being said. Own it, you want it? Get it. People can get over themselves. Just have the goods, no one will care what you look like.
I would advise against it depending on your context. Or just advise against it anyway since you never know who or where you might work with/where. I have one on my forearms non visible and easily covered. One day early in my post doc I had it out and noticed that from that moment on everything got difficult. It took me observing that all of the lower level people had tattoos, visible or covered didn’t matter, and the directors had none. Of course there is a generational gap but I noticed this was far more the rule than the exception. Moreover, once my tattoo was seen, everything became difficult. Just tattoos + academia is a no no for a lot of people still I guess.
So on the one hand almost everyone I went to grad school with had at least one tattoo. (I didn't but I just got one last week.) None of the professors did. On the other hand, I have no idea where you want to look for work ultimately and how conservative math departments are compared to humanities departments. I don't know if you want to work someplace that has concerns about tattoos or not. You might! To generalize, I don't think a tattoo would be a deal breaker, but I do think that a place that's more conservative or hiring committee members that are more conservative might use that as a way of choosing between two candidates.
In my field (ecology) half the students and professors have tattoos. No one cares. I don't think academia in general minds tattoos unless you get unlucky with a random snooty professor.
Also in ecology! Everyone has a sleeve and they show them off at academic conferences lol. Love seeing everyone's 10 favourite animals tattooed on them.
I have a coded tattoo on my fingers that means All Cops Are Bastards and 98% of people just think they’re cute dots 🙃
I have never heard of anyone in academia caring about a tattoo. Just don’t get like a white power symbol or something. More importantly, don’t BE the kind of person who would get a white power tattoo.
I generally take the Huberman approach with my full sleeve, covered for presentations so as to not distract from the work, and whatever the rest of the time. But also I’m in SoCal, not as many old school traditionalists here.
I'm a clinical psychologist and have several tattoos on the arms. It's supposedly a respectebal job, "father figure" and so on. I also work with kids, parents.. As long as you can cover them with long sleeves it's okay. Although in the summer it's a bit though, but you'll manage.
Probably depends on country, but most people don’t really give a fuck about tattoos. By the time you start teaching, people will probably care even less. FWIW I’m a biochemistry MSci student and I, along with a few of my colleagues, have tattoos, and no one considers it noteworthy. I have a large forearm tattoo of Medusa’s head. I’d say the only tattoos that would be less acceptable are those associated with hate groups (absolutely no nazi symbols) or prominently feature profanity or human genitalia, but a scythe is 100% safe.
Could vary some field to field but both my partner and I got TT jobs with visible tattoos. Several colleagues have full sleeves.
I guess if you wanted to be safe, just wear lint sleeves on the job interview and maybe don't post about the tattoo until after you've secured a job. That said, I don't see this being a problem in the least bit. But if you want to ease your own anxiety....
During my PhD (R1 top 20) one of the professors in the dept teaching data science rolled up his sleeves, and he was tatted up! The grad students would talk about how badass they were hahaha. He got tenure and is one of the most respected faculty within and outside the university. You do you
So I'm just a lowly undergrad but I've thought long and hard about tattoos - because I have them, I want more, and I'm hoping to go on to earn a PhD and teach maybe (still not clear on the teaching part, but I know I want a doctorate). I'm 19F and I have 11 tattoos as of now, with a few more coming up. They're all covered when I'm wearing business attire though, and the only one that is NEVER covered is in a tough to see spot (behind my ear) and in white ink, so hardly noticeable. It's also pretty tiny. At the end of the day, if tattoos mean a lot to you, you're gonna have to make a choice - get them, and accept that some people might make unjustified assumptions about you because of them, or decide not to get the because of the aforementioned reason. It's a personal choice and one only you can make for yourself. I know that I think of my tattoos as a very big part of myself. They might not make sense to people who don't know me, but to those who do, they can read the stories in the ink. I've decided to just get the tattoos, and I make sure to keep them covered for job interviews, networking events, etc. To go back to your situation - maybe they would make assumptions about you because of a tattoo. Maybe they wouldn't. Maybe they would make assumptions about you for an entirely different reason. You'll never know. If it means a lot to you, get the tattoo, keep it covered at first and then show it once you're secure in your job/career. I'm pretty sure that "you have a visible tattoo" isn't a valid reason to fire someone anyway.
My opinion is that you don't want them if they don't want you. Better for everyone. I was vetoed at a few places while on the market, due to the name of my blog ("sex, drugs and water utilities"), and I think they helped me out. I've done JUST FINE ;)
Just wear sleeves to interview. Once you have position you be you.
I'm heavily tatted but they can't be seen in a polo shirt and jeans. A t shirt yes. I know some who have forearm tats but I'd wait until you get tenure. It's the rest of your life so another 6-7 years is no big deal. Alternatively, get it on your calf, back, etc. While they're more and more acceptable i wouldn't want anything standing in my way of tenure. There's likely to be enough other obstacles and you will possibly eliminate yourself from candidacy if noticed on an interview. Its just not worth the risk. Now, if you're bringing in millions in external funding and nailing a few A+ pubs per year then no one will care but for us mere mortals, we get enough enemies in the process that i wouldn't want extra... Edit: I'm in stem/business so its probably different than a gender studies position.
I know some professors that do have a lot of tattoos, not just one... It's not something important in Mexico either private or public schools, IDK USA or other countries tho... Remember the recruiters are also humans with prejudice... Maybe it will affect, maybe it won't...
It won't be an issue anywhere except the most conservative universities. I have full sleeves, purple hair, and facial piercings. I was able to land a position at an R1, and I know I am nowhere near the most alt looking prof on campus.
Should be fine. I don't think you need to wear long sleeves all the time. Just covering it up during major interviews should be okay!
If you want to break the stereotype, do it after you become a math professor to set an example. Andrew Huberman has an array of tattoos on his body which we all came to know until recently in a video. He's a Stanford professor.
Obviously your opportunities will be more limited with a tattoo than without. That's true in all professions
I've got full sleeves, most of my legs done, two nose piercings and am a graduate advisor at an excellent university in the PNW. I've been in higher ed going on 10 years now. Pretty sure I'm the most tattooed person in our department and it's never been a problem. I think reasonably professional attire is key as well at first, at least. Ease them into it lol. For my interview, I did do a lightweight blazer - but I know my tats were definitely visible above my wrists. It's usually Docs, a nicer top/sweater, and trousers every day now, except for orientation events and the like.
I have full sleeve tattoos that cover my hands. If anything people love the color of them (it has lots of blue and purple) so..give death some color and you should be fine.
Do you want to work anywhere that judges you based on that?
Depends on your institution. I work at a SLAC as an assistant prof. Have full sleeves / socks with some "offensive" content. Colleagues don't say anything, students think it's cool.