Wrist tattoo in investment banking?

I have a tattoo on my wrist - it is a Heart about 1.5 x 1.5cm

It is too high up for my watch to cover it and is evident even if I wear long sleeves eg when my elbows are bent on a desk.

Is this something I need to 'declare' at the interview stage? Could it potentially turn them off me? Are IB bankers an ultra conservative bunch?

Would I be expected to use makeup to cover up the tattoo when at work?

19 Comments
 
Controversial

I'll be the jerk.

that was a dumb idea. you shouldn't have anything on your body you don't want to share that's visible in professional dress. even if I had a half sleeve (I do not, but have considered it), you wouldn't be able to tell at work. consider getting it removed and get another tat somewhere more discreet.

for the time being, I'd consider trying to disguise it with a loosely fitting watch, bracelets/bangles, or with shirts that have flowier fabrics by the wrist. don't go johnny depp and have 50,000 threads on your hand, but obscure it from plain view

don't declare it, just cover it up, and don't draw attention to it

 

Agree with this - most people in Prop Trading that i've known come from tech backgrounds and expect a casual workplace. I think you're overanalyzing it.

 
Most Helpful

I mean, I don't think its that big a deal. If its inside your wrist, you can hide it easily. Definitely don't draw attention to it, you don't draw attention to other things in an interview, why this? Maybe have a good "heartwarming" story to why you got it.

I digress though, tattoos use to be for bad assess and dudes from jail, now everyone has one. It's not a bad thing, but to me it's a permanent thing. Like, you can regrow your hair if a trend fades out, but a tat you have to explain the rest of your life. I mean, nothing against anyone, but have you ever seen a chick with a tattoo and thought, she would be hotter without it? Have you ever seen a chick without a tattoo and thought, she would be hotter if she had one?

 

Agree with the professionalism as well.

I'm not against tattoos, I guess I don't understand them. I can see something like a family crest, maybe. Most times I see them as very personal things, like your kids name or spouses. But my thought is, do you really need that on your arm; like are you going to forget you have a kid/their name? It's almost like an inside joke that you publicly display.

 

Just use makeup to cover it up, and long sleeve shirts or blouses that go to the wrist. No need to declare it. Do this for the interview and then if you get the job, do it for a bit and assess whether it’s needed (re: how conservative the team is and whether they care about it or not). There have been some other threads about people having tattoos and covering them. But I think it’s guys and having them in easier to hide places like bicep or chest.

 

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