2. In Romania, many people who want and need to work face major barriers ranging from the lack of a high school diploma to the physical or mental disability or a history with the criminal justice system. According to studies, in Romania, the lack of experience is the main reason for underlying problems faced by 34% of employers when they want to cover vacant posts. One of the three employers claims he would encounter difficulties in finding suitable persons to cover vacancies, despite large number of unemployed.

3. Many job seekers experience one or more barriers to employment during their careers. Some obstacles are big and affect many or all of those who are job hunting. Others are smaller and affect only some job seekers. Some you can do something to deal with, others are beyond your control. While some obstacles may be smaller than others, any of them can make the difference between having a chance at a job, or not even being considered.

4. Age Education Lack of basic and employability skills, experience, confidence, Criminal record Disabilities Drug and/or alcohol abuse Homelessness Lack of computer skills Foreign languages(English)

5. This is the most important barrier to employment in Romania. It comes about when an employee is suddenly treated in an unfair or inequitable manner for either being 'too old' or 'too young‘, despite the fact that there are state laws that protect and aid employees who are aged under 25 or above 40.

6. Barriers to the employment of young people

7. Enthusiasm Fresh perspective Malleable to business needs IT Literate and ‘Tech ready’ Cheaper labour Potential to develop ▼ Inability to self promote ▼ Lack of experience & proven work history ▼ L ack of life experience ▼ Lack of work ethic ▼ Lack of energy ▼ Practical challenges It should be noted that these positives and negatives, are not exclusively specific to young people. Employers acknowledge that all employees come with a degree of risk and this varies from individual to individual.

8. A significant concern for employers is that young people are lacking the skills to even get through the recruitment process despite having the skills to do the job. Here are some tips to help you make self-promotion natural, whether you're looking for a job or working your way up the corporate ladder.

9. This is a general problem Romanian young people are faced with immediately after finishing studies. “Experience trap” - young people fail to find jobs due to a lack of experience and proven work history. they are experiencing increased competition for jobs from older, more experienced and often over-qualified people However, their inability to find employment means that it is not possible for them to gain the experience that the employers require.

10. Most of freshmen are usually not equipped with the skills or attributes that employers desire due to the following factors:  Discrepancy between the training offered by schools and the employers' needs  There are no strong links between schools and companies that could provide students with practical training.

11. The lack of education may prevent an individual from getting a reasonably paid job. If a person lacks a grade school education the impact can be especially damaging. Lack of skills, particularly literacy and numeracy, or formal qualifications often acts as a barrier to engaging in education and training. More than 70% of the Romanian unemployed people have only primary and gymnasium training.

12. Job searching is about sales and the product you are selling is you! If no one knows about your product, who will buy it? A job search is no time to be modest. Think hard about all of your abilities and take credit for your distinctive achievements and talents. It is important to realistically assess your education, experience, and skills and learn how to promote your talents. Sell your strengths and demonstrate your: Knowledge Skills Abilities/Accomplishments

13. The age barrier seems like a huge obstacle for a lot of people looking for jobs because they are considered “older”. Here’s why unemployed older workers are having difficulties in finding new jobs: ► High salary expectations- they are usually overqualified ► Out of date skills- older workers who lack computer and other technology skills have a disadvantage in finding work. ► Expensive health benefits - some employers are reluctant to hire older workers because they expect providing health benefits to older workers to be costly ► Retirement expectations- employers might hesitate to train older workers because they assume that older employees will retire soon, and fail to give the employer a good return on the training investment ► Visible frustration- long-term unemployment makes some older workers discouraged and depressed Barriers to the employment of old people

14. Tips for older people CV tips- make your CV look modern Keep up-to-date Don't give an employer a reason to disqualify you through lack of required skills. Make sure you can use any new or unfamiliar technology necessary for the job, and that your computer skills are current. Another key to overcoming the age barrier is to focus on all your accumulated work experiences and never allow your age to discourage you in reaching your goals.

15. Homelessness It’s an important obstacle to employment. Homeless people have little chances of being employed due to various causes:  Many of them suffer from mental or behavioral health problems drugs or alcohol as a means to self-medicate to deal with the traumatic experiences and abuse they face.  Their traumatic experiences usually lead to depression, low motivation and poor self-esteem.  Employers consider that they do not have appropriate clothing for work, no access to facilities to maintain their hygiene, no computer and phone access and poor education.

16. Disabilities Disabled people are always faced with many different forms of obstacles, from physical to attitudinal barriers. They are often dismissed as incapable of accomplishing a task without even being given the opportunity to display their skills. In recent years, in Romania have been introduced a number of labour market policy measures, targeted at disabled people. For instance, companies are required to have up to 5 % among their staff disabled people, otherwise they have to pay a tax. However, despite this policy, the employment rate for disabled people is very low..

17. There are various barriers:  Employers are concerned that people with mental health conditions would need additional supervision, and would be less likely to use initiative or to deal confidently and appropriately with the public.  When hiring physically disabled people, employers are usually forced to make costy accessibility modifications that allow the disabled to perform the essential functions of his/her job, including access to a building, to the work site, to needed equipment, and to all facilities used by employees.

18. A criminal record or police record is a record of a person's criminal history, generally used by potential employers, lenders to assess his or her potential workers trustworthiness. People with a criminal record have very little chance of being employed. Criminal record

19. Foreign languages In the employment selection there may be a positive relationship between success and the proficiency in a foreign language. “Successful” companies and multinational companies are constantly looking to employ more foreign language specialists and expect higher levels of language proficiency. Foreign language speakers are also more likely to be employed within the marketing function and to assist the use of direct selling modes.

20. Drug and alcohol users face a variety of obstacles with regard to looking for employment. These include poor self-confidence, mental and physical health problems, lack of education, training and skills and stigmatisation by employers. The general reluctance on the part of employers is an obstacle that is rooted in social attitudes and therefore much more difficult to alter.

21. Don't be afraid, ashamed, or embarrassed to seek or ask for help. Here are some tips on overcoming these barriers: Have a positive attitude about getting help and finding work. Seek out counseling and assistance services, if you need them, to find employment. Participate in drug, alcohol, and mental health rehabilitation services, if necessary. Tips for overcoming employment barriers

22.  Continue to learn and grow and acquire new skills, build your network and serve those in it, be enthusiastic, flexible, confident and positive, demonstrate persistence and determination, and focus on what you have to offer.  Find affordable training and ways to help pay for training.  Use community services for help with basic needs and English as a second language tutoring.  Learn how your disability can be accommodated at work.  Seek out resources to help you if you are an ex- offender or have a poor work history.

23.  Focus on your qualifications and positive traits, not on your barriers. If an employer asks about your barrier in a job interview, be prepared to talk about how it will not affect your ability to be a good employee  Come up with workable solutions and goals.  Be proactive and give the employer suggestions as to how you can minimize your barrier or find ways for it to not affect your job.