A few weeks ago, I gently broke him the news, and I was a little worried, because I know my dad.

“Dad, brace yourself. I want to get a nose-ring.”

And then I heard it: a bit of a lecture from my conservative and concerned father.

For us college students, piercings and tattoos are such a part of our culture: to not have any is almost abnormal! It’s so normal, in fact, that for the majority of us a few tasteful piercings and tattoos don’t send any negative messages.

But as for my dad – who is in his early 40s – tattoos and even nose-rings are an offensive form of self-expression.

Here’s an excerpt from our conversation:

Me: “Oh my gosh, why are you freaking out, Dad?”

Dad: “No. No. Why on earth would you want to do that? Girls who do that are just drawing attention to themselves. It appears as though they are trying to make up for the fact that they aren’t pretty.”

Me: “What?! Dad, seriously, it would look so cute. Just a teeny-tiny little post? It would look classy on me.”

Dad: “No (vehemently shaking his head), I really don’t like them.”

For most of my generation, my dad’s opinions sound ridiculous. Seriously, they are the negative connotations that used to be associated with all that is now archaic and outdated.

Is there any shred of truth in them? To be honest, I think there is. As much as I like piercings and tattoos – and have no problem with them at all – I think it’s important to acknowledge that our parents’ generation has a slightly different opinion of this “artistic expression.”

I mean, these are the opinions of people who will be hiring us when we leave school, and, yeah, it’s annoying, but not everybody is going to be a fan of that rod in your eyebrow.

I remember having a conversation a long time ago with my dad about (what else?) a boy – a very cute one – with 20-plus tattoos as well as plugs, and he said,

“Oh! You’re talking about that guy with the big ol’ African earrings?”

“Yep.” Oh my.

Our parent’s generation clearly perceives what we consider artistic as somewhat disrespectful and rebellious. They will formulate judgments about your character that might not be so positive, or even accurate, when they see your body art.

At my dad’s workplace, they have an unwritten policy of refusing to hire employees that have visible tattoos. It is still all too common for employers to insist that you take out any facial piercings, or cover them with a band-aid – always an attractive option.

So, yeah, it might be fun and trendy now, but down the road those insane sleeves might not be the best way to arm yourself for success on your career path.

Consider not only what your peers think is acceptable, but what older generations think as well. Project a positive image, one that will get you hired! Even if you’ve got great skills, don’t put yourself at a disadvantage.

Ask yourself those “what if?” questions.

“What if I have kids someday? Will I really want that big ankle tattoo then?”

“What if my nose ring doesn’t heal properly, and starts growing cartilage?” Sick.

Since I tend to be a fan of a relatively clean-cut image, it’s perhaps a little easier for me to understand the viewpoint of my parent’s generation.

But, you should attempt to understand it too, because in a couple of years (or less!) you will be sitting across from them in the interview chair.

– Amanda Rappe is an Oregon State U. junior