Manager/Body Piercing Artist 

(Female, Age 27) from Fairfield, VA

This is a REAL-LIFE job profile written by a Female aged 27 who works as a Manager/Body Piercing Artist in Fairfield, VA. We have removed all names and personal information in order to protect privacy. This professional kindly spent a bit of their time to complete one of our job profile surveys so that prospective job seekers like you could read their insights. Please excuse any punctuation or grammatical errors in this profile.

At a Glance

Current Job

Basic data on your current job

Job Title Manager/Body Piercing Artist
Salary $14,400
Other Compensation None Set
Hours/Week
Company Size (not answered)
Location Fairfield, VA
Years Experience 2 years

Career Ratings

Opinions on your CAREER overall (i.e. not just your current job)

Years in Career 0
Education (not answered)
Income Rating 0 / 10
Interest Rating 0 / 10
Work-Life Rating 0 / 10
Fulfilment Rating 0 / 10

Current job Q&A

Describe the type of organization you work for.
I work in a tattoo/body piercing studio (privately-owned). There are 3 tattoo artists (including the owner) and myself, as well as a part-time janitor and a financial manager (6 people total). It’s only 1 building (commercial property).

Describe your job role and responsibilities.
Answer phones, make appointments, perform piercings and jewelry-changing procedures, perform piercing repairs, advertise, clean, order jewelry and supplies, etc.

Please list an additional benefits (beyond compensation) that you receive.
N/A (take off as-needed; no paid time)

Do you feel you are under/over or well/fairly compensated at your current position?
Well-compensated.

Does your job entail you working with others on a daily basis? Is this something you like/dislike about your job? Please explain.
Yes; I deal with hundreds of clients a week. I really enjoy working with people and coming up with creative solutions to problems they may have.

Do you work collaboratively with supervisors/managers?
Yes

Do you work collaboratively with your co-workers?
Yes

Describe your work location (e.g., office, home, theatre, in the field) and what you like/dislike about working in it.
A commercial-property building, 2 story. I like having the space; I have my own piercing room/office with plenty of personal storage space, as well as free-rein to decorate.

Please rate each of the following aspects of your current job on a scale of 1-10 (10 being the highest/best):
Income: 4
Benefits: 8
Hours: 6
Co-Workers: 3
Supervisors: 2
Job Title: 7
Level of Responsibility: 5
The Actual Work: 1

Table of Contents

How you got your job

How did you get your current job?
I came into the shop with a friend for a piercing, and found out they were looking for a female piercing apprentice.

What was the application process?
Interview with the owner and manager, trial period of several weeks.

Did you have to interview for your current job? If yes, what did the interview process entail?
I interviewed by myself with the owner, and then together with the owner and the manager. They mainly asked personal questions to see if I’d be a good fit for the shop, since our team dynamic is more like that of a family than a group of co-workers; it was necessary to get along on a personal level with everyone.

If you can remember, what questions were you asked during the interview?
My personal interests, my past work experience, how I deal with troublesome customers, my family life, criminal record and drug abuse history, etc.

Do you feel your employer properly prepared you for your job? Explain.
Yes. He spent many, many hours training me and explaining things in detail. He also paid for my additional (first-aid) training.

Was there training for your current position? If yes, what did it entail?
Yes. I apprenticed for more than a year to a Master Piercer (my boss, the owner). I also took a Certified First Aid and CPR Course, and completed Blood-Borne Pathogen Training.

Do you feel your educational background prepared you for your job? Explain.
My Bachelor’s Degree in Spanish gave me the skills to communicate with Spanish-speaking clients.

If applicable, do you feel your internship experience helped you prepare for your job?
Yes, definitely. I could not be a Body Piercing Artist without completing an apprenticeship.

If someone wanted to go about getting a job similar to yours, what would you recommend for him or her to do?
Ask at body mod. studios to see if they’re hiring apprentices.

What skills do you think a person should have if they want to pursue a position like yours?
Good people skills, artistic/creative passion, steady hands.

Do you feel that you need a certain level of education or training to be successful in your job?
Yes, definitely.

What advice would you give to someone who was about to start work in your position/ line of work?
It’s not something you should do unless you absolutely love it; the money isn’t that good, and business can be inconsistent.

Long-term career plans

Is your current employment part of your overall career plan? Why or why not?
Yes. I plan to make a career out of body modification; it’s the best job I’ve ever had. I LOVE it!

What are your current career goals?
I want to travel to other countries to learn from other Master Piercers. I want to become a Master Piercer myself one day, and I want to become licensed in Scarification as well.

Is there anything else you would like to share about your career?
It’s not for everybody, but it’s very rewarding.

Prior work history

Please list your most recent jobs prior to this current job:

Title Length Salary Description
Prior Job 1 Address Canvasser 2 months $13/hr. classified (government work)
Prior Job 2 Housekeeping Supervisor 3 years $8/hr. Cleaning hotel rooms, supervising Housekeepers, inventorying supplies.

Educational background

Please list your educational background:

High School GPA:3.156

GPA School Degree
College (Undergraduate)
or Technical/Vocational
3.2 Mary Baldwin College Spanish, BA Degree
Graduate or Professional
(Masters or Doctorate)

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