There’s no need to ask an English major for the definition of irony – the bigwigs at Northeastern demonstrate it for us perfectly.

There’s no doubt that Northeastern, as the top-ranked school for co-ops and internships, can find a good match for students looking for jobs at outside corporations, firms, hospitals and other employers. What’s ironic is that NUJOB, Northeastern’s system of finding on-campus employment for students who don’t qualify for federal work study, does a poor job at finding a good match, or even any match at all.

And why is that? Perhaps it’s because all the good jobs, the positions that fit into a students’ lifestyle appropriately, are already filled. For the student in need of some extra cash who looks into NUJOB, there are no shifts swipings cards at the Marino Center or Snell Library. You can, however, wash sports team’s uniforms or audition to be a group fitness leader.

The jobs require qualifications that few students actually have, a sign that NUJOB isn’t in tune with the needs of the students it claims to serve. A reasonable assumption can be made that the average Northeastern student has little experience in leading a fitness group, or being a personal trainer.

To make matters worse, positions through NUJOB are also available to those not attending the university. Joe Student has a little competition for that cushy office position – possibly an older, more qualified resident of Huntington Avenue.

Obviously, we are aware that the best person for the job should get it. What we are also aware of, and find all too common, are instances when students need employment to sustain themselves, but cannot find a position close to campus that fits well with their course schedules. NUJOB provides a poor selection of positions, high competition and little flexibility.

Months into the school year many students are still unemployed and broke in a city with a high-cost of living, while studying at a university with sky-high tuition. Perhaps the Student Employment Office should team up with the Co-op department, because the current system isn’t working. Meanwhile, gobs of money that could have been used to ease the stinging costs of high tuition are sitting unused.