Leonard Gilbert Fieraru has turned personal and professional failures into life lessons and opportunities for young people in Romania. Through eduJOBS, he builds bridges between people and companies, understanding that success is not only about numbers, but about people, character, and trust. In this interview, Leonard talks about work, education, leadership, and the future of young people in a constantly changing job market.
C&B: Why do you think so many young people leave the country, even though there are jobs available here?
Leonard Gilbert Fieraru: Young people don’t leave Romania because there are no jobs. They leave because there are no real perspectives. They don’t run away from work — they run from uncertainty, from a lack of direction and recognition. Abroad, even if they work hard, they know that at the end of the month they can save something, they can dream, they can build. Many of them came back — they built houses, bought cars, started small businesses. They didn’t run from Romania; they ran from the feeling that their work doesn’t matter here.
The reality is harsh: every year, over 30,000 young people fail the Baccalaureate exam. And no one knows what happens to them. The state has no plan, no system to guide them toward trades. Many get lost between indifference and disappointment, and for many, leaving the country seems like the only solution.
But the truth is, young people don’t leave just for money. They leave for appreciation, safety, and opportunity. A young person will stay in Romania if they feel they have a reason to — if they have a stable job, a decent salary, and a clear career path.
I believe we should talk about the five types of salaries:
- The emotional salary — the feeling of being appreciated.
- The appreciation salary — feedback, recognition, gratitude.
- The financial salary — the concrete, stable income.
- The investment-in-people salary — courses, mentorship, growth opportunities.
- The social salary — the sense of belonging to a team and a mission.
A young person with potential gets lost if these things are missing. That’s why, through eduJOBS, we’re trying to change that: we offer fast recruitment, training, and stability. We help them stop looking for luck abroad and start building it here, at home. Romania doesn’t lack young people. It lacks trust in them. And that’s a battle I’m determined to fight to the end.
C&B: What was the hardest business lesson you’ve learned?
Leonard Gilbert Fieraru: That if you don’t work with numbers, you collapse. It’s easy to be enthusiastic at the beginning, to believe in your dream, but if you don’t track your costs, reality will hit you mercilessly. I learned that the hard way. Before eduJOBS, I owned three restaurants. They were doing well until the pandemic came. In one month, I lost everything.
But the hardest part wasn’t the business closing down — it was seeing my people left without jobs. People I knew by name, with children, families, loans. That’s when I had a wake-up call. Instead of complaining, I went where there was movement: logistics warehouses. I saw online deliveries exploding. I went directly to managers and said, “I can bring you people.” They said, “We need them now.”
That’s how my new path was born — recruitment and workforce leasing. I turned a shawarma shop into a recruitment office. That’s where it all began.
I learned two big lessons:
📌 First — without numbers, you lose your compass.
📌 Second — never depend on a single client or a single industry.
At the beginning, I had a few big clients. When one left, the business shook. I realized that stability doesn’t come from luck, but from diversification, systems, and strategy. Today, eduJOBS is built on solid foundations: we have clear systems and a portfolio of clients in logistics, retail, production, construction, and services.
Numbers don’t lie, but they can save you — if you have the courage to look them in the face.
C&B: If you had to start over with 1,000 euros?
Leonard Gilbert Fieraru: I’d invest 800 euros in branding and only 200 in the product. Because you can have the best product in the world — if no one sees you, you don’t exist. When I started, I didn’t have a budget for ads or fancy campaigns. But I had a phone, a camera, and a simple idea: to speak directly to people.
I began making viral videos about jobs, in a human, honest tone — no jargon. Those clips were my marketing. They were free, but they cost me time, energy, and perseverance. And they changed everything. Today, because of them, we receive over 600 calls a day from people looking for jobs in Romania.
I built something no traditional platform has: the largest national network of blue-collar candidates. I learned that success doesn’t mean shouting louder, but speaking the language of your people. Most blue-collar candidates don’t look for jobs on fancy websites. They’re on TikTok, Facebook, WhatsApp.
That’s where I took recruitment. I went where people are, not where it looks good to be. That’s where I listened, earned their trust, and built relationships. And if I had to start over, I’d do the exact same thing: invest in visibility, authenticity, and communication. Because a personal brand isn’t a logo — it’s the promise you keep every day.
C&B: Why are Romanian business owners afraid to delegate?
Leonard Gilbert Fieraru: Because they fear people won’t deliver at the expected standard. Because often there’s no clarity in responsibilities. Because deep down, there’s that fear: “If I teach them everything I know, they’ll leave and compete with me.”
But that fear keeps you stuck. In the beginning, everything went through me — every contract, every offer, every client discussion. I believed that if I wanted it done right, I had to do it myself. But the truth is, you can’t build a big business with one person — not even with the most dedicated one.
It took me years to learn that delegation doesn’t mean losing control. It means gaining the freedom to build. I started by creating clear systems, with processes, KPIs, penalties, and rewards. I learned that people don’t just need tasks; they need context and purpose.
At eduJOBS, we built a system based on trust and accountability. We have people who know what performance means — and what responsibility means. We set daily, weekly, and monthly goals and review them constantly. And most importantly, I learned that I must form leaders, not executors.
For me, delegation isn’t an option — it’s a necessity. Because when everything depends on you, you’re both the brake and the engine. And the moment I gave up total control, the company began to grow.
For entrepreneurs reading this: Delegation isn’t a sign of weakness. It’s proof that you’ve grown enough to let others shine. And yes — some will make mistakes. Some will disappoint you. But a true leader doesn’t build freedom on fear, but on trust.
C&B: What have you learned after hiring thousands of workers?
Leonard Gilbert Fieraru: I’ve learned that in recruitment, 1 + 1 never equals 2. Every person has a story, a motivation, a fear. You don’t recruit just skills — you recruit character. And above all, you recruit trust.
I’ve hired people with zero experience who came to work every day with respect and seriousness. And I’ve seen professionals with 10 years of experience who didn’t last a week. The difference is attitude.
Recruitment in Romania is tough. Many people come from rural areas, with no training, no confidence, no support. That’s why at eduJOBS, we don’t just recruit — we also offer orientation, counseling, and training. We help people adapt, understand discipline, and learn what performance means.
For me, every person matters. That’s why I’ve learned to look beyond the CV. The CV tells you what a person can do. Their eyes tell you if they want to.
A true leader doesn’t control everything — they inspire trust. A great company isn’t built on numbers — it’s built on people.
C&B: What’s the biggest lie told to young people about success?
Leonard Gilbert Fieraru: The biggest lie is that talent alone is enough. It’s not true. Talent without discipline fades away. I believe success doesn’t come from luck, but from repetition and perseverance.
Many young people look for quick recipes. They want everything now, without going through the process. But life doesn’t work that way. Success is the result of constant work, tough decisions, and embraced failures.
I’ve lost businesses, money, people, trust. But I never lost the desire to move forward. That’s the difference between those who succeed and those who give up.
Talent makes you visible for a day. Discipline makes you valuable for a lifetime.
C&B: Is it the employees’ fault they leave quickly, or the companies’?
Leonard Gilbert Fieraru: In 90% of cases, it’s the companies’ fault. Employees don’t leave a place where they feel respected, heard, and appreciated. They leave people who don’t see them, don’t understand them, and don’t communicate with them.
An employee leaves when they feel ignored. When they feel their work doesn’t matter. When they see themselves as just a cog in a cold system. That’s where companies fail.
Real leadership isn’t just about goals, KPIs, and profit. It’s about empathy, feedback, and transparency. People don’t leave companies. They leave leaders who can’t inspire them.
An employee doesn’t leave a job. They leave a person.
C&B: How much should a good worker earn in Romania?
Leonard Gilbert Fieraru: The truth is simple: a good worker deserves a salary that matches their value. The problem is that in many places, manual work is undervalued. We have people lifting warehouses, working in cold, in dust, under tough conditions — and they are paid barely decently.
I believe Romania won’t rise until we learn to respect trades. Not only IT or management is valuable. The person laying bricks, cleaning floors, or driving trucks is part of the same system.
At eduJOBS, we try to change that perception. We recruit people who work honestly and offer them stability, fair salaries, and safe conditions.
The better they get, the more they set their own price.
C&B: Does education in Romania still relate to the job market?
Leonard Gilbert Fieraru: Very little. The education system produces graduates, not professionals. We teach theory instead of offering practice. We evaluate memorization, not thinking.
We have young people leaving school without knowing what they want to do because no one explained the trades of the future or the real needs of the economy.
I believe the solution lies in partnerships between schools and the private sector. Companies must come to schools, and students to companies. Theoretical education produces diplomas. Practical education produces results.
Theoretical education produces graduates. Practical education produces professionals.
C&B: Romania has unemployed people and companies without workers. How is that possible?
Leonard Gilbert Fieraru: Because we live in a system that talks nicely but listens poorly. We have institutions claiming to implement employment policies, but they don’t go out into the field to talk to real people.
People don’t know where to look for jobs, and companies don’t know how to communicate with them. There’s a huge lack of intermediation.
At eduJOBS, that’s exactly what we do: we bring people and companies together. Not through bureaucracy, but through simple, direct communication.
Romania doesn’t have a labor shortage. It has a shortage of trust and respect.
C&B: How are companies preparing their teams for the AI era?
Leonard Gilbert Fieraru: Very few are truly doing it. Most still see AI as a threat, not an opportunity. But the reality is that artificial intelligence won’t replace humans — it will only replace humans who refuse to evolve.
AI is a tool, not an enemy. We already use it in recruitment for selection, communication, and data analysis. But humans still make the decisions, feel, and inspire.
The future isn’t humans or AI. The future is humans + AI.
C&B: Why does the state fail in preparing people for real trades?
Leonard Gilbert Fieraru: Because it invests in diplomas, not people. Because it funds theory, not practice. Because it promotes on paper, not in real life.
The state should invest massively in modern vocational schools, in public-private partnerships, in dual education. But for years, there’s only discussion, no action.
Romania doesn’t need more diplomas. It needs more people who are good at what they do.
C&B: How did you go from bankruptcy to success?
Leonard Gilbert Fieraru: With faith. And with the courage to start over, even when I had nothing. After losing everything, I told myself either I stay down, or I turn the fall into a lesson. I chose the latter.
I started alone, with a phone, a table, and a vision: to do something real that helps people. In a few months, I brought hundreds of people to work, then thousands.
Sometimes God knocks you down, not to punish you, but to lift you stronger, wiser, and cleaner.
C&B: What was the hardest moment when you wanted to give up?
Leonard Gilbert Fieraru: The hardest moment was when I wanted to do good — and discovered that not everyone wants help. When I saw people taking advantage of kindness, confusing help with weakness.
But I got up. I understood that you must help only those who really want help. You can’t save everyone. And sometimes, the greatest proof of strength is to move forward alone.
Don’t pity yourself. Start today. Tomorrow can be different if you choose to be different.
C&B: If you lost everything tomorrow?
Leonard Gilbert Fieraru: If I lost everything tomorrow, I’d rebuild faster. Because I’ve learned how. Experience teaches you what not to repeat. I wouldn’t fear failure, only stagnation.
A person who lost everything and got up is ten times stronger than someone who never fell.
C&B: Will AI replace humans?
Leonard Gilbert Fieraru: Yes — those who refuse to evolve. Technology isn’t the enemy of humans. It’s a tool. The problem arises when humans stop learning.
True intelligence isn’t artificial — it’s moral.
C&B: What should young people learn today?
Leonard Gilbert Fieraru: Young people should learn according to passion and reality. Not just what’s trendy, but what makes sense. Learn trades, technology, communication, sales, leadership.
Those who learn today will lead tomorrow. Those who wait will work for those who had the courage to start.
C&B: What have you learned from ordinary people?
Leonard Gilbert Fieraru: I learned everything. Both good and bad. I learned that an ordinary person can teach you more about life than ten books. I learned that modesty, respect, and hard work are not taught — they are lived.
The difference between success and failure isn’t made by a diploma. It’s made by character.
Leonard Gilbert Fieraru doesn’t speak of success as a destination, but as a journey to be traveled with responsibility, faith, and courage. For him, Romania is not a lost country, but a place where people and dreams can still rise, if trust and will exist. In a hurried world, he remains proof that great achievements are not made overnight, but day by day, through work and people who choose not to give up.
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