uuuhhh...
did somebody write this as a joke?
yeah im pretty sure there are tons of people in EVERY SINGLE profession
that have full/half sleeves and more on their body and that has never been an
issue.first of all teachers tend to wear long sleeve shirts and a tie.
second,doctors wear scrubs w/a long sleeve shirt underneath plus a doctors coat
over all that.if you were to become a real estate agent your probably wearing a suit.
the color of your skin whether it is inked or not should never stand in the way of
getting into your desired profession.

most people I know who are heavily tattooed wear long-sleeved shirts. but, then again, I live in Britain & most people I know wear long-sleeved shirts anyway. I hope you don't live in a hot climate.

"the color of your skin whether it is inked or not should never stand in the way of getting into your desired profession."

you're absolutley right. thank you.

and this is not a joke....

good luck w/the tattoo.
im sure you will get any job you want regardless of your tattoos.

what is a respected job anyway? being a doctor? lets be honest, is that your passion? if it is, then you're going to find a way to make it work. my chiropractor has tattoos and he's doing just fine. my buddy keith is full sleeves and torso and he's a high school english teacher. it works out. but seriously, most people aren't going to work in these fields but are scared of not being able to get these 'respected' jobs that they don't really want anyway. whats your passion? if tattoos are a passion of yours, then i'll bet whatever career your real passion is just happens to accept tattooed people. you just might not know it yet but shit usually lines up that way.
me, i don't mind getting some shit and being a trailblazer and helping stretch peoples perceptions of what a 'decent' person is. i'm heavily tattooed and have a career i love as a hairstylist and people in my chair misjudge me all the time, but by the time i'm done with their hair and they've gotten to talk to me for an hour they always say something along the lines of 'you know, you're a gentleman in disguise' or some shit like that because i've helped broaden the horizons for future generations of tattooed people to be accepted by soccer moms and desperate housewives and such. AND i'm a christian (albeit a liberal one) you can just imagine the amount of shit i get being heavily tattooed in church. but you know what? people like us have a responsibility to open other people's eyes. there's your courage.

thanks dude. you've helped a lot. i think all i need is time to think now.

i have sleeves, but if i wore a regular shirt no one would know.

infact my mom doesnt even know, i just dont need that shit in my life right now lol

in this day and age, if a profession can't look past some ink to see that you really are the best person for the job, then you probably shouldn't be working there. in the past there have been jobs that i know i didn't get because of the way i look(ed) (unnaturally coloured hair, facial piercings, tattoos) and it really bothered me at the time, but looking back on it i'm relieved i didn't end up at any of those places. now, i'm working in a highly unionized profession, i make good money, have great benefits, like my job, and they don't give a shit about what i look like because i do the job well.

I'm a surgeon, and I have a sleeve tattoo. First of all, to correct a previous post we do NOT wear long sleeves in the OR, just short sleeve scrub tops. No one seems to have a problem with them, because I do a good job and respect my companions. With patients, they don't even mind. A lot of them comment on how "cool" it looks. Again, I believe it is because I treat them with respect and do a damn good job.

On the other hand, in the office and at work I am able to cover them up with dress shirts and lab coats. I would not recommend getting a face/neck tattoo if you truly want to be a professional. By the way, its not the profession that makes it respected, its the person. So if your community is open and welcoming, then tattoo away. If it is frowned upon, think long and hard. Here in NYC almost every other person has some form of body art.

Hey, I think sleeves are sweet, but I must humbly disagree with the previous comment. No,
he/she isn't joking, and you are, unfortunately, terribly, terribly wrong. While it is not
guaranteed that tattoos on the arms can keep you from getting a job, it is a serious concern,
especially in the medical field. I myself am a nursing major, and I can tell you from experience that if I were to have any tattoos on the lower arms or hands, there is a good
chance that I would be refused the internships I have applied for. If there are enough candidates for a position, it doesn't matter if you cover them up or not. Often times the more estute and respectable hospitals discourage piercings or tattoos of any kind, and have actually fired people for getting tattoos.
Let there be no misunderstanding: I would LOVE to be able to get sleeves.
But the reality is that many employers frown upon them. Even if there is no set rule about them, many employers make unfair generalizations and assumptions about heavily tattooed people.
SO if you REALLY want sleeves, I would suggest contacting possible future employers ahead of time about their policies. If they only require that you wear a long sleeve shirt, go for it! But just make sure you're ready for a big fat NO from some employers. I hope I was helpful!
-KoiBoi

Oh and one more thingy,
I just read the comment by the Surgeon, so I may have to retract a few of my statements. I DO know that, at least in the Philadelphia region, tattoos are generally frowned upon in hospitals. Also keep in mind that the surgeon is in fact a surgeon, and would have less patient interaction (though they have a lot!) than a nurse or xray tech would. It's possible that, since most of their time with the patient is spent when the patient is unconscious, that the regulations could be different.
Thanks for your enlightening input, Surgeon!
-KoiBoi

And dammit I forgot something!
Good luck with your sleeves!
Post pics when they're done!
-Koi Boi (yet again)

so i decided it was also time for me to chime in on this one.. i think if you are asking this question.. you shouldn't get sleeves.. it sounds to me like you'd regret it at this point..

next.. in the latest issue of inked there is a doctor who has full sleeves and he answers the question..

next.. i think personally it's the tattoos subject matter that would effect things.. not the tattoos themselves.. for instance.. if i were getting being served a beer.. i wouldn't think twice about the bartender having a pirate ship or a koi fish or something covering his arm.. but if he had a the words "kill all the fags" running down his arm... i'd probably get up and go somewhere else..i know that is an extreme example.. but i wanted to make a point.. i think as long as you don't get any offensive tattoos.. you are ok.. i think as a general rule.. you shouldn't get anything racist, sexist, or perhaps overly violent.. the violent one is an iffy.. say if you were teaching a kidergarten class.. you wouldn't want to have a zombie with blood pouring out it's mouth.. but you would probably be loved by the kids if you had an elmo tattoo.

Your profession shouldnt really matter. The tattoos can be covered up easily with long sleeves. A friend is CEO of a bank and you wouldnt know it

this got me thinking.. i watched a documentary on the hell's angels and they were saying how their members are everywhere they are ceo's and on wallstreet and bigtime lawyers and whatnot and you'd never know till you see a devil tail peeking out of a shirt collar or something to that effect..

so basically just be careful about getting shit on your neck and hands and whatnot.