As an employer, are you influenced towards or against a candidate that sports a tattoo? Do you have one yourself? Do you think particular sectors are less likely to favour this form of body decoration more than others? The answer is yes - but can you guess which sectors?

A survey of employers run in the US by career information provider Vault found that 58% said that they would be less likely to hire someone with visible tattoos or body piercings. If a candidates' body art was concealed, 72% of employers said it would have no effect on their recruitment decisions.

But what do candidates' think? From a survey of 500 employees and managers it was found that 80% felt that inking an arm or piercing an eyebrow could hurt their chances of getting a job. Although four in 10 respondents said that they had a tattoo of their own.

Tattoos were considered career killers particularly in law, financial services, health and politics. So the message seems to be - if you have body art - keep it to yourself.