A heavily tattooed woman recently vented online after TJ Maxx rejected her for a retail position at one of its stores. Instead of offering support, the online community gave her a dose of reality, suggesting that “facial piercings and tattoos” can be “career enders,” making her “unemployable.”
Ash Putnam, who goes by the online handle ashxobrien, recently took to TikTok to complain that TJ Maxx rejected her application for a retail job.
“I applied to TJ Maxx a few weeks ago and they denied my application,” the 24-year-old said in a TikTok clip that has been viewed more than 7 million times. “They couldn’t even call me. They just sent me some automated email.”
Looking for clarity, Putnam—who has visible tattoos covering her face and body, along with multiple facial piercings—said she decided to speak directly with the hiring manager.
“So, I went in today and asked, ‘What was the reason I didn’t get hired?’ And she said, ‘Oh, you just don’t have enough experience. There were candidates with more experience than you,’” the young woman explained.
“I asked her if it was because of my tattoos. Obviously, a lot of places don’t like tattoos. She said that wasn’t the reason. I don’t feel like that’s true, but whatever. I’ll leave it at that.”
‘Doesn’t make sense’
Hoping to get insight from her audience, Putnam asked in her video, “I’m just wondering how teenagers and young adults who haven’t had a job before are supposed to get employed.”
“How are they supposed to get a job if these places are only hiring based on experience? It just doesn’t make any sense to me.”
Before ending the clip, she asked her followers to share their own experiences and any obstacles they’ve faced while job hunting.
“I want to see if I’m the only person dealing with this right now. I hate that my tattoos have become such a defining factor in whether I get a job or not,” Putnam added. “Just because I have tattoos doesn’t mean I wouldn’t be a good worker.”
‘Unemployable’
Her story resonated with many viewers, sparking a wave of comments with mixed opinions.
“Maybe it’s the demon spider??” one user wrote, referring to the prominent tattoo stretching from her neck to her lower cheeks.
“You could be a bartender, tattoo artist, an extra in a prison movie, bassist for Motley Crue,” joked another TikToker, while a third simply commented: “Unemployable.”
Others suggested it wasn’t the tattoos themselves, but their placement. “There’s a reason tattoo artists call face tattoos career enders,” one user wrote. Another added, “I don’t think it’s because you have tattoos…I think it’s WHERE you have them.” A third said, “I have tattoos everywhere but my face…but I can get a job anywhere. Be real.”
Offering professional insight, one commenter wrote, “HR supervisor here. There is no way any company would put you in a customer-facing role like TJ Maxx.”
A former TJ Maxx hiring manager also weighed in: “I used to be a hiring manager for TJ Maxx, and I can tell you it’s the facial piercings and tattoos.”
‘Shows creativity’
Over the past decade, tattoos have become more widely accepted in the workplace. However, for individuals with extensive visible ink—like Putnam—the job search can still be challenging, especially for customer-facing roles.
If her body art was the reason she was rejected, Putnam told the Daily Star that companies need to reconsider their hiring standards.
“If they think tattoos determine job skills and qualifications, they really need to rethink that. Tattoos, piercings, and colored hair are not unprofessional. They show creativity and individuality…people need to get over not liking tattoos.”
If you were responsible for hiring, would you choose a candidate with visible tattoos and piercings? Share your thoughts and pass this story along to get the conversation going.
