How to Find a Job in the Finishing Industry

If you’re reading this column and you work in the finishing industry, you might have gotten a bit of a chuckle out of the title of this article. Like many industries, most finishers are short-staffed. How do you find a job? Just ask for one!

But if you talk to finishing operation owners, operations managers and plant managers, you quickly learn that the problem isn’t that simple. Hiring someone off the street may fill a position, but working in this industry requires a good amount of training. There is an investment on the part of the employer — and subsequently, many finishers are a bit wary of the potential employees they invest in.

Employment is a two-way street. The employer needs to invest in a good training program to build a skilled team, as well as build a positive work environment and good company culture that will provide the employee with more incentive to stay employed. At the same time, if you’re serious about seeking employment, there are plenty of ways to elevate your candidacy within this industry.

Free online education for finishers

A great place to start is by simply following industry trade publications such as Products Finishing. A few Google searches will yield plenty of helpful articles, blog posts, webinars and videos to help you learn more about the surface finishing industry. The various chemical and equipment suppliers serving the industry are constantly finding new ways to educate finishers about their products and their offerings are a great way to get plugged in to what’s going on in the industry.

Visit pfonline.com/articles to check out the latest issue of Products Finishing magazine and access our issue archive. You’ll find tons of informative articles covering all aspects of surface finishing. While you’re at it, subscribe to our weekly newsletter to stay up to date with the latest industry news, trends and innovations — visit pfonline.com/sub for more info.

Finishing industry training opportunities

Various associations associated with the different segments of the surface finishing community offer invaluable training courses.

The National Surface Finishing Association (NASF) offers a whole host of training courses covering electroplating topics. Through its AESF Educational Foundation, the NASF offers various learning platforms including classroom courses, web-based courses, and home study courses, all geared toward those working in, or aspiring to work in, the finishing industry. The AESF is regarded as the gold standard in finishing industry education and offers industry certifications including CEF (Certified Electroplater Finisher) and MSF (Master Surface Finisher).

You can learn more about training opportunities offered by the NASF by visiting nasf.org/education

The Powder Coating Institute (PCI) offers myriad training opportunities for those interested in working in the powder coating industry. You can learn about the Institute’s educational events and training opportunities by visiting powdercoating.org/events.

The Chemical Coaters Association International (CCAI) is another excellent source of information for those interested in working in the finishing industry. Through its Chemical Coaters Association International Finishing Education Foundation (CCAIFEF), a 501 (c)(3) tax-exempt charitable organization, the Association provides a wide variety of educational programming, events, online courses and scholarships aimed at fostering workforce initiatives within the finishing industry.

Visit ccaiweb.com to learn more.

Finishing industry job boards

Industry education should be an ongoing pursuit. Seek out the above opportunities, by all means — but if you’re ready to enter the surface finishing industry workforce, there’s never been a better time to start than now. Finishing operations across the country are in need of good workers in a range of positions from engineers and technicians to sales and marketing professionals.  

Searching finishing industry job boards — such as Products Finishing’s board at jobs.pfonline.com/ — will yield numerous opportunities.