Sun ‘n Fun Job Fair Finds A Hot Hiring Market

As hiring in aerospace heats up, a job fair at Sun ‘n Fun 2018 this week connected dozens of would-be pilots, mechanics and technicians with companies eager to put them to work. The job fair was sponsored by JSFirm, a well-known online job listing service that has more than 4000 openings posted. And it's adding more every day.

In this podcast recorded at Sun ‘n Fun, JSFirm's Sam Scanlon told us turnout for the event was impressive on both sides of the hiring line. "We had 14 airlines, including UPS, United, all the regionals. We had 400 registered; pilots, mechanics, engineers, avionics, flight attendants. They all came to the career fair dressed to the nines. There was hiring going on right there at the museum. It was an exciting event," Scanlon told us.

The job fair, the fourth such event held during Sun ‘n Fun, was held in the Florida Air Museum on the Sun ‘n Fun site. Scanlon said applicants arrived nervous and ready to sell themselves and many left with job offers. "We heard story after story of people who actually got a job offer," he said.

JSFirm says there no question the pilot shortage is real. "It's here. It's very evident," Scanlon told us, and it's expected to persist through 2035. JSFirm is also seeing more hiring in the unmanned systems market. "That in itself is an environment that's booming. That's a very good field for a young person to get into," Scanlon said.