The entire concept of getting a tattoo lies in a person’s intense desire to profoundly evidence some aspect of themselves to others.  In most cases, this type of “branding” (in the media sense!) expresses some deeply personal part of their lives or personality.  The actual location of such “ink” demonstrates the necessity most people feel to hide these uniquely personal expressions. 

 

When it comes to making a professional career change, it is uniformly agreed that tattoos (and any other highly personal markings) are completely inappropriate to have in evidence.  And yet, many candidates still unknowingly reveal far too much of themselves as part of today’s information-intense society. 

 

For example, companies today routinely search the FaceBook and MySpace accounts of candidates.  Have you checked your postings on such sites?  Besides information and photos you may have uploaded, remember that the postings of friends and others are also part of your on-line image.  Personal homepages are also open to review by prospective employers and can be equally revealing.   If you are looking for a new job, it is probably best to remove these sites from the web, at least until you have successfully resituated yourself.

 

Another often overlooked “reveal” that might not project the type of image you desire is your screen name or personal e-mail address.  These monikers were often created years ago, at a time when there was no career downside to choosing cute or suggestive labels.  Unfortunately, like a tattoo, these can often be cases of, “too much information” when you are contemplating a career move.

 

In addition to the internet, there are other real-world “tells” that you might not be aware of that can project the wrong image.  Personalized license plates on your car can be misconstrued as personality profiles.  Put yourself in the place of a corporate executive and imagine how you would react to your employee handing out a business card with what is on their license plate.  Is it less than professional?  If so, it might be time to surrender them.

 

What about bumper stickers?  Political affiliations, social action positions, and even allegiance to a particular sports team might work against you in some cases.  Again, such public proclamations of personal information can be the tipping point when a company is making a hiring decision. 

 

Is it fair that employment judgments may be colored with information gleaned from such peripheral sources as personal internet sites, e-mail labels and even your car?  Maybe not.  Nonetheless, such data is in the public domain and it can divert attention from your skills and accomplishments.  Employers try to get as complete a picture of a potential new hire as possible,  so be sure that the elements of the image that you can control are flattering and in keeping with professional standards.