Would you be turned off by a vet with tattoos/piercings?

[BostonBanker]

Honestly? Yes. I don't mind mild stuff; some people at work have tiny nose studs, or relatively small tattoos on their wrists, and I barely notice them. More than that? You are a professional. Present yourself that way. If it was a case of a studded vet vs a terrible vet, or no vet, of course I'd have my dog treated. But in the real world, people generally have a whole lot of options for what vet they use. Every vet I've used, for the small and large animals, has always presented themselves cleanly and professionally, and I think it sends the right message.

I agree that clients may not even be your biggest issue - finding a vet with an established practice to work in may be difficult.

I'd say do whatever you like, but keep it on parts of your body that are covered by clothes easily, or piercings that can be removed for the day time.

 

[GoingNowhere]

^^agreed with BostonBanker.

I'm "young" and no, I don't have a problem with tattoos and piercings in and of themselves, but there is something to be said for dressing professionally in the workplace. If my first impression of a vet/any professional whom I was trusting with something important was "wow, what a lot of tattoos," then that's already one thing that they have to redeem themselves on. I would need to be able to think, "okay, so they have excessive piercings or tattoos, but still act in a professional manner and know what they're talking about." Is that judging? Sure. Are first impressions always correct? Absolutely not. But if you want to be as efficient and proactive with your business as possible, in my eyes, it's better to skip the obvious tattoos and get one in a place that you can cover up. And to be completely honest, I think my mindset is very much in the middle of the spectrum and that there would certainly be potential clients that wouldn't ever be willing to use such a doctor.

I think that ear piercings (excluding gauges and similar ear pieces) would be minimally offensive (if at all) to most people, but beyond that, I think you run the risk of losing clients. I think that the more you do with regards to body piercing and tattooing, the more you limit yourself in your client pool. If that's okay with you, then that's good that you are putting your likes and beliefs first, but it's definitely something to consider.

 

[Xandra]

If they had something really weird going on (like split tongue) then I would be a bit biased against them.

But if they did everything else right eg
really knowledgeable
up to date on veterinary medicine
open to discussion of other ideas eg re: vaccination
I like the way they get along with my dog
they are chill
don't talk down to me
don't try wring me for every dollar they can

then whatever.

If they're awesome and tattoos and piercings are part of their whole deal, power to them.

Factors like what their tattoos depict or what they have pierced or other things like that aren't going to sway me taking my dog to them for veterinary services if I'm convinced they are ace in the veterinary field.

 

[Fran101]

If it was a few tattoos or one piercing.. then ok whatever
but honestly, if they had a lot, it just seems really unprofessional to be covered in piercings/tattoos where a client can see them and that would kinda bother me.

and thats not just for vets. I mean, even for MY doctor. I just would feel like I want somebody professional,knowledgeable, friendly and approachable and being covered in tats/piercings in the workplace doesn't give me that feeling.

If given the choice between VET A and VET B both are equally good, nice, etc.. and vet A was covered in tats/had piercings, I would go with VET B.

 

[Fran101]

Honestly? Yes. I don't mind mild stuff; some people at work have tiny nose studs, or relatively small tattoos on their wrists, and I barely notice them. More than that? You are a professional. Present yourself that way. If it was a case of a studded vet vs a terrible vet, or no vet, of course I'd have my dog treated. But in the real world, people generally have a whole lot of options for what vet they use. Every vet I've used, for the small and large animals, has always presented themselves cleanly and professionally, and I think it sends the right message.

I agree that clients may not even be your biggest issue - finding a vet with an established practice to work in may be difficult.

I'd say do whatever you like, but keep it on parts of your body that are covered by clothes easily, or piercings that can be removed for the day time.

THIS.

Oh and certainly not "goth" or "emo".. come on now. You are an adult. and a DOCTOR for heavens sake. Do whatever you want on your own time but I refuse to go to a vet or any doctor who seriously feels the need to express his EMOness/gothness in the workplace.

 

[JacksonsMom]

If it was a few tattoos or one piercing.. then ok whatever
but honestly, if they had a lot, it just seems really unprofessional to be covered in piercings/tattoos where a client can see them and that would kinda bother me.

and thats not just for vets. I mean, even for MY doctor. I just would feel like I want somebody professional,knowledgeable, friendly and approachable and being covered in tats/piercings in the workplace doesn't give me that feeling.

If given the choice between VET A and VET B both are equally good, nice, etc.. and vet A was covered in tats/had piercings, I would go with VET B.

This!

I had a dentist once who worked on a cavity I had to get filled... he was like sooo young looking, had shiny earrings, really spiked gelled up hair, and he had a slight hint of alcohol still on him... so yeah I was a bit nervous to have work on my mouth, LOL. It all went sort of well... but the tooth did turn into a root canal 2 yrs later but that may not have been his fault, LOL. But still, I'm not gonna lie, my first impression of him was just unprofessional.

 

[colliewog]

I agree with what several others said. I'm 40 (but still feel "young") so am not bothered by tatts/piercings (except for the tongue and/or the forked tongue thing) but I do feel you would be limited with older clients who might be offended or just find it unprofessional and immediately determine you aren't competent.

Personally, my advice would be: tattoos should be able to be covered by your lab coat. Only true acquaintances should know what you've got, so nothing on the neck or face. Piercings - an eyebrow or several on the ear are probably tame these days, but a 3 inch stretched lobe or things like tongue and lip piercings will make many feel you are immature, regardless of your educational accomplishments.

 

[Labyrinth]

I don't like those ear things people use that make a giant hole in their ear, but honestly I couldn't care less. It's not my face. As long as the vet was able to make me comfortable with their knowledge I would be fine with however they looked.

 

[samsa]

For those of you who claim you'd like your vet to look "professional" - what does it mean to look "professional"?

Secondly, is looking professional the same as being professional?

 

[AliciaD]

THIS.

Oh and certainly not "goth" or "emo".. come on now. You are an adult. and a DOCTOR for heavens sake. Do whatever you want on your own time but I refuse to go to a vet or any doctor who seriously feels the need to express his EMOness/gothness in the workplace.

Haha, I'm not goth/emo/punk, but I felt it fitting to ask since a girl who is heavily goth is trying to become a vet too.

I think if she cleaned up the goth thing, like simple black slacks, simple shoes (no 6 inch boots), eased up on the eyeliner she could be fine. I haven't asked her about it though, like if that is a compromise she is willing to make.

 

[AliciaD]

For those of you who claim you'd like your vet to look "professional" - what does it mean to look "professional"?professional?

Great vet I have for my rabbit didn't look professional the first time I saw her. She had spilled her coffee down her shirt, and it looked like a two year old had done her hair.

Alas, I think she's fantastic, she was well informed, and knew how to handle my rabbit safely.

Secondly, is looking professional the same as being professional?

I would hope that if I had a visible piercing or tattoo, and stretched lobes, that the way I conduct myself would be enough to show that I'm "professional" and that I'm here for the welfare of your animal. Maybe taking a public speaking class would be helpful, I could learn tips on speaking effectively and let conversation/information pave the way?

 

[Fran101]

For those of you who claim you'd like your vet to look "professional" - what does it mean to look "professional"?

Secondly, is looking professional the same as being professional?

To me, "looking" professional means being (IN GENERAL OF COURSE lol these rules don't apply to all professions/people)
... clean, good hygiene, dressing appropriately (which changes based on the profession but usually to me this means closed toe shoes, clean shirt that covers boobage/man boobage lol, pants or skirt of appropriate length), hair/face well groomed (clean shave) , hair of a natural color and no longer than halfway down the earlobe for gentleman and generally well cut for women, hair well tidied (avoiding extreme hairstyles for the most part like dreads, corn rows etc..), natural makeup for women (no excessive crazy colors/super heavy eyeliner) and all excessive personal things covered (including..tattoos, excessive jewelry (for women I think stud or small hoop earings are fine and a simple necklace)
These aren't set in stone of course, but these are pretty much things that I would expect in a work place. You can tell I went to a strict private school by the specificness of these rules lol

And does looking professional mean being professional? of course not.
but we don't live in a world where clients/businesses will have time to get to know you and find out your true character, for the most part.. what you see is what you get and I think looking the part sure helps, especially when it comes to getting clients/finding a job.


Who is more likely to get the job? If they are both well qualified individuals who are both well suited and equal in almost every way

BOB

or JOE

Now, it really depends on the job.. but I'd put my money on BOB. and if they were both vets, BOB would be the one I'd be coming back to.


Now I am NOT saying that everyone must be this clean cut super brady-bunchy person.
I have no problem with tats/piercings (I have a tongue piercing). I just think that in EXCESS they should be covered in a work environment (depending on your work environment of course), and in order to be competitive you might want to consider how you appear to people on a daily basis/at first glance.

Either way, rock at your job and you will have clients, looks aren't everything. but I'm just saying as best I can that being more approachable and covering things up for work might make you even more sucessful in most cases and that how you appear to OTHER PEOPLE/how people perceive the way you look (not just clients) is important.

 

[Bigpoodleperson]

I honestly want my vet to look and act professional. I dont mind some/certain tattoos and piercings. I dont want them to be too visable though. I have 2 tattoos, and 1 is visable on my wrist (im a tech). Things like that arnt bad I think. IDK, I come from a professional clinic, and have a higher standard I guess (we all have uniform/matching scrubs too). To sum it up, No I do not think that alot of tattoos/piercings are a good idea.

 

[samsa]

And does looking professional mean being professional? of course not.

If looking professional does not equate to being professional, then why do we place so much emphasis on it? To me, it makes very little sense.

Tattoos, piercings, brandings, hair length/styles, facial hair, etc. All of these things vary across cultures, and what you see as being "professional" is quite different from how others conceive of the term. "Looking professional" has no, one, true, fixed meaning. Yet, we often delude ourselves into thinking that it does (and that our conception is "right"). Furthermore, we attach all of these unfair meanings and stigmatizations to those who venture outside the normalized "professional" aesthetic, so as to maintain the power afforded to "professional looking" bodies. All that amounts to is a policing or surveillance of other people's bodies, which, to me is fundamentally wrong.

 

[thehoundgirl]

I really don't care either, it's your employer's guidelines you have to worry about unless you have your own business or are self-employed. I don't care what my vet looks like, as long as they are good with my animals that's all I care about!

 

[Fran101]

If looking professional does not equate to being professional, then why do we place so much emphasis on it? To me, it makes very little sense.

Tattoos, piercings, brandings, hair length/styles, facial hair, etc. All of these things vary across cultures, and what you see as being "professional" is quite different from how others conceive of the term. "Looking professional" has no, one, true, fixed meaning. Yet, we often delude ourselves into thinking that it does (and that our conception is "right"). Furthermore, we attach all of these unfair meanings and stigmatizations to those who venture outside the normalized "professional" aesthetic, so as to maintain the power afforded to "professional looking" bodies. All that amounts to is a policing or surveillance of other people's bodies, which, to me is fundamentally wrong.

as I said in the post... those things are MY opinion on what professional looks like. I am not saying its the same for everybody or for every culture, I AM SAYING THAT IS WHAT I THINK. Which is what this thread is about.

lol again for emphasis, NOT SAYING THAT MY OPINION IS LAW OR THE OPINION OF THE MAJORITY. I am saying it is just that, my opinion.

I could give a hoot what people do with their bodies. You can have 10000 peircings and a tattoo of a turtle chasing a turkey on your forehead for all I care lol so no, I am not "policing peoples bodies", you have every right to do whatever you want with it!
but I also think employers have every right to make rules about appearance in the work place and that clients have every right to choose a professional of their choice.

now, and in a world made of rainbows and butterflies where nobody judged anybody based on appearance, it wouldn't be an issue. but we don't live in that world. We live in a world where you are judged a great deal by your appearance and where working in a professional environment usually means conforming to some rules.

If I walked out the door today and got the word "HOT STUFF" tattooed on my forehead and dyed my hair bright blue and went to an interview wearing a gorilla suit... would it be easy to get a job? nope. that is reality. It doesn't make it right because in a perfect world an employer would look passed all that and find my sparkling personality. but IMO we don't live in that world

 

[samsa]

as I said in the post... those things are MY opinion on what professional looks like. I am not saying its the same for everybody or for every culture, I AM SAYING THAT IS WHAT I THINK. Which is what this thread is about.

lol again for emphasis, NOT SAYING THAT MY OPINION IS LAW OR THE OPINION OF THE MAJORITY. I am saying it is just that, my opinion.

But how do people come to formulate their opinions? You weren't just born thinking "a professional looks like...". These are deeply rooted social constructions that are found in the fabric of our culture, and created by those with power in society. It is no coincidence that your opinion as to what constitutes a "professional looking" body coincides with what is espoused in the dominant culture.

I could give a hoot what people do with their bodies. You can have 10000 peircings and a tattoo of a turtle chasing a turkey on your forehead for all I care lol so no, I am not "policing peoples bodies"

now, and in a world made of rainbows and butterflies where nobody judged anybody based on appearance, it wouldn't be an issue. but we don't live in that world. We live in a world where you are judged a great deal by your appearance and where working in a professional environment usually means conforming to some rules.

If I walked out the door today and got the word "HOT STUFF" tattooed on my forehead and dyed my hair bright blue and went to an interview wearing a gorilla suit... would it be easy to get a job? nope. that is reality. It doesn't make it right because in a perfect world an employer would look passed all that and find my sparkling personality. but IMO we don't live in that world

I appreciate that you acknowledge this is a problem. But when social injustices exist, I don't think our role should be to sit back and say "Welp...too bad. That's reality." Instead, we need to speak out against injustice so that it can change for future generations, and all of those people who do not feel comfortable subjecting themselves to the "professional" aesthetic. If you don't speak out, you only serve to reinforce the power afforded to that dominant logic.

(I am not trying to pick on you, Fran. I just enjoy the conversation ).

 

[Dani]

Tattoos and piercings make no difference to me at all, but like others have already mentioned you should consider your area.

 

[Dizzy]

Couldn't care less.

As long as they do the job properly, that's all I am concerned with.

 

[Baxter'smybaby]

But how do people come to formulate their opinions? You weren't just born thinking "a professional looks like...". These are deeply rooted social constructions that are found in the fabric of our culture, and created by those with power in society. It is no coincidence that your opinion as to what constitutes a "professional looking" body coincides with what is espoused in the dominant culture.


I appreciate that you acknowledge this is a problem. But when social injustices exist, I don't think our role should be to sit back and say "Welp...too bad. That's reality." Instead, we need to speak out against injustice so that it can change for future generations, and all of those people who do not feel comfortable subjecting themselves to the "professional" aesthetic. If you don't speak out, you only serve to reinforce the power afforded to that dominant logic.

(I am not trying to pick on you, Fran. I just enjoy the conversation ).

you may want to start a new thread for philosophical discussions...this thread was originated for opinions on body mods--that's what Fran has given. Feel free to start another thread for conversation and debate.