Piercing and tattooing, once viewed as the rebellious territory of rock bands and bikers, has become increasingly mainstream as of late. It takes only one visit to Peterson Pits on a sunny afternoon to see many students have embraced the trend of body modification.

After students pierce eyebrows and fill ink in the lower back space, however, they may be in for a surprise when they apply for jobs sporting faces full of metal or skin covered in ink, says Steven Kravinsky, director of career placement for the Iowa State’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.

“I think people with visible tattoos and piercing will have a harder time.” Kravinsky says.

Although there may be consequences down the road, body art remains popular among college students, particularly freshmen who are experiencing freedom for the first time, says Miranda Myhre, receptionist at The Asylum tattoo and body piercing shop, 111 Welch Ave.

“It’s mostly girls, lots of freshmen,” says Myhre, sophomore in graphic design. “For the most part it’s when school starts, everyone’s away from home and everyone has to put a hole in themselves.”

Kravinsky says even though piercing and tattoos have become commonplace, many companies that deal with the public still have a very conservative view of how their employees should look.

“The organization is sensitive to how they are perceived and impact the community,” Kravinsky says. “You represent that organization every hour of your life, even if you don’t want to.”

Pointing to fields such as art and fashion, Kravinsky says extensive tattoos and piercing might not always be a disadvantage to college students, but they should consider what field they are interested in before making a decision to have anything done.

“There are some professions where it might be an advantage to look edgy, but if you’re working for a major retail agency, it’s probably not the best thing to do.”

Iowa State alumnus Ken Slaba had extensive tattooing and piercing when he began looking for a post-college career, but says he made a conscious decision to get the work done in places that are easy to conceal.

“I kind of specifically made a point of not getting anything you can’t hide with jeans and a T-shirt,” Slaba says.

Slaba, who now works full time at Seven Oaks Recreation in Boone, says he hasn’t had any problems finding work despite his body modifications.

“I’ve applied for jobs and not gotten them before, but I don’t think it had anything to do with that.”

Kravinsky says he agrees that getting tattoo and piercing work done in places that are easily covered is a good strategy for people who enjoy body modification but still want to be accepted in the professional world.

“Understand the common sense of private versus public body art,” Kravinsky says. “Your body can be your canvas as long as it’s on parts of your body that no one can see.”

Another suggestion Kravinsky makes is to wait until after you are employed and see what the company’s policies and attitudes toward body art are before getting any extensive work done.

“Once you start a job, you can look around and see what the standards and values of the organization are.”

Kravinsky says college students would be wise to remove or cover any visible body art before taking an interview with companies whose policies toward body art might be of a conservative nature.

“If you feel comfortable taking your piercings out, I suggest you do it,” he says.

Slaba, who has both ears pierced, says he stopped wearing his jewelry of his own accord after gaining employment with Seven Oaks, not to meet any expectations or policies of his employers.

“When I took this job I took my ears out, but it had nothing to do with it — it was just time,” Slaba says.

Kravinsky says ultimately students should think about the potential effects body art will have on their abilities to find a place in the professional world.

“Use your common sense,” Kravinsky says.