sovereign:

I guess Im just scared that after all that time effort and money of getting my degree, I wont be able to get a job because of my lobes.

quinnn:

sovereign:

I guess Im just scared that after all that time effort and money of getting my degree, I wont be able to get a job because of my lobes.

I hate to break it to you, but you may not get a job even if you don't have pierced ears.  

It's true that no one is ever guaranteed a job, but when applying for most professional positions people are judged heavily upon how they look. In most business atmospheres I've come across, there isn't a snowflake's chance in hell that someone with large lobes would be hired. Just as a long haircut or poor grooming may eliminate an interviewee's chances at a job, so may stretched lobes. Much of corporate America is still very concerned with maintaining a conservative appearance. If the OP would like to take a chance at applying for a job with stretched lobes, by all means, that is their prerogative. On the flip side, I don't want to give the OP false hope that they may indeed get a high power conservative business position with any visible modifications. Depending upon the position that a person wants, sacrifices and compromises in appearance may be necessary.

I think it's an intelligent and thoughtful process to consider, surgery is a realistic possibility. I don't think having stretched lobes for a short period of time makes it any less of a fulfulling experience. As people grow and enter different stages of life, opinions of appearance presentation may change depending upon a variety of factors (family, work, aesthetics). It's a step in the right direction to at least consider correction measures should the day arrive when the OP must retire this modification.

 I use to be very self consious of my stretched earlobes in the workplace, and I work as a contractor for the Marine Corp.  When I first started out of college, back in 97' I would always ask at the interview if my plugs were ok.  They never once said no.  

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It comes down to the point where they will respect you for the good work you do and not how you are on the outside.

5t3vis:

It comes down to the point where they will respect you for the good work you do and not how you are on the outside.

Bear in mind also that tolerance can also be affected by need.  I work in a field in which finding talented, experienced people is not always easy... so I think my skills override any qualms employers may ever have with my visible mods.

I think factors are fluid.. and I hope the OP appreciates the range of responses.  Surgery may NOT be necessary.

Although I am very happy for the people who have had such tolerant employers and co-workers in the professional world, I have to agree with Axon. I am in the same general profession as quinnn and I was not so lucky. Before entering the teacher education program I was in, I needed more experience with urban (it was a program specifically geared towards this population) students so my advisor set me up with a teacher in an urban school to help out in the classroom. I wasn't expecting this and had just had gotten a vertical labret so I emailed this teacher, explained the situation and asked if it would be ok to wear this in the classroom and let her know that taking it out and letting it close was fine by me, but she said there was no need for that and it wouldn't be a problem. To my face she was pleasant and welcoming and I had noticed that several of the parents had facial piercings as well. I had a wonderful time in this classroom a learned a lot about the kids. The teacher agreed to write a letter of recommendation and said I worked very well with the students in a challenging classroom.

When my advisor met with me for the final interview for the program she said there was a problem. She told me that the teacher I had worked with (and had been so nice to me) was offended by my piercing and said the parents were bothered by it (no one said anything to me) and thought it gave me an unprofessional appearance. She also did not write me the letter of recommendation that she promised she would, which was a form to be sent directly to the school. I mean how passive/agressive was that?! So I had to basically plead my case with the advisor and show her the email where I had explained exactly what I had and asked if it would be a problem and the email where she said the piercing was fine. I also had to explain all the work I did with the kids in detail because apparently the teacher was not thorough enough in her report about what work I had actually done with the kids. My advisor let me in the program on the condition that I hide any and all mods while in the school. From then on I made SURE I hid any trace of a modification. There is a reason why I have never posted a picture showing my face on here or any other information that is specific enough to make me identifiable by a potential employer. Call me paranoid, but I would rather be safe than sorry.

When I was student teaching in a different district there was an intern in the school with several visible facial piercings and again everyone was sweet to her and some even asked questions, but when she wasn't around they commented on them and said they were "gross" and talked about how they hoped she wasn't expecting to get a job looking like that. I actually think piercings (including stretched lobes) are looked down upon more than small tattoos. I have seen a few teachers with little ankle or shoulder blade tattoos, but they even warned me to keep mine hidden until I had a teaching position and told me each school is different on their views on tattoos.

I have asked schools how many certified elementary classroom teacher applicants have applied to a position and the numbers are around 100 applicants per position that have been deemed qualified by the school board (meaning they are certified, filled out the app and have letters of reference and college transcripts and all that jazz) for urban schools and around 300 for suburban schools. Now when the competition is that stiff they are looking for just about any reason to eliminate you from consideration. Show up for an interview with 5/8" lobes? Forget it. They've got 11 other articulate, educated, experienced and qualified candidates with an interview and about 90-290 back-ups. Adwoa hit it on the head when she said "tolerance can also be affected by need".

Sorry for the looooong post, but I just wanted to share both my personal and "fly on the wall" experiences with mods in the professional world. Again I am really happy for everyone that has had a positive experience and I am not trying to say it is impossible, or even hard to find acceptance. However, like Axon said it is important to not give him what may be a false hope that he will be as lucky with his experience. I don't know if it's my locality, chosen profession or just bad luck but I am a case where piercings are not accepted and if he were in my shoes surgery would be a necessity as 5/8 lobes would not be an option no matter how well he can do his job.

 I hear you Sway.. but it also sounds like you deal with an inordinate amount of assholes.  Sorry.

It definately depends on your location. I've been working in the corporate world with large lobes for three years or so, and it's never been a problem for me in San Francisco or Oregon (which I realize are probably not like the rest of the country). I noticed you're in Washington; I live in Portland, and work for Microsoft. Noone here minds in the least, as long I do my job and dress professionally. I interviewed like craaaaaazy to get a job up here, wearing plain black plugs, and none of the companies I interviewed with had any problems with 'em. I'm not in the same profession as you, but I'd try de-emphasizing or downsizing before turning to surgery.

you mention how much you've invested in school, but i bet youve invested alot in your ears too (time and money)!  I agree with the suggestion to downsize as much as possible.  You'd be surprised how much your lobes will shrink after some time. 

I have a few questions. Do you work in a school (like elementary, middle, high or something else), and what do you do/teach?

Thanks in advance! 

 I had one of my ears cut and sewn back up because I got in a fight and it tore almost in half.

Brian Decker (NY) did it for me, so there was anesthetic. Basically if you go to someone who is in the field of piercing/scars/etc, it's pretty touch and go as to whether or not it'll be frozen. If you go to a plastic surgeon, there will definitely be freezing.

Healing wasn't that big of a deal, and it was pretty much good to go in about three weeks. I have very minor scarring considering. I'd recommend it if it's what you have to do, but downsizing is also an option, as mentioned. Or you could do both.

Anyway, just saying rock on for going for it anyway and not using the OH I WANT A JOB LATER as an excuse. 

 I totally agree about "it depends of the location". Being from Québec, I once met a lawyer with 2" stretchs, a doctor with snakebites and that one joining the both nostrils with a ring, i forgot the name (but he pulled them off for work, off course) and my own college teacher had a magnificent mountain-shaped scar on her shoulder (visible by the neck of her shirts). Personally, when in interview, I've always been asked to simply put some "plain" jewels (plain as not noticeable or fancy) while working. Excepted on restaurants evidently, I would have to take them off.

 I would suggest you to strech way under 5/8, and wait to get a job. Maybe at 0, nobody will say anything and after doing your proofs, you can stretch bigger without concern.