Thousands of teenagers are about to go wild, stick two fingers up at their parents and head straight towards to nearest tattoo studio. That's because, according to a new study, getting inked could actually increase your chances of getting a job (depending on what the job actually is).
The study, which was carried out at the University of St. Andrews, rated photos of people with and without tattoos to see which faces were likely to get hired. Some jobs suit people with tattoos more than others, it transpires.
It took photographs from both the UK and the USA and used images of four men and four women in their 30s.
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The images were then altered to look like they all had a star-shaped tattoo on their neck before being shown to the participants.
The candidates were then evaluated on whether they'd be hired as either a bartender at a nightclub or a waiter at an upscale restaurant.
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The results have been counted and verified and show that managers gave a higher rating to the tattooed version of the faces for the bartender role, with an average score of 5.07 out of seven for male faces, reports the Metro.
This was compared to the average 4.38 given to the non-inked version of the same face.
For women, researchers noted a 5.14 rating for the tattooed image compared to just 4.51 for the unmarked women.
Image credit: PA
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However, the results from the waiter position favoured the non-tattooed candidates.
"Visibly, tattooed job applicants can present as attractive candidates in the labour market because they can help to positively convey an organisation's image or brand, particularly in firms that seek to target a younger, edgier demographic of customers," said Dr. Andrew Timming from the university.
So there you have it - if you want to work with trendy young people, then getting inked could significantly help your chances, but could limit your opportunities to work in other sectors.
Some tattoos look great, and some are shit. These are shit.
That last one is fake, I hope.
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"Previous research has focused on the negative effects of tattoos on one's employment chances, but the idea that body art can improve job prospects has, until now, been largely neglected," added Dr Timming.
And there you have it. The doc has spoken.
Featured image credit: PA
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