Do you think this would effect an individual's employability?

[foxbridgeacademy]

So, I'm thinking he, like many teenagers, is just looking for a way to stand out and and also say a big *!$^ you to the World.  It's not unusual, in fact it's a little passe but there are plenty of ways to be heard and to tick people off without permanently modifying your body in obvious ways.  Other body modification options include piercing and tattoos that in some states (like Indiana) you can get before 18 with parent permission (usually parent has to be there and show relationship).  He could get involved in a fringe movement, either through support or protest. He might like LARPing and there are still groups out there that do that.  He wants to find a job that would allow him to look different then he should start researching that.  There are ways to show your apathy and disgust with the status quo without making the future you HATE your guts.

[Haiku]

So, I'm thinking he, like many teenagers, is just looking for a way to stand out and and also say a big *!$^ you to the World.  It's not unusual, in fact it's a little passe 

 

Yep. It very much screams "I'm a teen rebel." If he wants to go through with this, he needs to understand that people will take it as a sign of immaturity.

 

I watched a tv show last night in which a group of kids was doing their very best to be as uncool as possible. They chose to do this by dressing up in elaborate period costumes and having formal dinners (which I admit that I think is cool). In the end it got them killed. ;)

 

I certainly understand your son's desire to show the world he is different. I was the same way when I was a teen. My mother was unimpressed, but that was ok, because she was, like, old and stuff, and she just didn't get it, iykwim,

 

Now I am my mother, and I see my teen self for what I was: inexperienced and clumsy.

He just informed me that while he is grateful for your advice I can stop reading it aloud at the breakfast table because you are all members of the "mom" special interest group which explains your lack of diversity of opinions.

 

 

Perhaps this might backfire, but I wonder what the "potential girlfriend" (very) special interest group thinks about this?

[Jean in Newcastle]

I'm assuming that this is expensive?  Does anyone know?  Does he have a job and the self control to save up for it?  It is not something that I would fund as a parent.  And it isn't something I would "ok" as a parent.  But he is one year from 18 and presumably would not need permission at that point. 

[Miss Peregrine]

Is he going for "Vampire Elf" or is this an either/or situation?

[KungFuPanda]

Replied to wrong quote. Do over!

Edited August 30, 2016 by KungFuPanda

[TranquilMind]

He just informed me that while he is grateful for your advice I can stop reading it aloud at the breakfast table because you are all members of the "mom" special interest group which explains your lack of diversity of opinions.

 

Should I point out that a significant portion of employers are members of the "mom" special interest group?

Ha ha.  That's funny.

Did you ever say if he is paying for all this mutilation himself, or whether he thinks you should pay for it?  Maybe you did, but I might have missed it. 

 

[KungFuPanda]

He just informed me that while he is grateful for your advice I can stop reading it aloud at the breakfast table because you are all members of the "mom" special interest group which explains your lack of diversity of opinions.

 

Should I point out that a significant portion of employers are members of the "mom" special interest group?

Yes, I'm a mom, but I'm also a bellydancer. I spend my time with an eclectic group of people of all ages, genders, and orientations. YES, your physical appearance effects your job prospects. It's easier to push the envelop once you HAVE the job than it is to get in the door looking like a vampire. My friends with lucrative day jobs have augmentations that can be concealed during their 9-5. Friends with creative jobs, or who are self-employed in creative fields, get away with more. Lockeed Martin just changed their policies, so now one friend has blue hair at work. Sure, they can go all out at alternative shows, but even full-time dancers have to project a more traditional image at most gigs. It's only now that they don't have to cover their tattoos for most shows. The only dancer I know who pulls off the snake contacts at work has a job in the fashion industry and he's a walking piece of art all the time.

 

It's easy to be belligerent when you are financially secure. It's quite another when you have to pay your own bills. Having a look that can be covert when necessary is just a good bet. Very few jobs pay a living wage to express your individuality. You're paid to work and becoming an intentional distraction is frowned upon. Now, if your life goal is to only make spending money and live with your parents, fangs and red eyes have merit.

 

ETA: Tell your son that when his particular demographic is doing most of the hiring, that particular look won't be a problem. However, right now the middle-aged and senior folks are doing most of the hiring so he doesn't want to give them a superficial excuse to pass him by.

 

And another darn thing: It's very selfish to believe your own personal image should be the face of someone else's company.

Edited August 30, 2016 by KungFuPanda

[TranquilMind]

So, I'm thinking he, like many teenagers, is just looking for a way to stand out and and also say a big *!$^ you to the World.  It's not unusual, in fact it's a little passe but there are plenty of ways to be heard and to tick people off without permanently modifying your body in obvious ways.  Other body modification options include piercing and tattoos that in some states (like Indiana) you can get before 18 with parent permission (usually parent has to be there and show relationship).  He could get involved in a fringe movement, either through support or protest. He might like LARPing and there are still groups out there that do that.  He wants to find a job that would allow him to look different then he should start researching that.  There are ways to show your apathy and disgust with the status quo without making the future you HATE your guts.

 

Exactly.  At least our crazy stuff back in the day, like clothes and hair, were merely surface changes, not permanent bodily mutilation. 

 

Why can't he just do that?  Then he can still blend in when it is in his best interests.

 

I've had similar discussions, believe me.

 

Edited August 30, 2016 by TranquilMind

[Reefgazer]

This tactic backfired on me so spectacularly one time that I just have to share. A few years ago, I was trying to get my daughter to ditch's T-shirts from a certain mall store with skulls all over them. To do so, I thought I would buy one and wear it, figuring it would make it terribly uncool and DD would shop elsewhere. Well, it was the most comfortable top ever and I went back for more of those tops this year. DD is still wearing them. Total fail, Lol.

 

What if the mom of this potential vampire dressed up as a vampire for a week? With plastic teeth. It might lose it's appeal if his mom dressed that way. if it doesn't work and you are brave you can drag him out in public with you dressed like a vampire. Go to the bank, the employment agency and even the video arcade and let him watch how people react to you and he can decide for himself if he wants dirty looks and snickers for the rest of his life.

[SKL]

Well here's my vote as a member of the "people who interview prospective employees interest group":

 

Yes, it will significantly affect his career prospects.

[SproutMamaK]

Yes, it shouldn't matter, but it will

Not to open up Pandora's box or start an argument (I agree with your post!), but I think there's a point of discussion here, and possibly something that may be useful for the OP when the teen inevitably starts ranting about how unfair it all is... why shouldn't it matter? Discrimination based on skin colour, class, other factors over which prospective employees have no control, etc, would be wrong. But discrimination based on a person's choice to deliberately appear off-putting? SHOULDN'T that matter? I mean, if someone deliberately does something that is designed to set themselves apart from everyone else as different (and rebellious/intimidating/shocking), don't they WANT to be treated differently than everyone else? I think a person's choices with regard to how they present themselves should matter, from their professional demeanor to what they include on their resume to how they choose to dress. Being discriminate as an employer (and employee, and person!) is a good thing, isn't it? If we're not to judge potential employees based on the entirety of the information they give us about themselves, then how are we to navigate the hiring process? Why have interviews at all if personality and character should have no bearing on it? If a person with full knowledge of what he or she is doing chooses to present themselves as rebellious or not caring what others think about, should I as an employer not believe what they are telling me? Am I expected to assume that a person who choose to present themselves as rebellious against authority or social norms will respect my authority in the workplace and work well with others in our business? Should I believe that the person who purposefully projects the image they don't give crap what anyone thinks will make an understanding, tolerant, and collaborative liaison for our company when there are issues with customer or suppliers?

 

Basically, why SHOULDN'T someone's choices about how they present themselves affect the hiring process? It's part of the package you are presenting about what you have to offer as an employee. As an employer, this falls under the heading of, "when someone tells you who they are, believe them."

Edited August 30, 2016 by SproutMamaK

[SKL]

This tactic backfired on me so spectacularly one time that I just have to share. A few years ago, I was trying to get my daughter to ditch's T-shirts from a certain mall store with skulls all over them. To do so, I thought I would buy one and wear it, figuring it would make it terribly uncool and DD would shop elsewhere. Well, it was the most comfortable top ever and I went back for more of those tops this year. DD is still wearing them. Total fail, Lol.

 

 

LOL.  Sometimes when my kids doubt my wisdom on clothing choices, I ask them if they'd like me to show up at their school dressed like that.  It usually shuts them up!

 

[SKL]

The only body modification I ever did was getting my earlobes pierced, and I've been regretting that for my entire adult life.

 

I tell my kids ... nothing permanent (except for ear piercing, if they want it at age 12 or later, because that is very mainstream).  There are all sorts of non-permanent options.  As a professional employee I had my hands covered with mehndi, which was supposed to wear off quickly but stayed for at least a month.  My boss said it looked like a skin disease.  Not sure what my clients thought of it.  :P  But a permanent tattoo or other "personal statement" type modification, no thanks.

[Daria]

Yeah...what job is he looking for that is significantly run by the 17 year old body modification special interest group?

 

And let me assure you, the "dad" special interest group probably feels just as strongly about this, if not more so. And between the mom and the dad groups....that's most employers. 

 

He told me this morning that he is planning to work in tech theater, and that it is "dark backstage" so people will not notice. 

 

I am also quite curious about the opinions of the "employers, with or without children" special interest group.  

[Daria]

Ha ha.  That's funny.

Did you ever say if he is paying for all this mutilation himself, or whether he thinks you should pay for it?  Maybe you did, but I might have missed it. 

 

I believe that he is going to find some back alley individual who works cheap to do the work.  Perhaps he will negotiate a trade for some video game loot.  

[ktgrok]

He told me this morning that he is planning to work in tech theater, and that it is "dark backstage" so people will not notice. 

 

I am also quite curious about the opinions of the "employers, with or without children" special interest group.  

 

Is he planning to do that job forever and ever?

 

Also, pretty sure the lights will be on during any interviews :)

[Daria]

Well, a lot of us are homeschoolers so we're practically rebels in our own right. Does that give us more cred? ;)

 

No.  I can say with confidence that that would be his answer.  

[Haiku]

I believe that he is going to find some back alley individual who works cheap to do the work.

 

Good to know that he's planning ahead!

[Haiku]

You can tell your son that I have a visible tattoo and an eyebrow ring. I have been known to sport mohawks of varying colors and have frequently shaved my head. My husband has multiple visible tattoos and hoops in his ears. Our children have/had varying degrees of unconventional styles of hair/piercings/tattoos. There is little about our diet, religion, lifestyle, and family composition that is conventional. I am all for unconventionality and non-conformism.

 

If he wants to be a vampire, be a vampire and be proud about it. But don't pretend that he is too naive and unworldly to know that there will be consequences to being a vampire, and one of the main consequences will be a tiny, tiny pool of willing employers. If you're still railing about the likely consequences of your actions, you're not, imo, mature enough to take those actions. Do what you do, be proud of it, and accept the consequences like a grown-up.

[justasque]

He told me this morning that he is planning to work in tech theater, and that it is "dark backstage" so people will not notice. 

 

...

 

Theater mom here.  Tech theater was actually a field that came to mind when reading this thread.  BUT - theater people absolutely have to be able to network with others.  You're always looking for the next gig.  And people need to know they can trust you have the technical knowledge and they can trust that you will spend their money wisely.  Theater is very much a field where one day you're hanging with the artsy anything-goes actor crowd, and the next day you are at a cocktail party shmoozing with potential donors.  It is very much a field where before you get to Broadway, you get that gig at the Catholic school helping the high school kids put on their production of Grease.  Gotta build that resume, and the nuns aren't going to hire you if you are going to Set a Bad Example for the Children.  You HAVE to be able to play different roles in order to work the system enough to get enough good gigs to pay the rent.  And that means you have to be able to do the corporate networking thing - hanging out with the rich people who keep the theater world employed and working.  Which you can't do well if you have extreme-outlier, non-coverable body modifications.  There's nothing wrong with standing out a bit, but you also have to be able to blend in sometimes, even if it means putting on an act for the Higher Cause of getting the money to Put On The Show.  There's a reason Will Smith is equally at home speaking in a wealthy-Hollywood dialect and speaking in a hip-hop homeboy dialect.  He needs to do both to get where he wants to be.  He needs to code-switch.  He needs to pass.  Something to seriously consider.

[QueenCat]

What if the mom of this potential vampire dressed up as a vampire for a week? With plastic teeth. It might lose it's appeal if his mom dressed that way. if it doesn't work and you are brave you can drag him out in public with you dressed like a vampire. Go to the bank, the employment agency and even the video arcade and let him watch how people react to you and he can decide for himself if he wants dirty looks and snickers for the rest of his life.

 

If Daria does that, we are all taking a field trip to her town!

[Jean in Newcastle]

I believe that he is going to find some back alley individual who works cheap to do the work.  Perhaps he will negotiate a trade for some video game loot.  

 

Then I hope that he has a fund for emergency dental surgery if the root is exposed or some other problem of that nature happens.  As a parent, this is what would bother me way more than his job prospects.  He may end up with no teeth in those spots if they get infected and need to be pulled.  (I freely admit that I'm not a dental professional but to have a back alley individual doing any kind of body modification sounds very risky to me.)

 

editing for grammatical reasons

Edited August 30, 2016 by Jean in Newcastle

[Valley Girl]

 

 

If he wants to be a vampire, be a vampire and be proud about it. But don't pretend that he is too naive and unworldly to know that there will be consequences to being a vampire, and one of the main consequences will be a tiny, tiny pool of willing employers. If you're still railing about the likely consequences of your actions, you're not, imo, mature enough to take those actions. Do what you do, be proud of it, and accept the consequences like a grown-up.

 

Well said. Mind if I tuck it away for future reference? I'm not worried about my kids wanting the vampire look, but the wisdom works for so many other situations, too.

 

[TranquilMind]

I believe that he is going to find some back alley individual who works cheap to do the work.  Perhaps he will negotiate a trade for some video game loot.  

 

Lol. 

 

(I seriously hope not...ahhh)

 

[TranquilMind]

Then I hope that he has a fund for emergency dental surgery if the root is exposed or some other problem of that nature happens.  As a parent, this is what would bother me way more than his job prospects.  He may end up with no teeth in those spots if they get infected and need to be pulled.  (I freely admit that I'm not a dental professional but to have a back alley individual doing any kind of body modification sounds very risky to me.)

 

editing for grammatical reasons

 

I thought she was joking. 

 

Yeah, I wouldn't seriously mess with anything medical or dental (too close to your brain!) and go with anyone less than the best you can find. 

 

[kewb]

Not to open up Pandora's box or start an argument (I agree with your post!), but I think there's a point of discussion here, and possibly something that may be useful for the OP when the teen inevitably starts ranting about how unfair it all is... why shouldn't it matter? Discrimination based on skin colour, class, other factors over which prospective employees have no control, etc, would be wrong. But discrimination based on a person's choice to deliberately appear off-putting? SHOULDN'T that matter? I mean, if someone deliberately does something that is designed to set themselves apart from everyone else as different (and rebellious/intimidating/shocking), don't they WANT to be treated differently than everyone else? I think a person's choices with regard to how they present themselves should matter, from their professional demeanor to what they include on their resume to how they choose to dress. Being discriminate as an employer (and employee, and person!) is a good thing, isn't it? If we're not to judge potential employees based on the entirety of the information they give us about themselves, then how are we to navigate the hiring process? Why have interviews at all if personality and character should have no bearing on it? If a person with full knowledge of what he or she is doing chooses to present themselves as rebellious or not caring what others think about, should I as an employer not believe what they are telling me? Am I expected to assume that a person who choose to present themselves as rebellious against authority or social norms will respect my authority in the workplace and work well with others in our business? Should I believe that the person who purposefully projects the image they don't give crap what anyone thinks will make an understanding, tolerant, and collaborative liaison for our company when there are issues with customer or suppliers?

 

Basically, why SHOULDN'T someone's choices about how they present themselves affect the hiring process? It's part of the package you are presenting about what you have to offer as an employee.

I get what you are saying. I have always taught my kids that their opinion of who they are is all that matters. If they can look in the mirror and like who they see that is all that matters. If you know you are doing the right thing then that is enough for your own self worth. Outside validation is not needed to know who you are.

In theory, if everyone can look at themselves and be happy with who they are then the world would be different.

 

However, as I taught my kids, in life you will have bosses. Your boss will want things from you and you will want things from your boss. It is in your best interest to figure out what your boss wants and give it to them so that you can get what you want.

In the example of the original poster, if I want to be a vampire I have to understand that in most cases I will not be able to give my boss what they want. In most cases what the boss wants is someone who looks and behaves like everyone else. If I am wearing red contacts and have fangs I am already off to a bad start. However, I can remove the red contacts when I am interviewing and look the part. Once they hire me and are comfortable with the knowledge that I can do the job maybe I can wear my red contacts to work one day and see what happens. Or I can save my vampire behavior for my own time. The choice is mine because I have not done any noticeable permanent body modification.

 

As a pp stated if a vampire is what he wants to be then own it. Part of owning it is acknowledging that there are employment consequences to being a vampire.

Edited August 30, 2016 by kewb

[Bluegoat]

Yep. It very much screams "I'm a teen rebel." If he wants to go through with this, he needs to understand that people will take it as a sign of immaturity.

 

I watched a tv show last night in which a group of kids was doing their very best to be as uncool as possible. They chose to do this by dressing up in elaborate period costumes and having formal dinners (which I admit that I think is cool). In the end it got them killed. ;)

 

I certainly understand your son's desire to show the world he is different. I was the same way when I was a teen. My mother was unimpressed, but that was ok, because she was, like, old and stuff, and she just didn't get it, iykwim,

 

Now I am my mother, and I see my teen self for what I was: inexperienced and clumsy.

 

That was a Wallander episode, wasn't it?

 

I remember reading, maybe a year or so ago, that being cool by doing cool things was no longer cool (if it ever was.)  To be cool now you had to be "normcore" and dress like Mr Rogers.

 

I think it comes down to the realization that in many cases, embracing extreme fads in fashion or anything else can easily just be another form of following the crowd, or being a poseur.  And other people, especially if they are over 25, can often see it a mile away.

[mathnerd]

Most companies have hiring policies that say that their employee should dress professionally and should cover up things like tattoos that might be offensive to their coworkers and customers (it is called the "employee dress code"). I live in a very liberal area where nothing would surprise me, and these rules still exist. And as a person who is in a position to hire other professionals, I assure the member of your family that I will not hire someone who interviews wearing red contact lenses (sharp canines and elf ears are OK). I also assure him that he will feel totally uncomfortable in an office setting where people gather around water coolers to make small talk about their kids, pets etc and go out for lunch together if he looked extremely different from them.

 

But, if he wanted to work as a tour guide in our local Haunted Mansion, which is claimed to be a haunted house, I think that he would be the ideal candidate!

Edited August 30, 2016 by mathnerd

[Haiku]

That was a Wallander episode, wasn't it?

 

 

Ding ding ding! Winner, winner, tofu-chicken dinner!

[AK_Mom4]

I have so enjoyed this thread! Really good one!

 

For the record... I mange data analysts and I would hire someone with these modifications, but we would have a talk before hiring about how our job occasionally requires business dress for presentations and they would need to be aware of that before accepting the job.

[bethben]

It depends upon where they wanted to work.  Yes, I think they would in general have a hard time getting a job. The thing is, they wouldn't know if they were being discriminated against.  They just wouldn't get the job.  A smart employer is not going to tell them their appearance lost them the job.  They just won't hire them.  I remember going up to a restaurant with a help wanted sign on the front door (before the internet) and asked for an application.  I wasn't even allowed to apply based only on my appearance which was "young and naive". 

[Miss Mousie]

This is the funniest thread I've read in a long time.  Daria, give that boy a big hug for me.  I think he's pretty cool.  :)  And it's clear from your posts that you think so, too.

 

 

 

[EmilyGF]

Go for the red contacts. Skip the teeth. 

 

(As someone with adult teeth problems - don't invite problems! I can't imagine that filing down teeth would help them stay healthy long term...)

 

Emily

[Arcadia]

He told me this morning that he is planning to work in tech theater, and that it is "dark backstage" so people will not notice. .

Maybe he should try interviewing for theatres that need backstage hands. See how it goes with red contacts and fake fangs.

[shawthorne44]

A story for illustration.   I recently read an article about a guy that has a shop that does custom paint jobs on motorcycles.  He works 14-hour days, 7 days a week.  He doesn't drink or do drugs.  He is heavily tattooed.   When he first started his own shop he was considering getting a tattoo that would put across the line from "Many" into "Freaky".   That wasn't his words, but it was clear that he understood that a line would be crossed.  He said to himself, "If I get this done, no one will ever want to hire me.   So, I will be very motivated to make my shop a success."   He got the tattoo, and his shop is success.  But, even this dude that crossed over into freaky realized that he is now unemployable.  

 

And red contacts and filed teeth are freaky.  

[nrg]

I am wondering if there is a temporary way to create fangs that look real. Are there ways to use veneers or other reconstructive dentistry to add to the cuspids to make fangs?  Doing a test run in full regalia, teeth + eyes, would be a fun and informative way to answer this question about employment. It would also meant that he could enjoy the look for as long as it is desirable and find a new look later--or even make it permanent after he has all the information he needs to make the decision. Permanent solutions to temporary conditions rarely go well.

[wimseycat]

On a much more serious note I think no one is truly considering the obvious. Are you an elf or a vampire? I mean you need to make a decision and stick with it. Millennials these days...   :bigear:

[MrsBasil]

Hmm.  That would remind of a LARP-er or cosplayer who just can't turn it off or wants everyone to know their true love for blah, blah, blah.

 

Like, there's a time and a place to be Bayonetta*, a vampire, or Samus* and that's not when you're waiting tables, bagging groceries, advising me on my on life insurance, or taking my kid's blood pressure.

 

 

 

* I pulled these exampled out of thin air.  I'm 34 and pretty out of touch, real kids are probably dressing up as characters I've never heard of. 

Edited August 30, 2016 by MrsBasil

[Anne in CA]

If Daria does that, we are all taking a field trip to her town!

We should all dress like vampires with the plastic teeth! Yay! All of us vampires walking around Daria's community will have lots of fun! We can drink red wine/ Kool Aide from big goblets while we walk around...

[Guest]

I have alopecia (hair loss) and so constantly wear a headcovering.  THAT is a barrier to hiring, at least for jobs that have customer or client "face-time" as part of the job--which would be part of any job that would interest me.  

 

Is it "fair?"  No.  But is what it is.  

 

Differences like this make people uncomfortable.  I notice it...people are *extra nice* to me (because they think I am in cancer treatment, which I am not) BUT they also sort of keep an arm's length.  Once people KNOW me, it isn't an issue at all.  But that subset of people is pretty limiting as a means of finding a job.  Managers want to hire face-time people who make their clientele comfortable and at ease.  

 

So yeah, there are jobs that will be available...but I'll bet they aren't the kind of jobs one will want to have as a permanent career.  

Like, there's a time and a place to be Bayonetta*, a vampire, or Samus* and that's not when you're waiting tables, bagging groceries, advising me on my on life insurance, or taking my kid's blood pressure.

 

 

And definitely not the place for a phlebotomist...

[HS Mom in NC]

That's the thing about the real world, it doesn't care how you feel about it.  It is what it is.  Yes, it would absolutely affect employment opportunities outside very specialized fields (costume shops, tours of haunted New Orleans, certain types of rock bands, etc.) Unless someone is certain they want to be employed by only those kinds of industries for the rest of their lives, they shouldn't do it.

Even if people with visible tattoos, facial piercings, permanently cosmetically altered teeth and ears, did become legally protected from hiring discrimination based on appearance, you can never eliminate the subconscious factors.  If someone with red contacts and vampire teeth applied to an office for work and their qualifications match the qualifications of other applicants who look significantly more professional, the person hiring will subconsciously give more weight to the people with a more typical appearance.   Again, real life doesn't care how anyone feels about that.

Stacy London had a show called Love Lust or Run where she made over people who had extreme costumey every day styles.  I know it's just tv and not really real, but the responses she got from people looking at the before and after photos are probably fairly accurate to how most people would react IRL.  The moral to the story is that the message you think you're sending out with extreme clothing/make up/contacts  is dramatically different than the message people receive.  Like it or not, it is what it is.

[HS Mom in NC]

And definitely not the place for a phlebotomist...

Yeah, it was weird enough when the last phlebotomist oohed, ahhed and gushed over the unusually intense red color of my blood.  If she's had red contacts and sharp pointy teeth, I would've left and had someone else take my blood.

[Daria]

Good to know that he's planning ahead!

 

Frugality is a virtue! 

[Mrs_JWM]

Daria, if you want to have vampire teeth, why is your son limiting you like that? He sounds like a fuddy-duddy! 😉

 

Sent from my XT1049 using Tapatalk

[Farrar]

There are some jobs that you can push the boundaries in more and theater tech is definitely one of them. But... a lot of theater tech people we know have second jobs. Depends on how successful you are, especially starting out.

 

I just... anything but the teeth. Pierce something instead. Tattoo a part of the body that isn't the face.

[AMJ]

This person is either already gainfully employed as a teacher at a Catholic school for girls, or they are a young person just embarking on their career and thus wish to remain open to a wide variety of potential employers.  

 

Do you think fangs would work better in one of those situations than in the other?

 

Having grown up Catholic in Catholic schools I doubt such cosmetic measures would be construed to be in line with the image the school likes to maintain, so no where Catholic schools are concerned.

 

"Staying open to a wide variety of potential employers" requires maintaining a personal image that can translate easily into the environments of lots of different employers.  While a vampiric image might be thought of as quite humorous for certain professions (like lawyers and medical personnel) it's not actually an image that inspires the clientele's confidence.  Other work environments might also have their concerns about how such an image might negatively impact their business.

 

If the discussed subject wants a wide field of employment prospects I recommend going with less permanent dress-ups (until in a job that he/she is content to stay in for years) and researching each potential employer to determine the best way to dress for the interview.  If/when a job is proffered the topic of workplace attire can be discussed.

 

One does not have to significantly and permanently damage one's teeth to look the part.  Try discussing matters with a cosmetic dentist to check out less drastic measures (and perhaps removable ones!) of getting fangs Cujo would envy.

 

 

Just think, you can be like an anti-superman!  Step into a phone booth and change from mild-mannered employee into Bela Lugosi!

 

 

Edited to fix a typo

Edited August 30, 2016 by AMJ

[6packofun]

He told me this morning that he is planning to work in tech theater, and that it is "dark backstage" so people will not notice. 

 

I am also quite curious about the opinions of the "employers, with or without children" special interest group.  

 

Oh, but isn't noticing what he's after?  There are quite a few jobs that will allow that sort of appearance, however, the applicant will probably find him or herself shuttered away from the rest of society so that no one is able to experience the shock/joy/awe that the person in question may be looking for.  If one wants to be seen as different, perhaps ACTING differently might be a good first step before permanently altering one's outer self, the shallowest measure of a person if ever there was one.

[EmilyGF]

And I just asked my husband if he would hire someone with vampire fangs and red contacts. And he said an emphatic "No".

I can't send someone to meet with clients who looks like that.

My dad's employee was getting really extreme tattoos when his girlfriend or wife convinced him not to.

 

To my dad: "At least it'll save me a couple thousand."

 

My dad to me: "Actually, it'll save him a million over his lifetime in wages he would have lost."

 

My dad wouldn't have fired him, but for him to advance in the company (high end custom furniture) he would need to interact with wealthy clients. The tattoos would have precluded that. 

 

Emily