“Not acquiring experience while you’re a student puts you behind other candidates who did get experience,” says Dr. Katharine Brooks, director of Liberal Arts Career Services at the University of Texas at Austin and author of “You Majored in What?: Mapping Your Path from Chaos to Career.”

I completely agree with her statement.  In today’s increasingly competitive job market, getting as much experience as possible while still a student is critical.  During my time as a student here, I have gained experience in a number of different areas.  But I have to say that the experience I value most has been that of volunteering.

Why volunteer? Looking back to the time nine months ago when I first arrived in Madison, I must admit that volunteer work didn’t sound like fun to me. When I heard that my scholarship program required me to fulfill 40 hours of volunteer work, I at first questioned the value of the requirement.  My perspective at the time was that volunteering was unpaid and would definitely take away from my free time.

I had never contributed as a volunteer to the local community back home.  To my knowledge, volunteering is not a common thing in the city where I live, and there are few opportunities available to participate in volunteer work. But now, having completed my volunteer hours, I recognize that this experience has changed my perspective and given me many valuable life lessons and benefits.

I have enjoyed working with prison inmates sorting groceries at Second Harvest Food Bank. With the other members of my scholarship group, I worked with Goodman Community Center staff and volunteers to distribute Thanksgiving baskets to needy families. At Madison Children’s Museum, I have had fun being around kids and assisting them with some of the museum’s interactive displays. During International Education Week, I introduced my country and culture to students at Shorewood Hills Elementary School. I also had the opportunity to make tempeh, an Indonesian food made from fermented soybeans, at Bandung Restaurant.

From a professional perspective, volunteering has provided me with the opportunity to sharpen a number of important skills, such as teamwork, communication, and relationship building. I have also gained some valuable work experience.