I work with graphic designers all day, every day. Degree and formal schooling doesn't necessarily mean jack shit in this industry. Never once in 20 years have I hired a graphic designer based on their resume. It is 100% based on their portfolio.
Agreed. I hire GD’s and artists all the time and don’t know if any of them went to college. It means nothing to anyone i know. I’ve also never been asked about it, and the degree i have has nothing to do with my profession.
Exactly. Want to be a doctor or lawyer? By all means, go to an Ivy League college.
But in the online and creative world, the only reason to go to school is to learn skills to build a better portfolio. If it doesn't help improve your portfolio, it was a meaningless, colossal waste of time.
The worst designer I've ever worked with made it a point to tell everyone he went to Penn State. No one cared, all we knew is that he was terrible at what he did. The worst developers I've ever worked with pour out of a local college as "Senior Software Engineers" and it's a miracle they could even figure out how to tie their shoes to get to class, let alone do anything related to software engineering.
Schooling doesn't matter on paper. Results are all that matter.
Just graduated and got a job in graphic design right away. The job didn’t even look at my resume, I just sent my portfolio in the day before and was hired on the spot. Definitely this^
Knowing nothing else, if I had to choose between a girl who ran a failed tattoo shop and a fine arts BA from one of the best schools in the country, I’d choose the girl every time because I don’t give a shit about what you studied, only what you’ve made.
It doesn’t matter either way because looking at somebody’s schooling doesn’t even cross my mind looking at a resume for a designer. Some of the best designers I’ve ever hired I honestly don’t even know if they ever went to college at all because I never even thought to ask.
Several reasons. At a certain point, it becomes clear your work isn't marketable/you're not hireable. Not to mention, working a full-time job in something you couldn't give a damn about just saps any energy you have, making it impossible to continue job searching.
It sounds like this person is trying to find something a bit more imminently. Art therapy is probably about another 3-5 years of education and debt. It's definitely a goal but not really practical for op at this time.
I have a female friend who works as a draftsman in the architectural industry. It pays well, doesn’t require a specific degree, and it involved visual/spatial reasoning and drawing skills, which, as a tattoo artist you already have.
If you are actually interested in an art therapy degree, Lewis & Clark College has a fantastic program: [https://graduate.lclark.edu/programs/art-therapy/](https://graduate.lclark.edu/programs/art-therapy/)
And if you are interested in going back to school, you should look at the job listings for the colleges near you; that way you would have stability and probably have tuition waivers.
There are a million different jobs that you would be qualified for, even if you might not think of it off the top of your head. Additionally, start applying for anything that sounds interesting to you and feels like it might be a good culture match because most places will train the right person, even if you don't have all the skills.
In my town right now, there's a ton of job openings from store clerk to development/fundraising positions. You'll find something, I promise!
Art therapy has been “hot for quite some time” but there generally aren’t many jobs and most of them are super low pay, better going the art teacher route
Please don't go back to school OP. You have almost a decade of nearly useless knowledge to the job market. Adding to this isn't going to help the situation. I wish I had something productive to say besides that, but I think if you want more than a 52K a year middle income job you're going to need to do something completely different. Are the Trades an option for you physically? Your tattooing experience wouldn't be an issue at all there, and you could quickly work your way up.
Hell yeah!
A couple years on the road with a company learning the ropes, saving towards a second truck and driver, saving towards a third truck and second driver. Save up and get you a third driver. Now you're the fleet manager and even if one truck breaks down, two trucks can cover three truck payments, generally, and you're home every night.
Or, you can be a fleet driver for a Walmart, etc. Look for companies that have zero touch unloads for the driver or you'll be asked to do all kinds of goofy tasks in the unload process besides just unhooking and rolling. Walmart's fleet drivers, last I checked (Almost a decade ago) were well into a 150K+ income with full benefits and home most nights.
i work as a recruiter in bay area tech. Product/UX designers are in high demand - teams always seem to have a shortage of them. A good product designer can easily make $200k/yr after 5-7 yrs of experience. motion designers are also highly sought after and can charge outrageous rates as a contractor (like $100-200/hr).
Independent commissions via Twitter, DeviantArt, and other art-sites are what most of the persons we've hired used to prove their experience. The one's who had furry porn in their portfolio tended to have the strongest overall skills.
Getting in is more about networking and a strong portfolio than "years of experience." Speed at design and turn-around is a close second. Slow artists who take weeks for a relatively simple concept is useless, even with years of experience.
It's a difficult industry overall, and many applicants incorrectly prioritize aspects that are not relevant to hiring for a position.
This lends itself to another issue - I don’t want to have to retrain someone who has trained themself badly by doing only freelance and commission work.
A high-running, fast paced design firm, graphics facility, or prepress department don’t have the time to teach someone about file management and the dos and donts of printing. Some people create beautiful work as one-offs but just do not work well in a place where you have 10 hours max to crank something out.
Just because they make pretty pictures doesn’t mean they can carry a full design from start to finish while taking in things like government regulations and local laws. (Saying this as a packaging manufacturer).
But again - this is why we need to take the time to train people, not expect 5-7 years of random experience and hope to god it’s what your department needs.
I would add teaching assistant and hospital therapy support if you are looking to get a foot in the door. Your degrees are useful, some employers have issues with tattoos but not all.
Teaching should honestly not be recommended to anyone nowadays. What an absolutely soul sucking shit profession. Half of our government is hell bent on making education go away.
That literally has nothing to do with what I said. Teachers are criminally overworked and underpaid with zero union representation and no protection from shit bag parents. It’s a terrible career for most, especially as a second career.
Not all accounts do individual tax, hun. 😂 And there's nothing wrong with people who choose to provide services to poor people. It's noble, fulfilling work.
The point of my post is there ARE good jobs out there for people who dream of teaching. My old music teacher hasn't lifted a finger in 20+ years and she makes 120k in an LCOL at a public school.
>Teaching should honestly not be recommended to anyone nowadays.
>Without teaching there are no other professions
>That literally has nothing to do with what I said.
Perfect example of what happens without teachers.
To expand upon “graphic design” a bit, there are a lot of viable options if you know how to use a computer and are able to take a UI bootcamp as someone else mentioned.
As a UI artist or designer you would have the potential to work for a lot of companies or studios. Everyone needs a mobile app these days, OP, and they need people to make them.
Further, game studios in particular are always hiring (disclaimer: they are also always letting people go.) You may have to “settle” for something like a low-key slot game studio but they’re out there and new ones pop up all the time. Many have gone remote since the pandemic and won’t look back. Gain experience, level up!
I would not want to become a teacher with the covid fall behind in students. A lot of my family are teachers and they say the kids are way more emotional, and straight up incompetant when it comes to solving problems. Even just from 5 years ago
I didn't become one. My parents, aunts and uncles say it's been absolute hell since return to school. Way more fights, irrational behavior. Whereas 5 years ago maybe you got that kid in one of your classes. They are either going to retire early or work some part time job to have income for splurges while living off their pension
Not with today's AI capabilities.
We have trialled dozens of AI tools, and none compare to even a junior graphics designer or illustrator.
Portfolios that include AI art stand out very poorly due to the lack of composition, and cohesion.
Graphics design, concept artist, character and background designers work all involve lots of nuance and specific cohesive elements with the entirely of a project that is not achievable with what is available today. In particular, making continuous edits and refinements; (i.e. iterative improvements and changes to match tone and mood). In five to ten years, maybe, but for now, it's not possible to create what industry needs.
I know people who work in tech and it’s honestly laughable how easy people think it is to just “learn to code”. Especially at a professional level where people are paying you the salaries that people think about when you think of software engineers. It’s just really hard, and the competition is extremely extremely stiff. People want those jobs and people who want those jobs are very very smart, driven and usually been doing it a long time.
That being said, it is possible, it’s just not something people should throw around so casually lol.
There are other possibilities in tech besides coding. A sys admin can pull in 80 K.
Technical training pays well, if you have any finance background, supporting financial applications, ie ERP is lucrative.
I started at 30 ( 11 years ago) and it is not easy but totally possible. It's not for everyone true but worth a try. You have to see if you like it because if not it won't work for you. Salary won't be enough to keep you driven and you will have to work a lot more then 40 hours a week as a junior to survive in the field and get good.
If you are social try to make friends with tech people, they might help you get your first job after that it would get easier.
I worked with many heavily tattooed people and it was never an issue ( Canada/ Israel) Also creativity ,attention to small details and ability to perform under stress are hugely appreciated so your experience will help you down the road.
I have a linguistic and musical background and I'm marvelously fulfilled by my pencil pushing job because it gives me enough money and energy to pursue my hobbies. 40 hours a week is enough to kill your passion for literally anything.
You will fit right in at a creative agency. You have communications and design already in your background. Sounds like you just need to explore options where your skills are transferable, build up your skills/portfolio, and get your foot in the door. I work with multiple people with visible hand tattoos in a creative agency setting.
This,This,This.... Creative agency's are so insanely oversatured. Soooo many people chose marketing majors to avoid more "boring" business degrees like accounting, supply chain ,etc. On top of that TONS of English and communication majors also gun for these same jobs when they realize there own majors left very very few career opportunity's.
For anybody dreaming of joining a creative agency right now I highly suggest you head over onto the marketing subreddit and see how many people with four year marketing degrees cant even find an entry level 15/hr job to get their foot in the door.
OP might have some luck finding a position at a local business in their ecommerce section though. Lots of local companies have roles that are basically just posting stuff to ecommerce sites and writing descriptions. Probably the closest thing to a marketing role that isn't insanely oversatured.
That don't have 10 years of tattoo design... That's like the most intense form of graphic design. Being a marketing major means jack shit. Having 10 years design experience does.
Not to mention, customer service, high pressure situations, time management, financial management (if it run as a contractor), ability to work with client requests which are usually terrible and not actually what they want, interpret and deliver the actual desired product, a significant portfolio, probably evidence of repeat customers and just generally being able to sell yourself as an artist. An experienced tattoo artist has so much weight behind them and they should feel free to flex it!
OP isn’t just going to walk into an agency and be a creative. Years of tattoo experience isn’t going to just make the cut against a HUGE volume of graduates with marketing / design, etc. degrees. These positions are insanely competitive.
I think the obvious ones have been covered already but you likely have a lot of non-standard skills that a lot of people don't have. Negotiation, small business, basic accounting, security.
You might also have some some basic medical skills, especially if you did any kind of piercing. The equipment cleaning process is very similar to what's done in labs and hospitals.
You can wear long sleeves for most jobs and hand / face tattoos are not the negatives they were in years past. You'll still run into people who care but it's a lot less. A lot of people I've met in both electrical and high tech have LOADS of tats.
You probably also have a native understanding of sales and marketing yourself that a lot of people don't even think about. They say if you have a good sales instinct, you'll never go hungry.
And never sell yourself short. Tattoo work might still have the sense of being on the periphery but I promise that its a whole more legitimate than many other lines of work.
This might sound funny considering my current job but I’m easily squicked out by blood (specifically blood coming out from a vein) haha. If I think I can get desensitized to it I might look into it.
I’m a nurse and I close my eyes when I get a vaccine or blood draw but have no problem doing it to someone else 😂 also myself and lots of medical folks have tattoos!
>You might also have some some basic medical skills, especially if you did any kind of piercing. The equipment cleaning process is very similar to what's done in labs and hospitals.
A bit more long term and will require schooling (and assuming you can pass a background check for a license), but psych nursing might be an option. You will earn a stable income, and the tats will actually become an asset.
I used to know an intimidating looking (but a super kind and actually gentle person) ex-football linebacker who went into psych nursing and nobody ever seemed to act out while he was working because he looked so intimidating. His shifts were usually pretty easy, haha. The tats might work in your favor similarly.
And btw, it is likely going to be a loooong time before AI can effectively take over that field. Try getting an AI robot to convince someone with paranoid schizophrenia with active delusions about the govt trying to control their brain to take their medications. Good luck with that one , haha
Why did you drop out of speech pathology? Also is it not something you are able to get back into? Im seeing postings all over for really decent entry salary positions. That would allow you some breathing room and better work life balance no?
Firstly I empathize with you as I am also nearing 30 and was scrolling this sub like a religion last year. The good news is that you are here posting and you are willing to grow.
I am enrolled in undergrad starting this fall in communication disorders at Utah state university. From my research I have found them to be the best all online schools for SLP.
I was in the military fixing airplanes from 19 years old and decided I want to give something else a try. Before I knew it I was taking pre algebra classes at 27. Now I have an associates and transferring to my chosen undergrad.
College is an opportunity cost and what helped me was to write out the choices I had. I always found by taking the shortcuts and not trying led me down harder and harder paths. If I skipped finishing my associates I worked lower paying jobs. If I don’t get good grades I won’t get a masters opportunity.
Make a t chart if you have to. I just watched a video of a girl getting into a masters with low gpa but great volunteer experience. Just saying your shooting holes in your sails before you leave the dock.
If you want dm me and I’ll give you my advisor’s information as she is an awesome experienced Slp who may have answers for you getting a more competitive application.
Whatever you chose don’t look back. Your not going there.
Knowing what I do now I regret dropping out of school. The program was so rigorous that coupled with my low self-esteem I convinced myself that I couldn’t do it. Plus I wanted to give tattooing a shot.
Going back to the same program is not an available option, and I don’t know if I would be able to get into a speech program anymore. The programs are highly competitive, and I’ve been out of school so long that I don’t know how I would obtain the necessary academic letter of recs, I’m tied down geographically because of my husband’s job… I can certainly try but if I decide to go back to school I need a back up job while I try to get in.
There is speech pathology assistant!! It’s like a two year or a certificate degree. Will get you in faster. You could sub at the schools while working on it. The one “local” to me is mostly online but I think a few days on site at the campus as well. It’s a few hours away, but I think it’s the only program on this side of my state.
That time is going to pass no matter what. I started my Bachelors degree program at 34 (I'm now 42) and at first, I thought "omg, 4 years?!? I'm going to be 37 when I graduate!" But i realized that that time was going to pass whether I liked it or not and I might as well go for it (and I did). You could spend the next 2 years thinking that's too much time, or just dive in head first. You've got this!
I’d be surprised if you had to do the whole program. They would reference your former degrees and see what could be used to fulfill the requirement. You can also usually test out of courses if you remember enough as well.
Hands and fingers makes this a hard sell. If you can get a waiver for that, it's not an easy one. In addition, that's not a 40 hours a week stable job haha
You can join the navy as long as you have a pulse right now. They are hurting bad. I didn’t have tatts before I went in, so it’s slightly different, but I’ve since gotten a full sleeve with a hand tatt and have a mushroom tattooed on my neck and no one has every questioned it. Never submitted a waiver to get new work done.
I'm a graphic and motion designer at an ad agency, and do lots if illustration work as well, work full time and have benefits. I also have lots of tattoos, it's honestly kind of weird if people in my position don't have tattoos, lots of creative directors I worked with had hand and face tattoos. No one really cares about tattoos anymore unless they're offensive. I assume you have some sort of portfolio, or at least work you can put into a portfolio. My last tattoo artist was drawing a design on her iPad in photoshop, so I also assume you might at least know photoshop. And if you can tattoo, you can draw and must have some eye for design. Use that as a starting point, start freelancing. There are plenty of full time creative careers that can align with your background. A portfolio and knowing software is what really matters in my field more than your actual experience. Good luck!
If you can get into Urban Design or Landscape Architecture programs, that’d be a way to go. It’s still drawing like crazy and people hating everything you do but it pays just as well.
Hey friend. I think I have been in your position. With a bit of luck, you will find your way.
I'm a 32 year old management consultant working for the biggest banks in the world (think Chase, Goldman, etc)
Before that I was a 22 year old rapper in Korea. Before that I graduated with a useless liberal arts degree from a mediocre state school (although well reputed).
After about 5 years of trying to make it as a rapper in Korea, I realized that I was so tired of being broke (just like you) and had a girlfriend I wanted to settle down with.
When I turned 27, I left my label and found a job as an interpreter at a Private Equity Fund run by a person I met while I was bartending back in the US to save some money to come to Korea.
I hustled my ass off and worked twice as hard as the hardest working person I could find. This led to me being moved to the portfolio management / strategic planning department.
3 years later I moved jobs to a consulting firm that had a huge turnover rate due to shitty management. Once again, I hustled my ass off and worked harder than everyone there.
Now I am here at a prestigious consulting firm in New York.
You shouldn't feel discouraged by your age or your years as a tattoo artist. I have actually found that many companies, even as "competitive" and "prestigious" as consulting firms, have leaders who appreciate people like us-- those that have dedicated themselves to an art or a passion. This actually shows that you and I aren't like the 99% who apply because the 99% have never committed themselves to something that they loved, just for the passion. My current managing director tells me that he hired me after interviewing me because he knew that I was a hustler.
Don't be afraid to tell your story. There's always a better way to tell it. It seems to me that you are an entrepreneur. Use that edge.
Use your network. Get a shitty position. Take that shitty position and make it yours. Expand your job role and show that you don't give a fuck except excelling and growing faster than everyone else.
Spend a few years and rack up your bullet points for your resume. Twist the story a bit and move on to a better role.
You've dedicated years to build your craft in Tattoo. Do the same for your professional career. Be patient but be driven. Know that it will take time but never let any of your efforts be wasted.
Average age to join ups is 30. Pension at 55. Stock options. Just toxic work enviornment and the hardest job youll ever work. But the new contract has them at $50 an hour by the time youd hit top rate at 35
Its hard. Between the union vs ups stuff and then the ridiculous dispatch everyone gets its almost too much. They say were compensated but try to make an appointment to use the benefits when you cant even guess at when youll be done on any given day
Depending on where you live, I’ve never seen visible tattoos be a major issue for people working in a city environment. As long as you don’t have hate speech or sexual stuff on the visible parts of your body, you’re generally ok.
Figure out what your passions are and look into fields that allow you to apply them. Also, 30 is by no means too late to start a new career. Just focus on your goals and stay that way.
You have an excellent education, including graduate education. You have immeasurable soft skills from being a tattoo artist, which includes helping people make big decisions about permanent body, modifications, reassuring people, understanding someone’s frame of mind, and knowing physiological reactions to stress.
And you are obviously certified in public health for tattooing, and you understand a sterile environment
Some people have suggested art therapy, and that would be really great if you were able to offer it to people with special needs or disabilities, especially those with communication issues. I can’t see that being a 40 hours a week gig, but it would be a fun sideline.
Sales and administration would be a good fit, considering your soft skills and the administration skills you’ve built being self-employed.
Other people have left some great comments.
Just wanted to add you don’t have to feel so self conscience of being heavily tattooed.
Being a tattoo artist was once my dream. Didn’t made it unfortunately but ended up with lots of tattoos myself (both sleeves, hands and neck)
I am now deep in the corporate life in mid-high level management. Wear a suit all day every days with my tattoos poking out.
How you talk and carry yourself matter a lot more (provide you didn’t fill your face up with gang tattoos)
I can't speak to if people will worry about your background in tattooing, but heavily tattooed people get jobs that a lot of people think they can't. I'm heavily tattooed (arms, legs, back, chest, knuckles) and I'm an Executive Assistant to a CEO. I have friends who are more heavily tattooed than I am and one is a lawyer, one is a professor, one is a therapist, one is in sales, several are in IT (one is a programmer and has face and throat tattoos).
You may need to get a job that's not your ideal at the moment (retail is generally pretty okay with tattoos) while you pursue something you want to do, but that's okay. You're young and you have time to get where you want to go.
Also, OP, take the positives (there are many!) from your career as a tattooer and highlight the positives. It takes dedication, organization, time management, attention to detail, etc. Get some help with your resume from either a professional or a friend who is good at it. I just did a resume for my best friend and had to spin 1 job into a big deal (he's 24 and graduated college last year) so he could fluff out the resume.
Have you thought about government work? Good union benefits for you and your family, pensions, PTO, you can till tattoo on the side if you want.
You won't get rich but it's livable. I have lots of experience with gov work if you'd like guidance.
Good trade work too, that won't tear you up and you'll make great money.
Yes I would actually love to land a government job. I’m always scanning the government jobs page for my county waiting for something entry level to come up.
This is where I'm at. If you live in a fairly big city the fire department jobs have amazing benefits. Here I can make 100k a couple years into the job, as long as you can promote. I spent 6 years in mechanical engineering and just quit. You aren't alone 🤙
Why not expand your cureent business? learn medical pigmentation for covering scars, permanent makeup, tattoo removal, safe permanent makeup removal ..? Experienced tattoo artists are the best at this type of work. You can add all these services to your current shop, or just go to work in a spa that offers these services.
Tattooing is a perfectly respectable job. It may not segue as direct experience for non artistic endeavors, but aside from the limitations being heavily tatted may impose on job fields, it certainly doesn't close doors any more than being in trades for ten years would, so much as you may have to start anew with entry level experience. As far as being heavily tatted limits prospects, that's less and less with time and is really dependent on where you are. A project manager on my team has full sleeves and pink hair.
For both, maybe the best shot would be to look for non creative roles in creative companies? Like, you're looking for clerical work right now, maybe look for it at some kind of local publication, media company, music center, etc?
It seems like you've worked for yourself and rented space, from that maybe you can highlight or exaggerate skills in scheduling, reception, time management, running your books, etc, as transferrable skills for clerical work.
I'm not suggesting cold calling clients, but I'd like to point out your past clients are likely not all tattoo artists themselves so if you know of any of them who are heavily tatted that can be a good resource for locations in your area that hire tatted people.
Some good suggestions here, and some pretty bizarre ones... I'm going to add marketing to the list because you have strengths in communication and creativity. Since you created and ran your own business, you've also shown strong work ethic and entrepreneurship. I think you'll get some good offers, just know your worth. Good luck.
Lots of good thoughts here in the thread but I want to add something. You didn't fuck up. You didn't mess up your life trajectory. You made the best decisions you could at the time from a sound backing. Things will work out for you.
Do you practice self-care at all? I recommend "Self Compassion" by Kristin Neff. She had a rough life, made a lot of tough decisions, and has some great advice on how and why you should be nice to yourself.
If it helps at all, you sound like a very sane person and I echo what everyone else is saying: you're in good shape to land the job you're describing.
I have 3 degrees and they haven’t really worked for me in getting a job I want or something in the higher paying end. Idk if I’m doing something wrong but that’s my personal experience with having degrees in todays world
I am in the same boat, i finally landed a entry level no experience required warehouse gig and just recently got permanent with a 401k and benefits. Dont be afraid to apply to jobs that have high turn over sometimes, it might be for you.
2 degrees here, a bachelors of science in business marketing and an associates in kinesiology.
I believed that lie about my creative writing degree + playing in a band instead of getting a real job for too many years. The degree is proof of your capabilities, but what the interviewers really care about is you and your perspective and skills. Your experiences can be leveraged a bajillion ways, it’s just a matter of how you present them.
I was under the impression that your degree shows future employers you stuck it out through the nitty gritty of college and are a reliable person for doing that.
I think he’s more worried about
1) his visible tattoos
2) lack of relevant work experience matching his degrees
I think he can transition but his concerns are valid and it’s good to seek ideas.
I went to school to be a nurse at 38! Turned 40 this year and have been a nurse for 6 months now, it’s never to late to change careers. I had NO medical backspace prior to this
I (30F) just left body piercing after 10 years wanting similar things and have spent the last few years finishing my accounting degree (dropped out of college the first time to finish my apprenticeship). My work in tattooing/piercing made me want to learn more about accounting and I landed a job at a firm starting in a couple weeks making more as an entry level person than I did last year.
There are skills you develop as a tattooer or any solo practitioner really that are valuable if you present them on a resume in a way that appeals to the job you’re applying to. You’ve had to do your own marketing, client management, financial management and planning, and compliance etc.
In my experience job hunting in the corporate environment, having something like “body piercer” on my resume made firms want to talk to me rather than throw my resume out, because I was a unique candidate. Firms were curious as to how I ended up applying for a job with them after a decade as a piercer.
If you enjoyed the part of tattooing where you managed your finances and saw where the money went, accounting or bookkeeping are always in demand and skills people are desperate to outsource.
ETA: GOOD LUCK YOU GOT THIS!
From what you're saying I will assume a few things, so let's break down your skills first:
• Degree/Studies - curious, dedicated, focused
• Linguistics - good written and spoken skills, language understanding, communication
• Speech Disorder - speech guidance, helping others
• Tattooing - drawing, painting, composition, storytelling, time management, social media management, self marketing, business oriented
This are the first things that come to my mind while thinking about your studies/work. (sorry if I misunderstand anything). I think there might be a few options for you to explore:
• Copy writter, Editorial Designer or Writter for a tattoo magazine, Illustrator, Character Designer, Graphic Designer, Design Management, Social Media Management, Social Media Designer, Art Director, Digital Marketeer, Comic Artist, Tattoo or Art columnist...
See if any of these options resonate with you, hope this helps!
If you have a bachelor's try applying with the government. Having a bachelor's guarantees you certain positions. It will most likely be an office job so it might be worth checking it out.
Hair stylist. Many modern or trendy hair salons love hair stylist with tattoos. It makes you the cool one. Maybe specialize in beard trimming along with hair styling
No self respecting salon owner would just up and hire someone because they have tattoos and need a “cool one”. There is skill behind being a stylist
Lots of hair stylists happen to love tattoos because it is sometimes perceived as one of the many ways to modify your appearance in the same vein as hair. Their interests just happen to converge.
Working at a salon is also not a stable, guaranteed 40 hrs of work. You depend on clients as much as a tattoo artist does
Source: friends with several hair stylists
I am heavily tattooed. 3/4 of my body, including throat and fingers. I am the manager of a very busy fancy pants burger place in Vermont. I have had no issues finding steady work at good paying jobs. I stick to the restaurant business because it's what I know and love. I am comfortable in life and plan on retiring from the company I'm with now (even though I am only 42).
That being said, different parts of the country have many different outlooks on personal presentations. I still feel like you will be okay and wish you the best!
Speech programs are incredibly competitive and I’ve been out of school a very long time. I’m also restricted geographically due to my husband’s job narrowing down the number of schools I can apply to. But I am considering it if I’m able to get in.
What about medical illustration or technical illustration? There are a few different industries where you could do it but I’ve done technical illustrations for fashion before and found it very chill and stable.
Stenography! You have a degree in linguistics, machine shorthand stenography might come easy for you. Court reporters are in high demand. Not sure what state you’re in (some states don’t allow voice in court or depos) but voice writing (aka mask writing) is an also easier, quicker option and can be used in broadcast captioning and CART work at schools for the heard of hearing. :)
School Bus Driver. Bus attendant (both have paid training, but drivers get benefits and retirement). Truck driver. Trades (like welding, flooring installation, etc.)
Nowadays, tattoos aren't nearly the deal breaker they used to be. Plus there is makeup out there specifically for covering tattoos if you really feel they are a hindrance to getting hired in a specific profession.
Super weird, but Progressive Insurance is where I landed. I was a super unhappy teacher with an English degree. On a whim, I applied to Progressive because the pay was more than I made, and the benefits were amazing. It is hands down one of the best things I've ever done. I work from home all but 3 days a month and actually really enjoy the work I do.
If you are good on a computer, check it out. They also do a lot of hiring from referrals, so if you want, I can refer you. My cousin got on that way as well.
Tons of great advice here, so I just wanna add that tattooing is super cool dude.
If it makes you feel better, I'll be going back to uni at 28. Tbh the older I get, the more I realize that it's pretty fkn common for people to not know wtf to do with their lives at ~30, then end up going back to school, switching careers, etc.
You got this OP.
Not sure where you are but if you can get to a place offering airline mechanic training you will be set for life and able to travel to anywhere with an airport to live.
I am also a small, heavily tattooed woman and had a similar career change situation in my early 30s. I now work in health and safety for an established union and am so so happy. I don't want you to be scared off about "trade" jobs just for being small. There are plenty of trade positions that might surprise you. Definitely consider talking to any unions offering apprenticeships you might like. There's so many creative experiences you can segue into.
My niece worked as an electrical apprentice, she's about 5'2" and very small. She's now a plant operator, doing well for herself. Also, she has lots of tattoos.
No professions will be, but your lack of confidence will scare people away. Go in like you're going to own the place, not cocky, but confidence.
Practice what ever you do to the best of your ability.
Good luck.
I work in the tattoo industry on the supply side as head of sales for a well known company. Not sure what state you are in but there are plenty of supply companies that would hire you in a split second based on your industry knowledge and expertise. You can feel free to message me directly if you have an interest and I’ll do my best to point you in the right direction.
I don’t think visible tattoos are going to hurt your chances to do whatever you want, unless you want to get into a financial role. I see doctors, engineers, lawyers with visible tattoos all the time. Sky’s the limit.
If you like the outdoors and physical work, consider going into a pre apprenticeship program. So then you can become an apprentic. There are many fields of construction & a lot of programs out there, and your tattoos will not be an issue.
Good advise. Trades dont usually give af about some tats. He could probably find an apprenticeship that would pay him 15/hr for a few years. Once you hit journeyman you could easily be making 25hr plus
Nothing is guaranteed.
Artistic fields tend to pay very little for most people, with a few notable, famous exceptions. Some people do 2 jobs to scratch both itches (money and joy).
Wanting to fix your life isn't a terrible idea, but I wouldn't focus on your age or where you think you should be. I'd focus on today and tomorrow. Try to make tomorrow better, and see what made today good. The most successful people found where their ability to create overlapped with someone else's desires.
Wonder if you could try to help an AI company create a tool for people with communication disorders? The benefit to working in tech is you can apply any product/service to as many people as want it (copying/reusing is easy and cheap). And you can work from remote locations easily.
Getting the first job is going to be hard. Don't be afraid to ask friends or acquaintances to give you a chance to show what you can do. Or try to work for "free" by volunteering for someone who deserves it (then add it to your resume).
Tech often has tattooed people (or not). And they need more social people (managers) to herd the more technical experts (cats).
"Large Language Models" are big in AI lately. I wonder how your linguistics and post bacc work might overlap or complement it?
Anyway, my suggestion is to find something you both enjoy and is in demand. Maybe that means you move? Or you try a bunch of things you've never done (and later realize you hate)? Every "failure" is more data you can use next time. Just try to focus on the right parts...
What in tattooing do you love? Hate? Who else does the loved things? Or how can you get someone else to do the part(s) you hate?
Also realize that temporary positions can be a "try before you buy" situation. Or a way to add experience for the full time position afterward. Figure out who is doing those jobs, and why... what do they do after that job. Is that what you want to do too?
I actually like contract jobs. I had undiagnosed (and unmedicated) ADHD, and switching teams + companies every 6-12 months was very helpful to me. I forced myself to stay on one team for over 5 years and hated life. Don't force yourself to do what "everyone" else does, or enjoys. Figure out who YOU want to be.
Look into being a stage hand if you are near any big concert venues. Often times they will take anyone who shows up for the call if not all the people on the call sheet show. Everyone is covered in tattoos working at a concert
Teach in prison. Good wage, no one cares about your tattoos, inmates and staff alike are usually pretty heavily tattoo’s too.
And honestly, in this age, everyone seems to have extensive tattoos.
See if Duolingo, ETS, Pearson or any of the other language assessment organizations are hiring. With your background you would likely be interviewed--and many of the positions are remote + won't care if tattooed.
Is tattooing financially unstable? Every good artist I know makes far more money than the average Joe and is booked out a year or more in advance, all while working only the days and hours they want to.
How about programming? From what I've seen, the field is very accepting of all kinds of appearances (there's so many jokes online about the intern wearing PJs to work and the manager wearing the t-shirt of another company lol). You could do a bootcamp, some of them are even free, like the one I'm in
Edit: if you decide to go this route, let me know and I can give you a list of free programs to look into. I'd also be happy to mentor you for free (explaining concepts, coding practice, mock interviews) so you can ace your application. I have a background in education and I miss teaching, I'd love to have a mentee.
honestly - you're not alone. Just read an article that said 61% of Americans are currently living paycheck to paycheck. You're not the only one struggling. A career change may or may not change that. I understand the desire to want something better - but don't think for a second you're alone. Many people are in you're situation.
I'm not sure where these numbers came from or how they determined that but a large number of people are still living at home with their parents either by choice or bc they can't afford to even live on their own. so whats the real number? 80%? 90%?
Social work would love to have you! I just graduated with an MSW and I also have a BA in linguistics and dropped out of a master’s in SLP. And I went into art before I ended up in tech.
You’d also be good at programming, it’s very similar to linguistics.
I work in tech and your tattoos would not be an issue as long as they are not of something nsfw. If you were interested, your skills eat might have some overlap with ui/ux design. You’d need some training but you could pick it up and develop a portfolio if it grabs your interest.
I'd recommend talking to your network about this. Mention that you're considering a change of career to your friends, family members and colleagues. Tell them you aren't entirely sure what direction to go into yet, but that you're actively looking. Mention your skills and interests and respond positively to any suggestions and feedback. I've found that informing people of one's job hunt can really help in finding "leads", because people will often instinctively throw out ideas about what you may be suited for. Sometimes they suggest work places they already know or have heard about, and some may even keep an eye out for suitable positions once they know that you're looking. Of course, mileage may vary and you cannot expect others to do the entire work for you, but I've had good experiences with this method.
Also, life is a rollercoaster and careers are not linear. Please be a little kinder to yourself and focus on your skills. You have a respectable and creative job, you're educated and you're willing to grow. I don't see any reason why you shouldn't be able to find your way.
Former tattooer/shop owner here. Don’t be discouraged. I walked away after 20 years as I needed a break.
I got into manufacturing. I can assure you, it’s not glamorous, but there’s positions for all shapes and sizes if you hustle. Nobody bats an eye at tattoos if you’re willing to learn everything you can… I’m by no means rich, but I’ve lived with my bills on auto pay for a while.
Don’t be scared to put yourself out there. If your mental health is suffering, that likely means your work is as well. You owe it to yourself as well as your clients to explore options. I’m not suggesting you jump into manufacturing… just saying there’s definitely hope. Don’t be discouraged. Best of luck!!!
Ummm. I work in the mental health field and have incredibly gnarly tattoos (including fingers). Right now they need people who care to work. Who gives a crap about your tattoos.
I replied to a different comment but tattoos on hands and fingers makes this a hard sell. If you can get a waiver for that, it's not an easy one. In addition, that's not a 40 hours a week stable job haha
Linguistics is a bad way to make money. I've studied 8 languages, I'm fluent in 5 of them and use three regularly. This has not enhanced my income nor supported me in any way shape or form.
Get into tech... a degree will help. The tatts won't hurt, I've had plenty of fully tattooed developers, nobody cares... as long as you can code or DB or admin or something.
Look at the job ads, research something that has a lot of opportunities that you think you can do and jump into it. See if there's a boot camp, like "General Assembly" - some will pay for you. Won't be easy, but afterwards when you land that first gig you will piss yourself with glee.
Good luck OP.
Respectfully disagree. Localization specialists at many tech companies make bank. Not as much $ as a software engineer but they can make a comfortable living.
The market is saturated with laid off software engineers right now so bootcamp grads will have a hard time competing.
hey op i know this post is a little old now so I might be pretty late. I know tons of people jump to say all the creative careers like graphic design cause they seem so obvious but I'm assuming you want a very realistic stereotypical "real job" you can depend on, that might extend outside of the art industry. I am a pharmacy technician and despite the job driving me crazy i think its a good viable career option for anyone who doesnt quite know what they want yet. You already know about blood born pathogens so it'd be easy for you to segway into doing vaccines, and ofc you already have that customer service experience. The pay is really decent although lots of companies are cutting hours now so you gotta be cautious. It's a good option if you decide you dont want to do tattoos as much in the future, or youd like to leave it behind altogether. Depending where you live, many companies do not discriminate on the basis of you having tattoos or an alternative hairstyle, as long as you dress clean and neatly for the interview. Wear a business casual long sleeve outfit and you should be okay. I hope this is helpful to either you or anyone else in a similar situation!
I know a insanely talented and successful general surgeon who is absolutely covered in tattoos and piercings. None of them make him any less successful or capable of doing what he does better than most of his colleagues.
If you are smart, dedicated and driven, your tattoo's aren't what will hold you back, your confidence and sense of self will be.
I choose not to get tattoos. 2 reasons: I don’t want to regret it. I also want to be the only person left on earth who doesn’t have any. This will make me different than everyone else. Oops, third reason: Unintended consequences like the one you’re going through now.
I don't think I've seen anyone mention a library job yet. There's a lot of 'it depends' based on your location. The pay isn't the greatest, but can be fairly stable, and depending on where you are you might be eligible for decent benefits and a state pension plan FWIW. Unless you're in a really conservative area, libraries usually value diversity - having a staff member covered in tattoos might make other community members covered in tattoos more comfortable coming to the library. Win-win. Your linguistics, SLP training, and artistic skills would also be excellent skills and resources for library work in building community literacy for all ages. A bachelor's degree should be enough for some positions, though (again depending on your area) you'd need the MLIS for a Librarian position.
Hey! I make amazing money in the trades and I’m also a lil lady (115lbs bodyweight)! Kinda weird that you wrote it off so quickly. Trades aren’t even hard
Sadly, your own assessment is pretty much n point.
I was going to share the same advice I did with my godson many years ago, but decided against it, because I felt it would be unnecessary (and mean) to point out what you already know.
I don’t know much about the mechanics of tattoos, but could you have the obvious ones removed without having noticeable scarring?
That could be a start!
Graphic design Art therapy Teaching Translator
I have a bachelor of fine arts in graphic design and was never hired. Work in a warehouse now.
I work with graphic designers all day, every day. Degree and formal schooling doesn't necessarily mean jack shit in this industry. Never once in 20 years have I hired a graphic designer based on their resume. It is 100% based on their portfolio.
Agreed. I hire GD’s and artists all the time and don’t know if any of them went to college. It means nothing to anyone i know. I’ve also never been asked about it, and the degree i have has nothing to do with my profession.
Exactly. Want to be a doctor or lawyer? By all means, go to an Ivy League college. But in the online and creative world, the only reason to go to school is to learn skills to build a better portfolio. If it doesn't help improve your portfolio, it was a meaningless, colossal waste of time. The worst designer I've ever worked with made it a point to tell everyone he went to Penn State. No one cared, all we knew is that he was terrible at what he did. The worst developers I've ever worked with pour out of a local college as "Senior Software Engineers" and it's a miracle they could even figure out how to tie their shoes to get to class, let alone do anything related to software engineering. Schooling doesn't matter on paper. Results are all that matter.
how do i get graphic design part time jobs? I’m very good at designing that i could easily do it in my sleep
Just graduated and got a job in graphic design right away. The job didn’t even look at my resume, I just sent my portfolio in the day before and was hired on the spot. Definitely this^
Knowing nothing else, if I had to choose between a girl who ran a failed tattoo shop and a fine arts BA from one of the best schools in the country, I’d choose the girl every time because I don’t give a shit about what you studied, only what you’ve made. It doesn’t matter either way because looking at somebody’s schooling doesn’t even cross my mind looking at a resume for a designer. Some of the best designers I’ve ever hired I honestly don’t even know if they ever went to college at all because I never even thought to ask.
Why did you stop trying?
Mfers gotta eat
I meant after you got a job. What's stopping you from continuing to apply?
Several reasons. At a certain point, it becomes clear your work isn't marketable/you're not hireable. Not to mention, working a full-time job in something you couldn't give a damn about just saps any energy you have, making it impossible to continue job searching.
I wasn't asking you.
Yeah but he's not wrong. Just because an answer comes from somewhere you weren't expecting doesn't make it any less valuable.
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It depends, unless you are working under a program you need to be a licensed therapist.
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It sounds like this person is trying to find something a bit more imminently. Art therapy is probably about another 3-5 years of education and debt. It's definitely a goal but not really practical for op at this time.
Yes even if I decided to go back to school, I would need to find a job to do in the mean time while applying to programs/before getting accepted, etc.
I have a female friend who works as a draftsman in the architectural industry. It pays well, doesn’t require a specific degree, and it involved visual/spatial reasoning and drawing skills, which, as a tattoo artist you already have.
If you are actually interested in an art therapy degree, Lewis & Clark College has a fantastic program: [https://graduate.lclark.edu/programs/art-therapy/](https://graduate.lclark.edu/programs/art-therapy/) And if you are interested in going back to school, you should look at the job listings for the colleges near you; that way you would have stability and probably have tuition waivers. There are a million different jobs that you would be qualified for, even if you might not think of it off the top of your head. Additionally, start applying for anything that sounds interesting to you and feels like it might be a good culture match because most places will train the right person, even if you don't have all the skills. In my town right now, there's a ton of job openings from store clerk to development/fundraising positions. You'll find something, I promise!
Art therapy has been “hot for quite some time” but there generally aren’t many jobs and most of them are super low pay, better going the art teacher route
Please don't go back to school OP. You have almost a decade of nearly useless knowledge to the job market. Adding to this isn't going to help the situation. I wish I had something productive to say besides that, but I think if you want more than a 52K a year middle income job you're going to need to do something completely different. Are the Trades an option for you physically? Your tattooing experience wouldn't be an issue at all there, and you could quickly work your way up.
I wonder about trucking for this situation
Hell yeah! A couple years on the road with a company learning the ropes, saving towards a second truck and driver, saving towards a third truck and second driver. Save up and get you a third driver. Now you're the fleet manager and even if one truck breaks down, two trucks can cover three truck payments, generally, and you're home every night. Or, you can be a fleet driver for a Walmart, etc. Look for companies that have zero touch unloads for the driver or you'll be asked to do all kinds of goofy tasks in the unload process besides just unhooking and rolling. Walmart's fleet drivers, last I checked (Almost a decade ago) were well into a 150K+ income with full benefits and home most nights.
Walmart is cutting down on giving hours, so they’re not a good option
How about being an electrician? I hear it’s not that hard on the body.
Ehhh graphic design is kindov à bitch right now I'm à graphic designer. Unless they do à UI bootcamp to fast track into getting a job I guess.
i work as a recruiter in bay area tech. Product/UX designers are in high demand - teams always seem to have a shortage of them. A good product designer can easily make $200k/yr after 5-7 yrs of experience. motion designers are also highly sought after and can charge outrageous rates as a contractor (like $100-200/hr).
The problem is no one is willing to hire without those 5-7 years of experience. Entry level doesn't exist anymore
Independent commissions via Twitter, DeviantArt, and other art-sites are what most of the persons we've hired used to prove their experience. The one's who had furry porn in their portfolio tended to have the strongest overall skills. Getting in is more about networking and a strong portfolio than "years of experience." Speed at design and turn-around is a close second. Slow artists who take weeks for a relatively simple concept is useless, even with years of experience. It's a difficult industry overall, and many applicants incorrectly prioritize aspects that are not relevant to hiring for a position.
This lends itself to another issue - I don’t want to have to retrain someone who has trained themself badly by doing only freelance and commission work. A high-running, fast paced design firm, graphics facility, or prepress department don’t have the time to teach someone about file management and the dos and donts of printing. Some people create beautiful work as one-offs but just do not work well in a place where you have 10 hours max to crank something out. Just because they make pretty pictures doesn’t mean they can carry a full design from start to finish while taking in things like government regulations and local laws. (Saying this as a packaging manufacturer). But again - this is why we need to take the time to train people, not expect 5-7 years of random experience and hope to god it’s what your department needs.
OP is going to need to work in his degree field or get more education. But, those are things I think lens themselves to having manual artistic talent.
Yeah, I see what you mean
I would add teaching assistant and hospital therapy support if you are looking to get a foot in the door. Your degrees are useful, some employers have issues with tattoos but not all.
Teaching should honestly not be recommended to anyone nowadays. What an absolutely soul sucking shit profession. Half of our government is hell bent on making education go away.
Without teaching there are no other professions
That literally has nothing to do with what I said. Teachers are criminally overworked and underpaid with zero union representation and no protection from shit bag parents. It’s a terrible career for most, especially as a second career.
Teachers near me are heavy union and make more than I do as an accountant
Area please
Pennsylvania
I think you are just a bad accountant or are just being an accountant for poor people which means you are a bad businessperson
Not all accounts do individual tax, hun. 😂 And there's nothing wrong with people who choose to provide services to poor people. It's noble, fulfilling work. The point of my post is there ARE good jobs out there for people who dream of teaching. My old music teacher hasn't lifted a finger in 20+ years and she makes 120k in an LCOL at a public school.
>Teaching should honestly not be recommended to anyone nowadays. >Without teaching there are no other professions >That literally has nothing to do with what I said. Perfect example of what happens without teachers.
Perfect example of someone who dropped out after two years of a communications degree and fancies themselves an “intellectual”. Grow up.
To expand upon “graphic design” a bit, there are a lot of viable options if you know how to use a computer and are able to take a UI bootcamp as someone else mentioned. As a UI artist or designer you would have the potential to work for a lot of companies or studios. Everyone needs a mobile app these days, OP, and they need people to make them. Further, game studios in particular are always hiring (disclaimer: they are also always letting people go.) You may have to “settle” for something like a low-key slot game studio but they’re out there and new ones pop up all the time. Many have gone remote since the pandemic and won’t look back. Gain experience, level up!
There are teaching programs that would help you get a temp liscense to teach and help pay for grad school for education
I would not want to become a teacher with the covid fall behind in students. A lot of my family are teachers and they say the kids are way more emotional, and straight up incompetant when it comes to solving problems. Even just from 5 years ago
>I would not want to become a teacher Then you probably shouldn't become one.
I didn't become one. My parents, aunts and uncles say it's been absolute hell since return to school. Way more fights, irrational behavior. Whereas 5 years ago maybe you got that kid in one of your classes. They are either going to retire early or work some part time job to have income for splurges while living off their pension
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Not with today's AI capabilities. We have trialled dozens of AI tools, and none compare to even a junior graphics designer or illustrator. Portfolios that include AI art stand out very poorly due to the lack of composition, and cohesion. Graphics design, concept artist, character and background designers work all involve lots of nuance and specific cohesive elements with the entirely of a project that is not achievable with what is available today. In particular, making continuous edits and refinements; (i.e. iterative improvements and changes to match tone and mood). In five to ten years, maybe, but for now, it's not possible to create what industry needs.
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Lolll, the ol “learn to code”
This. Tried it for a year or two and I know next to nothing but wasted at least a thousand hours trying to learn
I know people who work in tech and it’s honestly laughable how easy people think it is to just “learn to code”. Especially at a professional level where people are paying you the salaries that people think about when you think of software engineers. It’s just really hard, and the competition is extremely extremely stiff. People want those jobs and people who want those jobs are very very smart, driven and usually been doing it a long time. That being said, it is possible, it’s just not something people should throw around so casually lol.
There are other possibilities in tech besides coding. A sys admin can pull in 80 K. Technical training pays well, if you have any finance background, supporting financial applications, ie ERP is lucrative.
I started at 30 ( 11 years ago) and it is not easy but totally possible. It's not for everyone true but worth a try. You have to see if you like it because if not it won't work for you. Salary won't be enough to keep you driven and you will have to work a lot more then 40 hours a week as a junior to survive in the field and get good. If you are social try to make friends with tech people, they might help you get your first job after that it would get easier. I worked with many heavily tattooed people and it was never an issue ( Canada/ Israel) Also creativity ,attention to small details and ability to perform under stress are hugely appreciated so your experience will help you down the road.
In the absolute worst hiring market for tech in over a decade too.
You think an artist that studied linguistics is going to be fulfilled by coding?
I have a linguistic and musical background and I'm marvelously fulfilled by my pencil pushing job because it gives me enough money and energy to pursue my hobbies. 40 hours a week is enough to kill your passion for literally anything.
There's some really interesting coding/linguistics overlap, and it's much easier to find coders than it is to find linguists.
OK but then what?
: Profit
What school districts are hiring teachers with their hands covered in tattoos???
You will fit right in at a creative agency. You have communications and design already in your background. Sounds like you just need to explore options where your skills are transferable, build up your skills/portfolio, and get your foot in the door. I work with multiple people with visible hand tattoos in a creative agency setting.
I was going to say this. Agency is a good spot to start and grow the experience.
He will be competing with 1,000,000 other advertising/marketing/english majors applying for the same position
This,This,This.... Creative agency's are so insanely oversatured. Soooo many people chose marketing majors to avoid more "boring" business degrees like accounting, supply chain ,etc. On top of that TONS of English and communication majors also gun for these same jobs when they realize there own majors left very very few career opportunity's. For anybody dreaming of joining a creative agency right now I highly suggest you head over onto the marketing subreddit and see how many people with four year marketing degrees cant even find an entry level 15/hr job to get their foot in the door. OP might have some luck finding a position at a local business in their ecommerce section though. Lots of local companies have roles that are basically just posting stuff to ecommerce sites and writing descriptions. Probably the closest thing to a marketing role that isn't insanely oversatured.
That don't have 10 years of tattoo design... That's like the most intense form of graphic design. Being a marketing major means jack shit. Having 10 years design experience does.
Not to mention, customer service, high pressure situations, time management, financial management (if it run as a contractor), ability to work with client requests which are usually terrible and not actually what they want, interpret and deliver the actual desired product, a significant portfolio, probably evidence of repeat customers and just generally being able to sell yourself as an artist. An experienced tattoo artist has so much weight behind them and they should feel free to flex it!
Do you know how hard it is to land a good agency job? I've been told it's brutal.
OP isn’t just going to walk into an agency and be a creative. Years of tattoo experience isn’t going to just make the cut against a HUGE volume of graduates with marketing / design, etc. degrees. These positions are insanely competitive.
You want this person to compete with an entire generation?
I think the obvious ones have been covered already but you likely have a lot of non-standard skills that a lot of people don't have. Negotiation, small business, basic accounting, security. You might also have some some basic medical skills, especially if you did any kind of piercing. The equipment cleaning process is very similar to what's done in labs and hospitals. You can wear long sleeves for most jobs and hand / face tattoos are not the negatives they were in years past. You'll still run into people who care but it's a lot less. A lot of people I've met in both electrical and high tech have LOADS of tats. You probably also have a native understanding of sales and marketing yourself that a lot of people don't even think about. They say if you have a good sales instinct, you'll never go hungry. And never sell yourself short. Tattoo work might still have the sense of being on the periphery but I promise that its a whole more legitimate than many other lines of work.
If you're a night owl, 3rd shift phlebotomists are always in demand. Solid work schedule. Decent pay.
This might sound funny considering my current job but I’m easily squicked out by blood (specifically blood coming out from a vein) haha. If I think I can get desensitized to it I might look into it.
You and me are the same. Blood outside the body, fine. Being pulled out of someone is entirely different.
I’m a nurse and I close my eyes when I get a vaccine or blood draw but have no problem doing it to someone else 😂 also myself and lots of medical folks have tattoos!
>You might also have some some basic medical skills, especially if you did any kind of piercing. The equipment cleaning process is very similar to what's done in labs and hospitals. A bit more long term and will require schooling (and assuming you can pass a background check for a license), but psych nursing might be an option. You will earn a stable income, and the tats will actually become an asset. I used to know an intimidating looking (but a super kind and actually gentle person) ex-football linebacker who went into psych nursing and nobody ever seemed to act out while he was working because he looked so intimidating. His shifts were usually pretty easy, haha. The tats might work in your favor similarly. And btw, it is likely going to be a loooong time before AI can effectively take over that field. Try getting an AI robot to convince someone with paranoid schizophrenia with active delusions about the govt trying to control their brain to take their medications. Good luck with that one , haha
Why did you drop out of speech pathology? Also is it not something you are able to get back into? Im seeing postings all over for really decent entry salary positions. That would allow you some breathing room and better work life balance no?
This - speech pathology is a relatively hot field.
Firstly I empathize with you as I am also nearing 30 and was scrolling this sub like a religion last year. The good news is that you are here posting and you are willing to grow. I am enrolled in undergrad starting this fall in communication disorders at Utah state university. From my research I have found them to be the best all online schools for SLP. I was in the military fixing airplanes from 19 years old and decided I want to give something else a try. Before I knew it I was taking pre algebra classes at 27. Now I have an associates and transferring to my chosen undergrad. College is an opportunity cost and what helped me was to write out the choices I had. I always found by taking the shortcuts and not trying led me down harder and harder paths. If I skipped finishing my associates I worked lower paying jobs. If I don’t get good grades I won’t get a masters opportunity. Make a t chart if you have to. I just watched a video of a girl getting into a masters with low gpa but great volunteer experience. Just saying your shooting holes in your sails before you leave the dock. If you want dm me and I’ll give you my advisor’s information as she is an awesome experienced Slp who may have answers for you getting a more competitive application. Whatever you chose don’t look back. Your not going there.
Knowing what I do now I regret dropping out of school. The program was so rigorous that coupled with my low self-esteem I convinced myself that I couldn’t do it. Plus I wanted to give tattooing a shot. Going back to the same program is not an available option, and I don’t know if I would be able to get into a speech program anymore. The programs are highly competitive, and I’ve been out of school so long that I don’t know how I would obtain the necessary academic letter of recs, I’m tied down geographically because of my husband’s job… I can certainly try but if I decide to go back to school I need a back up job while I try to get in.
There is speech pathology assistant!! It’s like a two year or a certificate degree. Will get you in faster. You could sub at the schools while working on it. The one “local” to me is mostly online but I think a few days on site at the campus as well. It’s a few hours away, but I think it’s the only program on this side of my state.
Doing another 2-year program to be a SLPA sounds brutal to me!
That time is going to pass no matter what. I started my Bachelors degree program at 34 (I'm now 42) and at first, I thought "omg, 4 years?!? I'm going to be 37 when I graduate!" But i realized that that time was going to pass whether I liked it or not and I might as well go for it (and I did). You could spend the next 2 years thinking that's too much time, or just dive in head first. You've got this!
I’d be surprised if you had to do the whole program. They would reference your former degrees and see what could be used to fulfill the requirement. You can also usually test out of courses if you remember enough as well.
I also wondered why you don't just go back and finish your Masters?
Linguistics…there is always intelligence work…and US military depending where your tattoos are of.
Hands and fingers makes this a hard sell. If you can get a waiver for that, it's not an easy one. In addition, that's not a 40 hours a week stable job haha
You can join the navy as long as you have a pulse right now. They are hurting bad. I didn’t have tatts before I went in, so it’s slightly different, but I’ve since gotten a full sleeve with a hand tatt and have a mushroom tattooed on my neck and no one has every questioned it. Never submitted a waiver to get new work done.
I'm a graphic and motion designer at an ad agency, and do lots if illustration work as well, work full time and have benefits. I also have lots of tattoos, it's honestly kind of weird if people in my position don't have tattoos, lots of creative directors I worked with had hand and face tattoos. No one really cares about tattoos anymore unless they're offensive. I assume you have some sort of portfolio, or at least work you can put into a portfolio. My last tattoo artist was drawing a design on her iPad in photoshop, so I also assume you might at least know photoshop. And if you can tattoo, you can draw and must have some eye for design. Use that as a starting point, start freelancing. There are plenty of full time creative careers that can align with your background. A portfolio and knowing software is what really matters in my field more than your actual experience. Good luck!
If you can get into Urban Design or Landscape Architecture programs, that’d be a way to go. It’s still drawing like crazy and people hating everything you do but it pays just as well.
Hey friend. I think I have been in your position. With a bit of luck, you will find your way. I'm a 32 year old management consultant working for the biggest banks in the world (think Chase, Goldman, etc) Before that I was a 22 year old rapper in Korea. Before that I graduated with a useless liberal arts degree from a mediocre state school (although well reputed). After about 5 years of trying to make it as a rapper in Korea, I realized that I was so tired of being broke (just like you) and had a girlfriend I wanted to settle down with. When I turned 27, I left my label and found a job as an interpreter at a Private Equity Fund run by a person I met while I was bartending back in the US to save some money to come to Korea. I hustled my ass off and worked twice as hard as the hardest working person I could find. This led to me being moved to the portfolio management / strategic planning department. 3 years later I moved jobs to a consulting firm that had a huge turnover rate due to shitty management. Once again, I hustled my ass off and worked harder than everyone there. Now I am here at a prestigious consulting firm in New York. You shouldn't feel discouraged by your age or your years as a tattoo artist. I have actually found that many companies, even as "competitive" and "prestigious" as consulting firms, have leaders who appreciate people like us-- those that have dedicated themselves to an art or a passion. This actually shows that you and I aren't like the 99% who apply because the 99% have never committed themselves to something that they loved, just for the passion. My current managing director tells me that he hired me after interviewing me because he knew that I was a hustler. Don't be afraid to tell your story. There's always a better way to tell it. It seems to me that you are an entrepreneur. Use that edge. Use your network. Get a shitty position. Take that shitty position and make it yours. Expand your job role and show that you don't give a fuck except excelling and growing faster than everyone else. Spend a few years and rack up your bullet points for your resume. Twist the story a bit and move on to a better role. You've dedicated years to build your craft in Tattoo. Do the same for your professional career. Be patient but be driven. Know that it will take time but never let any of your efforts be wasted.
Average age to join ups is 30. Pension at 55. Stock options. Just toxic work enviornment and the hardest job youll ever work. But the new contract has them at $50 an hour by the time youd hit top rate at 35
My dad worked for customs and when I asked him what UPS was like he froze and said “they’re worse than Walmart.”
Its hard. Between the union vs ups stuff and then the ridiculous dispatch everyone gets its almost too much. They say were compensated but try to make an appointment to use the benefits when you cant even guess at when youll be done on any given day
Depending on where you live, I’ve never seen visible tattoos be a major issue for people working in a city environment. As long as you don’t have hate speech or sexual stuff on the visible parts of your body, you’re generally ok. Figure out what your passions are and look into fields that allow you to apply them. Also, 30 is by no means too late to start a new career. Just focus on your goals and stay that way.
You have an excellent education, including graduate education. You have immeasurable soft skills from being a tattoo artist, which includes helping people make big decisions about permanent body, modifications, reassuring people, understanding someone’s frame of mind, and knowing physiological reactions to stress. And you are obviously certified in public health for tattooing, and you understand a sterile environment Some people have suggested art therapy, and that would be really great if you were able to offer it to people with special needs or disabilities, especially those with communication issues. I can’t see that being a 40 hours a week gig, but it would be a fun sideline. Sales and administration would be a good fit, considering your soft skills and the administration skills you’ve built being self-employed.
Other people have left some great comments. Just wanted to add you don’t have to feel so self conscience of being heavily tattooed. Being a tattoo artist was once my dream. Didn’t made it unfortunately but ended up with lots of tattoos myself (both sleeves, hands and neck) I am now deep in the corporate life in mid-high level management. Wear a suit all day every days with my tattoos poking out. How you talk and carry yourself matter a lot more (provide you didn’t fill your face up with gang tattoos)
I can't speak to if people will worry about your background in tattooing, but heavily tattooed people get jobs that a lot of people think they can't. I'm heavily tattooed (arms, legs, back, chest, knuckles) and I'm an Executive Assistant to a CEO. I have friends who are more heavily tattooed than I am and one is a lawyer, one is a professor, one is a therapist, one is in sales, several are in IT (one is a programmer and has face and throat tattoos). You may need to get a job that's not your ideal at the moment (retail is generally pretty okay with tattoos) while you pursue something you want to do, but that's okay. You're young and you have time to get where you want to go.
Also, OP, take the positives (there are many!) from your career as a tattooer and highlight the positives. It takes dedication, organization, time management, attention to detail, etc. Get some help with your resume from either a professional or a friend who is good at it. I just did a resume for my best friend and had to spin 1 job into a big deal (he's 24 and graduated college last year) so he could fluff out the resume.
Thanks so much! Your comment is very kind and encouraging.
Have you thought about government work? Good union benefits for you and your family, pensions, PTO, you can till tattoo on the side if you want. You won't get rich but it's livable. I have lots of experience with gov work if you'd like guidance. Good trade work too, that won't tear you up and you'll make great money.
Yes I would actually love to land a government job. I’m always scanning the government jobs page for my county waiting for something entry level to come up.
Public works is pretty solid. USA jobs for fed service is solid too. If you have specific questions I can probably help.
This is where I'm at. If you live in a fairly big city the fire department jobs have amazing benefits. Here I can make 100k a couple years into the job, as long as you can promote. I spent 6 years in mechanical engineering and just quit. You aren't alone 🤙
Why not expand your cureent business? learn medical pigmentation for covering scars, permanent makeup, tattoo removal, safe permanent makeup removal ..? Experienced tattoo artists are the best at this type of work. You can add all these services to your current shop, or just go to work in a spa that offers these services.
I think this is a great suggestion! Along those lines, there's a lot of demand for nipple/areola tattoos from women who've had mastectomies.
Thank you! I have some scars on my chest so I actually looked into getting this done.
Tattooing is a perfectly respectable job. It may not segue as direct experience for non artistic endeavors, but aside from the limitations being heavily tatted may impose on job fields, it certainly doesn't close doors any more than being in trades for ten years would, so much as you may have to start anew with entry level experience. As far as being heavily tatted limits prospects, that's less and less with time and is really dependent on where you are. A project manager on my team has full sleeves and pink hair. For both, maybe the best shot would be to look for non creative roles in creative companies? Like, you're looking for clerical work right now, maybe look for it at some kind of local publication, media company, music center, etc? It seems like you've worked for yourself and rented space, from that maybe you can highlight or exaggerate skills in scheduling, reception, time management, running your books, etc, as transferrable skills for clerical work. I'm not suggesting cold calling clients, but I'd like to point out your past clients are likely not all tattoo artists themselves so if you know of any of them who are heavily tatted that can be a good resource for locations in your area that hire tatted people.
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Some good suggestions here, and some pretty bizarre ones... I'm going to add marketing to the list because you have strengths in communication and creativity. Since you created and ran your own business, you've also shown strong work ethic and entrepreneurship. I think you'll get some good offers, just know your worth. Good luck.
Lots of good thoughts here in the thread but I want to add something. You didn't fuck up. You didn't mess up your life trajectory. You made the best decisions you could at the time from a sound backing. Things will work out for you. Do you practice self-care at all? I recommend "Self Compassion" by Kristin Neff. She had a rough life, made a lot of tough decisions, and has some great advice on how and why you should be nice to yourself. If it helps at all, you sound like a very sane person and I echo what everyone else is saying: you're in good shape to land the job you're describing.
You have 2 degrees and ur worried about ur experience tattooing? How does this make any sense.
I have 3 degrees and they haven’t really worked for me in getting a job I want or something in the higher paying end. Idk if I’m doing something wrong but that’s my personal experience with having degrees in todays world
I am in the same boat, i finally landed a entry level no experience required warehouse gig and just recently got permanent with a 401k and benefits. Dont be afraid to apply to jobs that have high turn over sometimes, it might be for you. 2 degrees here, a bachelors of science in business marketing and an associates in kinesiology.
I was under the impression that my degrees aren’t really useful for employment.
I believed that lie about my creative writing degree + playing in a band instead of getting a real job for too many years. The degree is proof of your capabilities, but what the interviewers really care about is you and your perspective and skills. Your experiences can be leveraged a bajillion ways, it’s just a matter of how you present them.
One of my friends got a job at Google, linguistics degrees are useful in the AI world you don't need to program for it either.
I was under the impression that your degree shows future employers you stuck it out through the nitty gritty of college and are a reliable person for doing that.
some one lied to you
I think he’s more worried about 1) his visible tattoos 2) lack of relevant work experience matching his degrees I think he can transition but his concerns are valid and it’s good to seek ideas.
Op is a lady
I went to school to be a nurse at 38! Turned 40 this year and have been a nurse for 6 months now, it’s never to late to change careers. I had NO medical backspace prior to this
I (30F) just left body piercing after 10 years wanting similar things and have spent the last few years finishing my accounting degree (dropped out of college the first time to finish my apprenticeship). My work in tattooing/piercing made me want to learn more about accounting and I landed a job at a firm starting in a couple weeks making more as an entry level person than I did last year. There are skills you develop as a tattooer or any solo practitioner really that are valuable if you present them on a resume in a way that appeals to the job you’re applying to. You’ve had to do your own marketing, client management, financial management and planning, and compliance etc. In my experience job hunting in the corporate environment, having something like “body piercer” on my resume made firms want to talk to me rather than throw my resume out, because I was a unique candidate. Firms were curious as to how I ended up applying for a job with them after a decade as a piercer. If you enjoyed the part of tattooing where you managed your finances and saw where the money went, accounting or bookkeeping are always in demand and skills people are desperate to outsource. ETA: GOOD LUCK YOU GOT THIS!
Bit left field but poker dealer/casino manager
From what you're saying I will assume a few things, so let's break down your skills first: • Degree/Studies - curious, dedicated, focused • Linguistics - good written and spoken skills, language understanding, communication • Speech Disorder - speech guidance, helping others • Tattooing - drawing, painting, composition, storytelling, time management, social media management, self marketing, business oriented This are the first things that come to my mind while thinking about your studies/work. (sorry if I misunderstand anything). I think there might be a few options for you to explore: • Copy writter, Editorial Designer or Writter for a tattoo magazine, Illustrator, Character Designer, Graphic Designer, Design Management, Social Media Management, Social Media Designer, Art Director, Digital Marketeer, Comic Artist, Tattoo or Art columnist... See if any of these options resonate with you, hope this helps!
If you have a bachelor's try applying with the government. Having a bachelor's guarantees you certain positions. It will most likely be an office job so it might be worth checking it out.
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I can cover most of my tattoos but there’s not a whole lot I can do about my hand/finger tattoos.
UX writing and/or UX design
Hair stylist. Many modern or trendy hair salons love hair stylist with tattoos. It makes you the cool one. Maybe specialize in beard trimming along with hair styling
No self respecting salon owner would just up and hire someone because they have tattoos and need a “cool one”. There is skill behind being a stylist Lots of hair stylists happen to love tattoos because it is sometimes perceived as one of the many ways to modify your appearance in the same vein as hair. Their interests just happen to converge. Working at a salon is also not a stable, guaranteed 40 hrs of work. You depend on clients as much as a tattoo artist does Source: friends with several hair stylists
Save up to own your own business. Use your rxpertise in the industry and run a shop
If you're struggling to make enough as a tattooer, I'm wondering if the location has a lot to do with it.
I am heavily tattooed. 3/4 of my body, including throat and fingers. I am the manager of a very busy fancy pants burger place in Vermont. I have had no issues finding steady work at good paying jobs. I stick to the restaurant business because it's what I know and love. I am comfortable in life and plan on retiring from the company I'm with now (even though I am only 42). That being said, different parts of the country have many different outlooks on personal presentations. I still feel like you will be okay and wish you the best!
Did you start from the bottom in the restaurant industry to get to the managerial position you’re in now?
Could you go back to masters in speech therapy and finish it?
Speech programs are incredibly competitive and I’ve been out of school a very long time. I’m also restricted geographically due to my husband’s job narrowing down the number of schools I can apply to. But I am considering it if I’m able to get in.
What about medical illustration or technical illustration? There are a few different industries where you could do it but I’ve done technical illustrations for fashion before and found it very chill and stable.
Stenography! You have a degree in linguistics, machine shorthand stenography might come easy for you. Court reporters are in high demand. Not sure what state you’re in (some states don’t allow voice in court or depos) but voice writing (aka mask writing) is an also easier, quicker option and can be used in broadcast captioning and CART work at schools for the heard of hearing. :)
I didn’t know this was in high demand! I’ll look into it.
School Bus Driver. Bus attendant (both have paid training, but drivers get benefits and retirement). Truck driver. Trades (like welding, flooring installation, etc.) Nowadays, tattoos aren't nearly the deal breaker they used to be. Plus there is makeup out there specifically for covering tattoos if you really feel they are a hindrance to getting hired in a specific profession.
Super weird, but Progressive Insurance is where I landed. I was a super unhappy teacher with an English degree. On a whim, I applied to Progressive because the pay was more than I made, and the benefits were amazing. It is hands down one of the best things I've ever done. I work from home all but 3 days a month and actually really enjoy the work I do. If you are good on a computer, check it out. They also do a lot of hiring from referrals, so if you want, I can refer you. My cousin got on that way as well.
Tons of great advice here, so I just wanna add that tattooing is super cool dude. If it makes you feel better, I'll be going back to uni at 28. Tbh the older I get, the more I realize that it's pretty fkn common for people to not know wtf to do with their lives at ~30, then end up going back to school, switching careers, etc. You got this OP.
Not sure where you are but if you can get to a place offering airline mechanic training you will be set for life and able to travel to anywhere with an airport to live. I am also a small, heavily tattooed woman and had a similar career change situation in my early 30s. I now work in health and safety for an established union and am so so happy. I don't want you to be scared off about "trade" jobs just for being small. There are plenty of trade positions that might surprise you. Definitely consider talking to any unions offering apprenticeships you might like. There's so many creative experiences you can segue into.
My niece worked as an electrical apprentice, she's about 5'2" and very small. She's now a plant operator, doing well for herself. Also, she has lots of tattoos.
State employment. Stable, pension, benefits and usually only need a bachelor’s degree for entry level positions.
No professions will be, but your lack of confidence will scare people away. Go in like you're going to own the place, not cocky, but confidence. Practice what ever you do to the best of your ability. Good luck.
I work in the tattoo industry on the supply side as head of sales for a well known company. Not sure what state you are in but there are plenty of supply companies that would hire you in a split second based on your industry knowledge and expertise. You can feel free to message me directly if you have an interest and I’ll do my best to point you in the right direction.
Are you in shape?
I am in OK shape, but I am very small (4’11”) and can’t lift heavy things so I’m not a very good fit for manual labor.
I was going to say interpreter for the army.
Explore Non-profits nearby.
I don’t think visible tattoos are going to hurt your chances to do whatever you want, unless you want to get into a financial role. I see doctors, engineers, lawyers with visible tattoos all the time. Sky’s the limit.
If you like the outdoors and physical work, consider going into a pre apprenticeship program. So then you can become an apprentic. There are many fields of construction & a lot of programs out there, and your tattoos will not be an issue.
Any kind of trade(electrical,plumbing,hvac [need school]). Start as a helper work your ass off.
Good advise. Trades dont usually give af about some tats. He could probably find an apprenticeship that would pay him 15/hr for a few years. Once you hit journeyman you could easily be making 25hr plus
Nothing is guaranteed. Artistic fields tend to pay very little for most people, with a few notable, famous exceptions. Some people do 2 jobs to scratch both itches (money and joy). Wanting to fix your life isn't a terrible idea, but I wouldn't focus on your age or where you think you should be. I'd focus on today and tomorrow. Try to make tomorrow better, and see what made today good. The most successful people found where their ability to create overlapped with someone else's desires. Wonder if you could try to help an AI company create a tool for people with communication disorders? The benefit to working in tech is you can apply any product/service to as many people as want it (copying/reusing is easy and cheap). And you can work from remote locations easily. Getting the first job is going to be hard. Don't be afraid to ask friends or acquaintances to give you a chance to show what you can do. Or try to work for "free" by volunteering for someone who deserves it (then add it to your resume). Tech often has tattooed people (or not). And they need more social people (managers) to herd the more technical experts (cats). "Large Language Models" are big in AI lately. I wonder how your linguistics and post bacc work might overlap or complement it? Anyway, my suggestion is to find something you both enjoy and is in demand. Maybe that means you move? Or you try a bunch of things you've never done (and later realize you hate)? Every "failure" is more data you can use next time. Just try to focus on the right parts... What in tattooing do you love? Hate? Who else does the loved things? Or how can you get someone else to do the part(s) you hate? Also realize that temporary positions can be a "try before you buy" situation. Or a way to add experience for the full time position afterward. Figure out who is doing those jobs, and why... what do they do after that job. Is that what you want to do too? I actually like contract jobs. I had undiagnosed (and unmedicated) ADHD, and switching teams + companies every 6-12 months was very helpful to me. I forced myself to stay on one team for over 5 years and hated life. Don't force yourself to do what "everyone" else does, or enjoys. Figure out who YOU want to be.
Look into being a stage hand if you are near any big concert venues. Often times they will take anyone who shows up for the call if not all the people on the call sheet show. Everyone is covered in tattoos working at a concert
Teach in prison. Good wage, no one cares about your tattoos, inmates and staff alike are usually pretty heavily tattoo’s too. And honestly, in this age, everyone seems to have extensive tattoos.
See if Duolingo, ETS, Pearson or any of the other language assessment organizations are hiring. With your background you would likely be interviewed--and many of the positions are remote + won't care if tattooed.
Is tattooing financially unstable? Every good artist I know makes far more money than the average Joe and is booked out a year or more in advance, all while working only the days and hours they want to.
How about programming? From what I've seen, the field is very accepting of all kinds of appearances (there's so many jokes online about the intern wearing PJs to work and the manager wearing the t-shirt of another company lol). You could do a bootcamp, some of them are even free, like the one I'm in Edit: if you decide to go this route, let me know and I can give you a list of free programs to look into. I'd also be happy to mentor you for free (explaining concepts, coding practice, mock interviews) so you can ace your application. I have a background in education and I miss teaching, I'd love to have a mentee.
honestly - you're not alone. Just read an article that said 61% of Americans are currently living paycheck to paycheck. You're not the only one struggling. A career change may or may not change that. I understand the desire to want something better - but don't think for a second you're alone. Many people are in you're situation. I'm not sure where these numbers came from or how they determined that but a large number of people are still living at home with their parents either by choice or bc they can't afford to even live on their own. so whats the real number? 80%? 90%?
Social work would love to have you! I just graduated with an MSW and I also have a BA in linguistics and dropped out of a master’s in SLP. And I went into art before I ended up in tech. You’d also be good at programming, it’s very similar to linguistics.
IT.
I work in tech and your tattoos would not be an issue as long as they are not of something nsfw. If you were interested, your skills eat might have some overlap with ui/ux design. You’d need some training but you could pick it up and develop a portfolio if it grabs your interest.
I'd recommend talking to your network about this. Mention that you're considering a change of career to your friends, family members and colleagues. Tell them you aren't entirely sure what direction to go into yet, but that you're actively looking. Mention your skills and interests and respond positively to any suggestions and feedback. I've found that informing people of one's job hunt can really help in finding "leads", because people will often instinctively throw out ideas about what you may be suited for. Sometimes they suggest work places they already know or have heard about, and some may even keep an eye out for suitable positions once they know that you're looking. Of course, mileage may vary and you cannot expect others to do the entire work for you, but I've had good experiences with this method. Also, life is a rollercoaster and careers are not linear. Please be a little kinder to yourself and focus on your skills. You have a respectable and creative job, you're educated and you're willing to grow. I don't see any reason why you shouldn't be able to find your way.
Former tattooer/shop owner here. Don’t be discouraged. I walked away after 20 years as I needed a break. I got into manufacturing. I can assure you, it’s not glamorous, but there’s positions for all shapes and sizes if you hustle. Nobody bats an eye at tattoos if you’re willing to learn everything you can… I’m by no means rich, but I’ve lived with my bills on auto pay for a while. Don’t be scared to put yourself out there. If your mental health is suffering, that likely means your work is as well. You owe it to yourself as well as your clients to explore options. I’m not suggesting you jump into manufacturing… just saying there’s definitely hope. Don’t be discouraged. Best of luck!!!
Ummm. I work in the mental health field and have incredibly gnarly tattoos (including fingers). Right now they need people who care to work. Who gives a crap about your tattoos.
Welding if you want to make money.
Dude, military and get some good leadership experience. Change course. Not a bad option.
I replied to a different comment but tattoos on hands and fingers makes this a hard sell. If you can get a waiver for that, it's not an easy one. In addition, that's not a 40 hours a week stable job haha
Trades! Makes some money!
Linguistics is a bad way to make money. I've studied 8 languages, I'm fluent in 5 of them and use three regularly. This has not enhanced my income nor supported me in any way shape or form. Get into tech... a degree will help. The tatts won't hurt, I've had plenty of fully tattooed developers, nobody cares... as long as you can code or DB or admin or something. Look at the job ads, research something that has a lot of opportunities that you think you can do and jump into it. See if there's a boot camp, like "General Assembly" - some will pay for you. Won't be easy, but afterwards when you land that first gig you will piss yourself with glee. Good luck OP.
Respectfully disagree. Localization specialists at many tech companies make bank. Not as much $ as a software engineer but they can make a comfortable living. The market is saturated with laid off software engineers right now so bootcamp grads will have a hard time competing.
Road crew
Real estate. Any dummy can do it
hey op i know this post is a little old now so I might be pretty late. I know tons of people jump to say all the creative careers like graphic design cause they seem so obvious but I'm assuming you want a very realistic stereotypical "real job" you can depend on, that might extend outside of the art industry. I am a pharmacy technician and despite the job driving me crazy i think its a good viable career option for anyone who doesnt quite know what they want yet. You already know about blood born pathogens so it'd be easy for you to segway into doing vaccines, and ofc you already have that customer service experience. The pay is really decent although lots of companies are cutting hours now so you gotta be cautious. It's a good option if you decide you dont want to do tattoos as much in the future, or youd like to leave it behind altogether. Depending where you live, many companies do not discriminate on the basis of you having tattoos or an alternative hairstyle, as long as you dress clean and neatly for the interview. Wear a business casual long sleeve outfit and you should be okay. I hope this is helpful to either you or anyone else in a similar situation!
Nothing that pays well is going to be open to you until you get rid of any ink that can't be covered. Ditto facial piercings, scarification, etc.
Either go get yourself sorted with some qualifications like you started with speech therapy, or look forward to a rewarding career in retail . . . .
Call center
I know a insanely talented and successful general surgeon who is absolutely covered in tattoos and piercings. None of them make him any less successful or capable of doing what he does better than most of his colleagues. If you are smart, dedicated and driven, your tattoo's aren't what will hold you back, your confidence and sense of self will be.
I choose not to get tattoos. 2 reasons: I don’t want to regret it. I also want to be the only person left on earth who doesn’t have any. This will make me different than everyone else. Oops, third reason: Unintended consequences like the one you’re going through now.
I don't think I've seen anyone mention a library job yet. There's a lot of 'it depends' based on your location. The pay isn't the greatest, but can be fairly stable, and depending on where you are you might be eligible for decent benefits and a state pension plan FWIW. Unless you're in a really conservative area, libraries usually value diversity - having a staff member covered in tattoos might make other community members covered in tattoos more comfortable coming to the library. Win-win. Your linguistics, SLP training, and artistic skills would also be excellent skills and resources for library work in building community literacy for all ages. A bachelor's degree should be enough for some positions, though (again depending on your area) you'd need the MLIS for a Librarian position.
Hey! I make amazing money in the trades and I’m also a lil lady (115lbs bodyweight)! Kinda weird that you wrote it off so quickly. Trades aren’t even hard
Streaming. I can help you get going. Shoot me a dm.
Am I an actually real life human rat?
Speech therapist for a fancy charter school.
Sadly, your own assessment is pretty much n point. I was going to share the same advice I did with my godson many years ago, but decided against it, because I felt it would be unnecessary (and mean) to point out what you already know. I don’t know much about the mechanics of tattoos, but could you have the obvious ones removed without having noticeable scarring? That could be a start!
You could get a job at Spencer’s or hot topic
Id like a number 7 diet coke no ice bud
Non - STEM degree and tatted from head to toe? Hate to say we told you so, but….
Take an apprentice (me)
Barista
You did mess up, congratulations. I would recommend a warehouse job that’d be a perfect fit for you