As an experience reviewer for BME I get to read the submissions before they are placed on the site, and one thing I have noticed lately is that there are a lot of experiences with people talking about modifications preventing them from getting jobs. The common theme in these articles is how unfair it is that modified people are prevented from getting jobs because of the way they look, but is this really the case? In this article I want to look at the attitudes of the people getting the modifications rather than the attitudes of those offering the jobs to see where the problem really lies.
At A Glance Author wolfbane Contact [email protected] IAM wolfbane When N/A How many times have you heard the phrase 'I can't get a job because of my piercings/tattoos'? How many times have you thought that yourself? Be honest. It's a thought that crosses the minds of many modified people, particularly when you've just left your last job and have been trying to find a new place to work for the last five months, but it's not always about how you look. From personal experience I worked at a call centre where I could wear my piercings, tattoos and odd hair colour without anyone really batting an eyelid. But I left and spent five months being unemployed and searching for jobs. I had a few interviews, none of which ended with success, and I became thoroughly fed up with the whole process, but even though I bitched about it being because I look different I know that wasn't the case. How did I know? I turned up for the interviews wearing smart clothes, with my piercings in, and I asked what their company policy on modifications was. Each place told me that they didn't have a problem with them, and I saw modified employees there which proved that to me. I got turned down for those jobs because I wasn't the right person, not because of my appearance. After those five months I went for an interview at a school. Again I left my piercings in and this time I got offered, and accepted the job, with the proviso that I remove or hide my piercings when at work.
'But I shouldn't have to remove/hide my mods; they're a part of me!' I can (almost) hear you cry. Maybe, but they can still be a part of you if you have to wear a retainer for a few hours a day. Sometimes to compromise is the best, indeed the only thing to do. In my example I'd been out of work for 5 months and money was dwindling (I was in debt). I wasn't going to turn down a job that it turns out I enjoy, because I was too proud to hide my piercings for a few hours. Sometimes I think that I'm compromising myself, but that's only usually when I'm having a bad day and the kids are annoying me. The truth is I know that I'm me whether I've got a labret stud or a retainer in, and that's all that matters. Yes it would be nice if society was as open minded and non-judgemental as we'd like it to be, but that's not the case. There are going to be people who don't like mods, there are going to be people who don't like crazy hair; as the old saying goes, you can't please all of the people all of the time. But if it's your (future) boss then you might as well try.
The problem with those of the modified community complaining about not being able to get jobs lies with them forgetting that a company has a right to decide who it wants to employ. As harsh as that might sound there's no law which says that a company has to hire someone with modifications and if they don't like the look of you then they aren't going to hire you. So what can you do. Well you've got three choices; take the piercings out and replace them with a retainer and cover up the tattoos, keep the mods on show and try your damndest to be better than everyone else there, or apply for a job in a more mod friendly place. It's all very well saying that if you want a job in a company that has a history of being not mod friendly, but in reality that's not going to happen unless you're prepared to remove the offending articles for a few hours a day. And are you going to do that?
The thing to remember is that you're not being forced to remove your piercings or cover up your tattoos. You've got a choice in the matter. You might not think it much of a choice, but it's a choice nonetheless. Complaining that your appearance is hindering you from being employed, then failing to do anything about your appearance is like cursing the darkness rather than switching on the light.
Yes, there are employers who will turn you down for a job based on your modifications, but that can sometimes be just an excuse. If you're the best person for the job then you will get it, regardless of what you look like, just remember that if, because it's a big one. You might need to work twice as hard in the interview to get past those initial stereotypes, but in the long run that will prove a willingness to work hard.
Failing that, start up your own business. If you're not happy with the way that other people do it then do it yourself. I can think of hundreds of people on IAM alone who are modified and working in a professional capacity, and rvrn more who are working part time jobs in retail outlets. There's even a forum for them. If they can do it then why can't you?
So to answer my question, do we deserve this? Not always no, but sometimes, sometimes I think we do. The moral is next time you get turned down for a job, check your attitude before you start blaming your modifications.
Further reading:
Fight the system, damn the man
Can't get a job?
Modifiedmind.com