Piercings and welding

[youngwelder_154]

Okay I was told on saturday If I dont remove my piercings and my 1/2 inch ear plugs that can stop me from becoming a welder. I want to make good money. Anyone here who hires or can answer if they were hiring would you guys not hire me buecause I have a lip piercings eyebrow piercing septum piercing (middle of nose) my ears streched to about 1/4 of an inch and a couple more in cartalige in my ears? Or is my sister jsut Bull S****ing me? I dont want to part with my piercings but will I ahve to, too become a welder? Mind you the places I am at right now have nothing against my piercings, but could that be jsut because I am a apprentice?

[fordtek1]

I don't know about a welding shop, but I wouldn't hire ya looking like that.

[youngwelder_154]

Ford, right now I am downsizing my ear holes I ahve them 1 gauge smaller thats probably a little bit closer to 10mm I guess I will ahve to lose them for work, or I am sure there are ways I can hide them you can get special retanors for them.

[84ZMike]

The second you walk in for an interview you will be thought of as trouble....a first impression will last allot longer in the boss mans mind than your skill/ability's. I don't think it is right,but you have to remember the guy/gal that will be doing the hiring more than likely isn't into it..........ask around and talk with some of the guys that work at the places you want to work.........if you decide to keep um just tell the interviewer that you are a walking bolt gauge and you'll never have to guess on the right size....... .Also if you keep them just let them know that you have no problem taking them out......I had long hair when I was 18 and went to interview at a detention center in Tx.....the lady told me they were not hiring at that time.....I went home chopped it all off and came back the same day.....she offered me the job on the spot.......I handed her my D.L. so she could make a copy.....should have seen the look on her face......I told her I wasn't interested anymore.
Mike

[youngwelder_154]

Ya I guess appearence plays a very very big role in getting a job. would ti work jsut as well to say you have no problem taking them out? I guess it is all for saftey reasons. But I dotn undersdtand if your ears will make a big difference or not.

[paulrbrown]

Youngwelder, take those puppies out for work, once the boss hires ya, and ya been there awhile, you can put em back in, but not all at once. If they say anything, take it to heart, they may have their prejudices. You can always wear them outta work. I have bunches of Tats, Lived in Hollywood, I used to work in the world of Rock and Roll and big companies, Volvo,Borden,Lockheed,IBM and others, I was a photographer. Anyway, I wore longsleeves, but when it got too hot, I would finally break down and reveal my secret, it was amazing how different some people would react. I even had some joker talking about me to my face, he had never meet me, only heard about me, kept telling me how great I was by the work I was doing right then, told me about the 'Photographer with all the Tattos', and why would anyone hire someone like that, so, being the joker I am, I pulled up my sleeves, and said, I am that guy, he about fell over, he actually turned a lighter shade of pale, anyway, afterwards, he was not so friendly....he tried every thing he could to screw me up and backstab me. enough said, ain't no safety reasons, just peoples narrow attitude. Be the best weldor you can, keep readin' and weldin' , keep lookin clean cut for others. Know your stuff, but don't be a know it all. If someone does not want your help, don't push yourself on them, it will only backfire, and they won't get anything out of you trying to help them. Let us know how the Piercings go, from an old geezzer in Florida.....and don't get any tattos on your face,neck or hands, you won't be able to be a spy,special forces dude, or politician, and you sure can't hide them, but don't ever quit being who you really are, just know when to to be somebody else, hope this helps ya out.....Paul

[youngwelder_154]

**** I didnt think tattoos mattered if you were a welder I have to a little but above my wrists. I want two full sleeves but I might hold off on that. I am getting a 1/2 sleeve dedicated to welding. But I think I will wait until I ahve a stready job and know Iam staying witht hat place for a while. thank you Paul I guess I wasnt really thinking about tattoos as well as piercings. I had the long hair too but I got that chopped off

[Eric Carroll]

This kinda hits home for me.I have full sleeves and hand/finger tattoos.Until a few years ago I had my ears up to 3/4".I have held a pipe cert. since I was 18(now 31) Every time I went to a job to test I had to be an *** to prove myself.The welding world is made up of a lot of older guys who dont get the piercing stuff,it wierds them out.tattoos just mean biker to most people but a hole in your lip or 0000 circular barbels is freakish.I was hired once at a shop and overheard the forman arguing with the super about me,the super said"he passed the test,we can straighten him out"-I only had hoop earrings a that time.I no longer wear anything in my ears as I felt it was getting sorta like a mullet.I know it will make it harder for you,but you can do it you just need to figure out how much of a challange you need to make for yourself.It has never keep me from getting work.Now that I own my own shop, I love making big deposits and the $10.00 an hour lady at the bank cant imagine where I would get checks this large.Also, if you ac tig,dont bring the torch up to your ear to listen for gas flow while holding the pedal down,it sucks!

[Winger Ed.]

Good advice so far.

When you're interviewing for a job, bear in mind:

The piercings are a generational thing,
and most folks over about 35 don't exactly 'appreciate' them- for lack of a better word.

Naturally--These folks interviewing you are looking for job skills, but they also are looking for someone to represent thier company to customers if any come to the shop, or if you do work off site.

They want a employee that is as 'normal looking' and 'presentable' to customers/clients as possible.

The first impression you make at a job interview, or doing work for a customer, is VERY, VERY important to most people. And you'll never get a second chance to make that first impression.

.

[Sundown]

Guys have been decorating themselves for thousands of years, different decorations for different times and places. Mostly to attract the ladies or to scare rivals away from them, get into a position where you can get your own business (whatever that takes) then you can decorate yourself however you want to.

Would I hire you to work back in the shop assuming you had the job quals? sure I would, would I hire you to deal with customers? no way because it's not about you so much in this case, it's about the bottom line and it's my business after all.

I never saw the need to have any more holes in my body than were already there, but I do have a small tatoo from a drunken night about 45 years ago, says U*S*A*F and I have grown to like it over the years. You sound like a fairly level headed guy, just keep at it, do what you need to do and you will be ok.

[Wicked one]

tatts

No one cares about your tattoos but lots of industrial sites will not let you through the gate with piercings of any kind ! As well as facial hair. Sooo unless you want to build furniture and cd racks for wal-mart I would ace the piercings. Chicks will dig the pay more than the piercings. Jef

[harcosparky]

A Kid Once Aske Me ....

Why am I have trouble getting a job?

I pointed out the almost 20 piercings in his face.

He said " I took them out. "

He still had the holes that were visible.

Sure it's a 'generational' issue, and one the younger generation should think about. What purpose does having almost 20 piercings in ones face serve other than to attract attention?

When I talk to kids today I tell them to think about things like tattoos and piercings hard before getting them.

Companies have to consider many things when hiring employees, and if you could have contact with customers IMAGE is important. As to safety, well I for one never wore any jewelry (watches, necklaces )as I constantly worked around high voltage ( up to and exceeding 80,000 volts ). Rings on fingers are another no-no, IF you MUST wear even a wedding ring consider getting it cut so that if ya fall and the ring gets caught it reduces the chances of your finger being " gloved ". That is what it is called when you fall, your ring gets caught causing the flesh to be ripped from your finger.


Tattoos are another issue, I know a woman who is in her 60's when she was younger she had Roses tattooed along the side of her face. Needless to say today those roses are wilted and do not look good.

[Darmik]

Appearence

If you look the way you say you do if I sent you and one of my journeymen out on a job you guy's are repersenting my company. my journeymen is clean cut type of guy and so are you but you have these things sticking out of your face I would probably get a call from the site formen.Anyway it just limites who will hire you thats all.I know it should matter but it does.

Hey how's school goin though?

[makeithot]

Do yourself a favour and listen to your sister . It is hard to take someone seriously when they look like a freak show. Being the redneck that I am, no I would not hire you when someone works hard to build a business you cannot afford to loose clients because you need to express yourself as an individual

[youngwelder_154]

I see your point, I guess piercings can be very intimadating. I guess I didnt see it because ti was the sort of way i lived my lifestyle.