Anyone who has ever been rejected from a job has probably wondered what caused the rejection. Was it a lack of skills, how you presented yourself, or something else?
Ash Putnam, 23, recently didn’t get a job at TJ Maxx and shared her experience on TikTok, where her video quickly went viral.
Her video has since gained more than seven million views and thousands of comments. As Ash, who is covered in tattoos, wondered how young people could get an entry-level job, many people in the comments agreed on one thing.
In her viral TikTok, Ash explained that she applied for a job at TJ Maxx and received an automatic rejection email “a few weeks” later.
“They couldn’t even call me, they just sent me some automated email.”
Feeling frustrated with the response, Ash decided to visit the store where she applied and spoke to the employees.
“I went in today and was like, ‘So what was the reason I didn’t get hired?’” Ash said. “She told me I didn’t have enough experience and that there were candidates with more experience than me.”
Ash then asked if her tattoos were the reason for the rejection. “I know some places don’t like tattoos,” she said. The employee told her that wasn’t the reason, but Ash wasn’t convinced. “I don’t feel like that’s true, but whatever. I’ll leave it at that.”
Ash added, “Just because I have tattoos doesn’t mean I wouldn’t be a good worker. I don’t understand that at all. Honestly, some of the smartest, most intelligent people I’ve met have tattoos and piercings.”
Although Ash Putnam, who works for Uber Eats, never got a clear answer from TJ Maxx, many people on TikTok seemed to agree on the real reason she was rejected.
One person commented, “Tattooer here, it’s probably the tattoos.”
Another said, “HR supervisor here. There is no way any company would put you in front of customers like TJ Maxx.”
One commenter who claimed to have worked at TJ Maxx shared, “I worked at TJ Maxx and they will hire just about anyone that comes off the street. It’s definitely the tattoos and piercings.”
Another person added, “I don’t think it’s because you have tattoos…I think it’s WHERE you have tattoos.”
Putnam also believes her tattoos may be the reason for the rejection.
“I absolutely do think it’s about my tattoos because apparently my tattoos are demonic and scary to a lot of people,” she told the Daily Star.
Although TJ Maxx never directly told her this, she said, “That’s just a lot of the comments I’ve gotten on my video. People are being extremely hateful on my TikTok, saying I should work at a circus or Halloween stores.”
Even if her body art was the reason she didn’t get the job, Putnam feels companies need to rethink their hiring approach.
“If they think tattoos determine job skills and qualifications, they really need to rethink. Tattoos, piercings, and colored hair are not unprofessional. It shows creativity and uniqueness. It’s 2024, people need to get over not liking tattoos.”