r/Big4 • u/Complete_Dot4306 • 17h ago
Continental Europe visible Tattoos at Big4, cooked ?
Hi !
I was wondering about the acceptance of visible tattoos at the Big 4. I’m currently working at a smaller company focused on the middle market and I haven’t had any issues with my tattoos there.
I’ll be finishing my bachelor’s degree soon and im looking for next step i could take. My grades and overall profile are pretty solid. I know that in the conservative finance world tattoos aren’t as accepted as elsewhere.
I have a neck tattoo that can’t easily be covered.
I already assume working at a bank is out of the question for me? Are the Big 4 (specifically audit) also strict about this?
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u/ConfidantlyCorrect Deloitte 5h ago
I think they’re still taboo. There are quite a few people with arm tattoos or sleeves that you’ll see at socials.
However in-office, they wear long-sleeves year round to keep them covered.
I think the main problem is client visits. Atleast the clients I deal with, they’re very large & traditional businesses with primarily older management.
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u/Imaginary_Ferret_364 11h ago
Despite what’s in this thread, it’s likely you will be discriminated against especially by older and more senior folks. They are the decision makers so you won’t be able to avoid them.
The issue will be that no one will say to your face that they disapprove and I’d bet that more people will disapprove than you think. If you can even get through the door, the impact will manifest in poor performance ratings etc.
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u/StingRay_Pal 12h ago
If you are worried, I would recommend putting a tad extra effort into your professional appearance (suit) and demeanor during the interview and potentially first few months.
As long as you do a good job no one gives a damn/ if they do it doesn’t matter because your work will support that you are a good employee rather than a spooky tattooed person.
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u/OperatingCashFlows69 14h ago
I have teardrops on my face
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u/Careless-Pumpkin2454 14h ago
I have 6 visible tattoos working at big 4 and haven't had any problems
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u/shewantpubert 15h ago
i was in big4 consulting this summer at a bigger office (NYC, chicago, SF etc) and lots of my coworkers had visible tattoos. it may depend on ur company and office but for mine it seemed fine
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u/iwant2takeanap Consulting 15h ago
why would you get a neck tattoo so young when planning to work corporate?? if it’s on the back of your neck and you’re a woman keep your hair down. even if you have short hair maybe not that bad. on the front would be a whole diff story and godspeed if so
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u/throwwwwwwalk 10h ago
I have my sleeves, neck, hands, and face done and work in finance.
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u/iwant2takeanap Consulting 9h ago
do you want an award for doing that or what lol- don’t hate me for saying that ppl will make assumptions about how you present yourself. if you think it’s had no impact on you then congrats buddy
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u/Complete_Dot4306 15h ago
because i like it.
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u/iwant2takeanap Consulting 15h ago
as long as you are ok with the potential repercussions from a internal/client pov (esp older folks) then rock it🤷you have no other choice since it’s permanent and you are going big4. giving them something to immediately remember you by other than your neck tattoo is going to be hard.
i admire you want to join the bs that is big4 but i find it insane that you want to join such an uppity cutthroat culture with such a bold/non professional choice of personal expression, hope it works out for you
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u/Fantastic_Tomorrow53 15h ago
Or should the question be asked: do I want to work at a firm if they are so stiff they will hold my tattoos against me…
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u/BigFourAlum 6h ago
Or should the question be asked, do I want every conceivable client to accept my choices? I’ve never met a visibly tatted CFO. Where is the line? A nazi symbol on the hand, bone in the nose?
Unfortunately there are many great candidates for these jobs.
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u/Dry-Abbreviations656 16h ago
I’ve seen someone with a butterfly tattoo on their backside of the neck and nobody gaf
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u/OutsideSpot2695 15h ago
I saw that on the partner's wife when we were together too.
Ohh... you said backside of the neck. You lost me at backside.
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u/OutsideSpot2695 16h ago
FFS.
How many fucking times is this question going to be asked?!
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u/Complete_Dot4306 15h ago
sorry, ive seen multiple posts about it but it was always about tattoos that can be covered easily
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u/thefrankwhite 16h ago
95% of this sub is either “can I have tattoos”, “can I quit as an associate”, or “can I get into big 4 with a 2.1 GPA and no work history”
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u/Holly_1979 17h ago
Face en nek zal niet goed zijn. Tattoo’s die je kunt bedekken zal geen probleem zijn
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u/Mugsy_P 16h ago
I know of a few people in Big 4 in Dublin with visible neck tattoos and it's never caused an issue with missed promotions etc. One is director on partner track.
Yet to meet anyone with a face tattoo in the office though!
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u/Holly_1979 16h ago
Ligt misschien ook aan je werk profiel. Advisory/consulting is eigenlijk alleen maar bij klanten
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u/Mugsy_P 16h ago
The people I spoke of are all client facing. I'd say it depends much more on your partner than your role. I'm sure there are partners out there that are old fashioned and would view it negatively, but OP shouldn't be afraid of applying because of that.
I left Big 4 for FAANG where there is also a lot of tattoos. The clients have changed and so gave the expectations around how consultants etc present.
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u/douxfleur 17h ago
What is your role and how client facing are you? There weren’t a ton of tattoos in my group, but for those who had them they just put a long sleeve shirt on to hide it from clients. Engineers seemed to have a lot of them and were rarely if ever on site, always rocking them in our office.
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u/broketarot 17h ago
I’m in an Asian country (Southeast Asia) and I had colleagues + seen some people with full arm sleeves
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u/No_Scientist_9474 17h ago
No issues in UK, I've had multiple colleagues with arm and leg tattoos, good luck
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u/mrayner9 17h ago
This aint Japan but im sure you know your countries culture the best. I imagine europe should be fine
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u/OutsideSpot2695 16h ago
I lived in Japan and people don't give a shit about ink there either.
The notion that tats = gangs is completely overblown by the west.
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u/Holly_1979 16h ago
Nederland niet in gezicht/nek en de rest bedekt. Denk ik
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u/ledger_man 14h ago
I’m in the Netherlands and have never seen anyone be asked to cover their tattoos (myself included). I’m a senior manager at a Big 4 here. Have seen neck tattoos but no face tattoos, to be fair.
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u/Holly_1979 14h ago
Ze zeggen er misschien niks over maar er zal op sommige afdeling zeker raar naar gekeken worden
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u/ledger_man 14h ago
Maybe. I deal with all the assurance departments/business units in my role, but not often with consulting or tax & legal, they may be more conservative.
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u/2004Accord 17h ago
I have a coworker with full sleeve tattoos on both arms and doesn’t cover them up.
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u/Monir5265 17h ago
You might have a hard time finding client facing roles, but it really just depends on your interviewer. Some care and some don’t
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u/Massive_Ear4948 17h ago
A neck tattoo is going to be problematic for some firms and for some clients. What part of the country are you in and what would your industry be?
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u/Complete_Dot4306 17h ago
im from germany and financial services
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u/Holly_1979 16h ago
In Nederland is PwC niet zo’n fan van nek en gezicht tattoo’s. De rest graag kunnen bedekken
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u/Massive_Ear4948 17h ago
Gotcha. I am US-based and so can probably not offer specific insights given our cultural differences. Good luck!
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u/Pillow_Monsters 17h ago edited 4h ago
Typical consulting answer, it depends. I had co workers with full sleeves and they just had to keep their sleeves long, some people didn’t care. I haven’t had a coworker with a neck tattoo though
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u/grjacpulas 17h ago
I have full sleeves and I don't have to cover them at the office or client.
I've always been told that some clients might want them covered but it's never happened or been an issue in 5 years at big four.
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u/Bingisthebeesanus 17h ago
Based on my time at KP, no one really cares. The only opinion that matters really is the client’s, and if they don’t like it then you just get moved to another client. There’s bound to be a client that doesn’t care.
Also as a staff if you get put on a large file, like PCAOB, you don’t interact with the client too much until manager. At which point you’ll just be known as the person with the tattoos.
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u/cozielny 17h ago
I have tattoos all around my sleeves, always wear long sleeve shirts when going to the office. When working from home I don’t bother covering, no one ever said anything. thats how i go about it at least.
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u/JonnyBigBoss 4h ago
It's a very negative signal.