We'll call him Bill since on TV, and in the movies, they always say they changed the name to protect the innocent, which I am not exactly sure what that means.
But here I was at a recent industry event, and as the clock was winding down, a younger man walked up to me to identify himself as a chemist and someone who had written a white paper for FinishingAndCoating.com several years earlier.
My mind is somewhat fuzzy on exactly how the conversation went — since I had a few lemonades that evening and the hour was late — but he told the story of working at a previous industry chemical supplier and being approached by his supervisor. The man encouraged Bill to write a white paper on a recent research trial they had completed for a customer, and the supervisor thought it was worthy of a white paper, which I always agree it certainly is.
Bill explained that he had never truly attempted to write a paper for a technical journal like FinishingAndCoating.com, but he recalls pledging to his boss that he would give it a shot.
Bill worked on the piece, and despite being on the short side as far as word count went, he nailed the technical brief on the nail of the head. I recalled getting the paper from his supervisor and reading over it; anytime my dumb brain can learn a thing or two about the technical aspects of the finishing industry, I am always impressed. Bill's paper was short, and to the point, with a few great takeaways, so we published it in one of our early editions several years back.
Bill says he found himself amid a corporate takeover and restructuring and was essentially out of a job. While he was applying to various companies in his city, one of the job postings particularly struck him as a great opportunity, and he applied.
Weeks passed, and he heard nothing; finally, he received a call from the hiring manager who — surprise, surprise — told him that he had read over his resume and saw the reference to the white paper he had written, and lo and behold, recalled reading it. Bill interviewed and got the job, and let's assume for a minute that it was because he was a published author at FinishingAndCoating.com. First and foremost, Bill had chops and a resume worthy of his skills.
But something makes me perk up when I hear about stories like this, where one person is recognized for something they have published in an industry journal. I have asked people in the industry—both veterans and rookies—so many times about putting their research to paper and sharing their insight. Many people just say they have no time, and I get that time is valuable.
But when you all are retired and gone from this industry, will you have left a lasting impression? Will you have presented your body of work for others to read and learn from? Will you have engrained yourself in the industry that feeds your family and gives back through participation?
Bill wrote a white paper on a technical project he was working on and then shared the results as best he could without giving away proprietary information. It's easier said than done, but it can be accomplished. I checked the stats for Bill's article last week, and he has over 3,000+ reads of the article, which is a big number.
Perhaps one of the people who read your white paper might be a hiring manager for the next job you apply for or even a potential customer. There is still time to leave that lasting impression.
Tim Pennington is Editor-in-Chief of Finishing and Coating, and has covered the industry since 2010. He has traveled extensively throughout North America visiting shops and production facilities, and meeting those who work in the industry. Tim began his career in the newspaper industry, then wound itself between the sports field with the PGA Tour and marketing and communications firms, and finally back into the publishing world in the finishing and coating sector. If you want to reach Tim, just go 
