Aussie jobseekers warned of 'complete fallacy' after young woman rejected: 'Bosses don't like it'

A woman believes her job application at a US retail store was rejected because of her tattoos and piercings.

Ash Putnam recently received an automated email from TJ Maxx informing her that her application wasn't successful. She went into her local store to get more information about the rejection and was told it was because other candidates had more experience than her. But she reckons it's because of her body art and "hates" that they are "such a defining factor" for her getting a job.

But Australian recruitment expert Graham Wynn told Yahoo Finance that employers across the world really don't like this type of personal expression.

Have you been rejected from a job because of how you look? Email stew.perrie@yahooinc.com

"If you're going for any sort of corporate kind of role, companies still do not like to see visible tattoos and piercings," he said.

"They just don't like it. They don't think it's professional. I think people are sometimes intimidated by it."

He said some retail and hospitality jobs might accept tattoos or piercings, however it really depends on what is on the person's body.

11 piercings on job candidate's face

Putnam has 11 piercings alone on her face (not including the ones on her ears) and a variety of tattoos across her whole body. There's a spider design that is visible on her neck, with the arachnid's legs extending up to either side of her mouth, as well as a few others on her forehead and cheek.

The 23-year-old was told by a worker at TJ Maxx these aspects of her body weren't a factor in her being rejected for the job. But she was frustrated that they could be barriers to her getting a job elsewhere.

"Just because I have tattoos doesn't mean I'm not going to be a good worker," she said in a video.

"Like, I just I do not understand that at all. Because quite literally some of the most smart, intelligent people I've ever met are people with tattoos and piercings."

She also asked how young jobseekers are getting by when loads of companies ask for experience, especially for entry-level positions.

Wynn suggested candidates with visible piercings or tattoos should try to cover them up if they're going for a job interview.

He revealed recruiters and hiring managers find facial piercings to be worse than tattoos when it comes to employing people.

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How important is presentation to employers?

The recruitment expert explained jobseekers have a 20-30 second window to make an impression during an interview and you don't want an employer spending that examining your tattoos or piercings.

"The argument that, 'It shouldn't matter how I present', that's a complete fallacy. It still matters whether we like it or not, how you present in interviews still matters," he told Yahoo Finance.

In a follow-up video, Putnam said she knew her face tattoos and piercings would make it a bit more difficult to get a job, however she was surprised that it would still be an issue in a retail setting.

"When these places are only paying minimum wage, I don't feel like they should have the right to be super picky about how people look," she said.

Some people said her body art could be intimidating to customers and could even scare some shoppers. But she said that's their problem, not hers.

"I get it, not everyone's going to like my tattoos, it's not for everyone. But I shouldn't not be able to get a job because you don't like my tattoos

Her video has been viewed nearly nine million times and Putnam told Yahoo Finance no one has reached out to offer her a job yet.

Yahoo Finance reached out to TJ Maxx for comment but has not heard back.

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