I really do not see the need for all the uproar over the supposedly “new” NUJOBs system. Actually, I think it is quite arguable that the system isn’t new at all; it is simply renamed.

I am a seasoned veteran of many of the non work-study positions available to students here at Northeastern. In the past, I’ve swiped cards at the residence halls for the Resident Students Office and pleaded for money from alumni as part of NUcalling. I’ve also interviewed to be a computer lab attendant at Snell Engineering and applied for uncountable positions as lab assistants, all of which have gone, I am assuming, to more qualified and more advanced students.

With all of this under my belt, I can certainly tell you that the description of the NUJOB system I read in the recent editorial describes the exact same system in place before for students who do not have federal work-study. Back then, there were an overwhelming number of openings that were work-study only, and I was disqualified from them. Of the ones that were not work-study, most required special skills or training (team driver, personal trainer), or preferred to hire employees who are more mature and responsible than the average freshman (overnight shifts at the RSO) – which would explain why they were not open to the general work-study population, as well as why they were open to others besides students.

Everyone has trouble finding a job; even finding a work-study that agrees with your schedule and your preferences is a bit difficult. I mean, do people really enjoy working at Resmail, or are they just there because it’s easy money? I think the answer to that question is obvious.

I currently work off campus and love what I do there, and I doubt I will leave it any time soon. Northeastern is in the middle of Boston, a bustling metropolis full of good jobs for students. Just think, if every student devoted the time they spend complaining about the way NU handles on-campus jobs to actually looking for a job, I think they would find themselves in a much more agreeable situation.

– Welisarage Fernando is a middler mechanical engineering major.