Jacksonville Hiring Events Oct. 27–28: Firefighters, Manufacturing and a Riverfront Job Fair

JACKSONVILLE, FL — The last full week of October puts two Jacksonville hiring events back to back, on opposite sides of the St. Johns River. On Tuesday, October 27, CareerSource Northeast Florida brings Jacksonville Fire and Rescue, a Jacksonville cooling-equipment manufacturer and a facilities contractor to its Gateway Career Center on Norwood Avenue. The next morning, Wednesday, October 28, the JobNewsJacksonville.com Job Fair returns to the DoubleTree on the Southbank.

Two mornings, two very different rooms: a short, targeted recruitment with three named employers on the Northside, then a four-hour general job fair downtown. Pick the one that fits, or do both.

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Event 1	Career Connect at the Gateway Career Center
Date and time	Tuesday, October 27, 2026, 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Location	CareerSource NEFL Gateway Career Center, 5000 Norwood Ave., Suite 2, Jacksonville, FL 32208
Registration	Required, plus a full Employ Florida registration
Eligibility	Open to all; veterans especially encouraged
Event 2	JobNewsJacksonville.com Job Fair
Date and time	Wednesday, October 28, 2026, 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
Location	DoubleTree by Hilton Jacksonville Riverfront, 1201 Riverplace Blvd., Jacksonville, FL 32207
Cost	Free admission and free parking

🔥 Tuesday on Norwood Avenue: Firefighters, Manufacturing and Housekeeping

CareerSource runs a Career Connect recruitment at its Gateway center on the fourth Tuesday of every month, and October's lineup is short but specific. According to the CareerSource Northeast Florida event page, three employers are coming:

Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department: firefighters.
Stellar Energy: electrical manufacturing associates and a materials clerk.
MasterCorp: housekeepers.

Stellar Energy is the name local job seekers should know better. The company builds turbine inlet air chilling systems for power plants and LNG producers, plus modular cooling systems for hyperscale data centers, and it announced in 2024 that it would triple its Jacksonville manufacturing capacity and add at least 250 jobs, according to JAXUSA Partnership. That is factory work riding the data center boom.

CareerSource offers one-on-one resume reviews during the event. You must register for it in advance and have a full Employ Florida profile. Questions go to (904) 356-5627.

⚠️ Read This Before You Go for the Firefighter Table

JFRD does not hire people who are still planning to get certified. Per the department's own hiring page, applicants need a State of Florida Certificate of Compliance for Firefighter, a Florida EMT or paramedic certificate, and a completed CPAT physical ability test before they apply. You also need to be at least 18, hold a high school diploma or GED and a valid driver's license, and not use tobacco. Background, interview, medical and psychological screening come after.

No cards yet? The table is still worth a conversation about the path, and Florida State College at Jacksonville is one local place that trains for them.

📍 Wednesday on the Southbank: A Big General Job Fair

The JobNewsJacksonville.com fair is the long-running, open-to-everyone format: four hours, free admission and free parking at the DoubleTree on Riverplace Boulevard, just off the Riverwalk. According to the organizer's event page, the employer list will be posted on the Friday before the fair, which is October 23.

For a sense of scale, the organizer's June 2026 fair at the same hotel listed more than 25 employers, including Allied Universal, the City of Jacksonville, Military Sealift Command, Massey Services, Northwestern Mutual and the U.S. Army. That was June's lineup, not October's, so check the list before you plan your route. Dates and locations can change up to 15 business days out, per the organizer. Bring several copies of your resume and dress for an interview.

Which Day Is Yours?

Certified firefighter or EMT: Tuesday, at the JFRD table.
Manufacturing, assembly or warehouse background: Tuesday, for Stellar Energy.
Housekeeping and facilities: Tuesday, for MasterCorp.
Not sure what you want, or want the most options: Wednesday on the Southbank.
No Employ Florida profile and no time to make one: Wednesday. Tuesday requires it.

🔎 Where to Aim Before October 27

Search the roles now so you can name a specific opening at the table.

Start here:

Frequently Asked Questions

When is the Gateway Career Center hiring event?

Tuesday, October 27, 2026, from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. at 5000 Norwood Ave., Suite 2, Jacksonville, FL 32208.

Do I need to register?

For the October 27 event, yes: register for the event and complete a full Employ Florida profile. For the October 28 fair, job seekers can register through the organizer's event page.

Can I apply to be a Jacksonville firefighter without certifications?

No. JFRD requires the Florida firefighter Certificate of Compliance, an EMT or paramedic certificate and a completed CPAT before you apply.

Who is hiring at the October 28 fair?

The organizer posts the employer list on Friday, October 23. Until then, no October roster has been published.

Show Up With a Profile, Not Just a Resume

Create a free LocalJobPage account and set alerts so new Jacksonville openings reach you between events, or browse every Jacksonville job right now.

Employers: hiring on the Northside or downtown? Post your openings on LocalJobPage and reach Jacksonville job seekers every day, not just the morning you have a table.