Make your art and design work experience count

1. Do what is expected of you. It sounds simple, and in many ways it is, but if you can’t finish your tasks then you won’t be able to capitalise on your experience. It means turning up early, showing willingness to stay late, finishing the work assigned to you and asking for more. You might feel like you are acting like a suck-up, but remember that you are there to impress and build contacts.

2. Get feedback on your work. It doesn't matter whether that’s through formal appraisals or more informal one-to-one meetings. It can even be a throwaway line: ‘Let me know if you think it needs any changes.’ Asking for regular feedback shows that you’re enthusiastic and willing to learn – and it’ll also help you to develop your skills. It may even shed light on bad habits.

3. Keep track of what you do. Jot down notes of your achievements and the projects that you’ve worked on. The ‘STAR’ method is a great way of doing this: describe the specific Situation, then the Tasks you were given, the Actions you decided to take and, finally, the Result of those actions (quick tip: if you can put a number on your results then it will be easier for recruiters to evaluate). If you write down your experiences like this then it becomes much easier to remember them, write about them in your covering letter, and discuss them in interviews later on.

4. Make yourself useful. If this means volunteering to help on extra projects, then do it. If you see something interesting that’s going on, ask whether you can get involved. Offering to help experienced colleagues can be a great way to learn from their expertise – and, who knows, they might provide a reference for you later on. It certainly won’t hurt if they remember you as friendly and willing to muck in, and you may get to take part in more fun activities too.

5. Build your portfolio! This is probably the most helpful thing you can do during work experience – think of it as an investment in your future. Whether you’re angling for a job with the same organisation, or you want to apply elsewhere, a good portfolio is a permanent record of your skills and achievements. Be sure that you get good quality hard copies of every piece you put together. You may want to get digital copies as well – take a USB stick or similar to work – but make sure you get permission before you take them; the copyright may not actually belong to you.

6. Get references. Ask people you have worked with if they would be willing to give you a reference. This can be done quite nicely at the end of your placement, just after you have distributed treats. Remember to keep a record of their contact details so you’ve got them to hand – and always get in touch beforehand to ask if they’d be happy for you to list them as a reference on a job application. It may be a case of connecting to them on LinkedIn or getting a private contact detail. Remember, people don’t stay in the same job forever.