Job Discussion Forums

hlamb · Joined: 09 Dec 2003 Posts: 431 Location: Canada

I knew a woman once who worked as a secretary for a bus company in Canada. She threw resumes into the garbage if the applicant had any piercings or obvious tattoos. She told me it saved everyone some effort because her boss would not hire those people. There are so many factors involved in hiring that it is very hard to prove discrimination in a case like this.

M@tt · Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Posts: 473 Location: here and there

i'm pretty sure that HR's job is to discriminate--between people they want working for them and people they don't. in many cases i think a piercing would be legitimate reason for them not to hire.

either way, i think in DF (which is the only place i can speak for even a little bit), businesses are conservative and would frown on facial piercings on a teacher. the type of place that might not mind would also probably be bottom of the ladder in terms of working conditions.

dixie · Joined: 23 Apr 2006 Posts: 644 Location: D.F

I'm currently in D.F working as a grade 4 English teacher. I have 9 piercings in my ears (4 in one, 5 the other). I also have a nose stud and a belly ring (however, that that one is never shown..obviously!) When I was interviewed in Canada...the owner said I would have to take them out. I don't like that...but it wasn't worth NOT getting the job over. However, I got here, started working with all in...and nothing has ever been said to me! Granted..the owner has only been at the school on several occassions as there are 4 campuses in the city and he works out of one in the North, but his mom (who originally started the place) is there twice a week as well as other admin staff. So, I can happily say that I have been accepted...piercings and all.

HOWEVER...when I worked in Torreon, I had to remove my nose stud for work (the ones in my ears were okay) and I know that one of the teachers who worked there the year after I left, also had to do the same thing. SO really, I think it depends on presentation (the rest of your 'look'), the size of the piercings and the school/people who you are working for.

Personally...I would leave it in for an interview and see what is said.

MELEE · Posted: Thu Nov 09, 2006 3:26 pm Post subject:

To the OP

Yesterday I gave a speaking exam to a student, well to many many students actually, I was at it all day. But there was this one student. He's a student of mine, he's in my classroom every day, but its a larger class, about 30 students. So he's in my office and I'm asking him boring questions about his daily routine (this is a level one class) and at one point he tips his head back to think, and the light reflects off something in his eyebrow. It's a piercing. One of those very small bar type ones and its black. He's has fairly dark skin and bushy black eyebrows. This was the perfect compromise piercing. In a room of 30 people no one would notice it. When he's off campus, he can change it if he wants. He doesn't need to take it out, and the admin probably has no idea that its there. Now it may be harder for a light skinned person to find one that will blend in, but its worth a try.

J Sevigny · Joined: 26 Feb 2006 Posts: 161

I grew up in Miami and New York. I assumed everyone understood we were talking about non-conventional piercings -- eyebrows, lips and the like. Of course, lots of nuns and toll collectors have pierced ears. Not many have eyebrow piercings.

My point was, and I'll make it again, that facial piercings are rare in the educational world and in the professional world at large. I think anyone over the age of 18 should understand what is meant by professional dress and should know that teachers are generally expected to comply with it.

Again, this is not to criticize anyone's fashion preferences. The general rule of thumb, I think, is wear what you want on your own time. Companies and schools, however, do have rules.

tonydicer · Joined: 03 Mar 2005 Posts: 81 Location: Monterrey, Mexico

You may look like you just walked off the street

ls650 · Joined: 10 May 2003 Posts: 3484 Location: British Columbia

delacosta · Joined: 14 Apr 2004 Posts: 325 Location: zipolte beach

ls650 · Joined: 10 May 2003 Posts: 3484 Location: British Columbia

Probably that's one of the reasons I don't run a business... To me that is petty whining. Cool

MELEE · Posted: Wed Nov 15, 2006 1:02 am Post subject:

Samantha · Joined: 25 Oct 2003 Posts: 2038 Location: Mexican Riviera

I took issue, but chose not to respond....Proud of myself Wink

delacosta · Joined: 14 Apr 2004 Posts: 325 Location: zipolte beach

Nor I. I'm purty sure that guy lives under a bridge, comes out once in a while and sees who he can snag.

Guy Courchesne · Joined: 10 Mar 2003 Posts: 9650 Location: Mexico City

Credit where credit's due...the post was multi-syllabic. New and improved trolling.

TEFL anonymous · Joined: 19 Feb 2007 Posts: 22 Location: Tampico, Mexico

I agree that it depends on the general appearance of the teacher. I think that sometimes there can be negative connotations for people with visible piercings; but in my experience if you're discreet then there's rarely a problem.

I've worked in various countries in businesses, language schools and a convent, with a nose piercing, 3 studs in each ear and two tongue bars. I've always bought the issue up with new employers and have never had a problem because I have small studs in my nose and ears and I put clear balls on my tongue piercings to make them less visible.

I'd take out everything but my tongue piercings during work - they close up in an hour and I do what I can to camouflage them... There's always an employer who can see beyond the lump of metal that you've chosen to stick through your skin and see what your actual teaching skills are!