DEGREES UNEDITED

Plan ahead Take time now to think about what you’re going to do after you graduate and weigh up the pros and cons. How are you going to earn money? Are you going to relocate? Thinking about it earlier will avoid panicking about it later.
Emily Kydd, artist

Build up your critical profile Why not ask a writer, another artist or one of your contemporaries at university to write a review of your degree show? They could publish it on Degrees unedited, and you could also publish the article on your own website. Critical writing is important. It helps curators, gallerists and commissioners to get a perspective on your work.
Stephen Palmer, artist

Create a network Before you finish, identify other students who would be interested in setting up a group to undertake activity together post graduation – there may be an obvious group amongst your friends and it may happen organically.

If not, you can also identify people whose work interests you, either from your own department or perhaps look at people working in other specialisms. Establish a list of contacts of people who would be interested to get together to support each others practice (eg through meeting for critiques) – six months after graduation you will be glad of some input into your work to help keep you going.
Cathryn Jiggens, artist

Get on the waiting list Once graduating many people will be looking for a studio space, sometimes without realising there are waiting lists that can be months long. By getting your name on as many lists as possible now you will have a better chance of getting a studio space on graduating and be able to hit the ground running in terms of your practice.
Steve Wright, artist

Document your degree show... and individual pieces as well as you can. High quality digital images will be useful in all sorts of ways and you might be able to afford a professional photographer if you club together. This may be the only work you’ll have to promote yourself when you start applying for opportunities so make sure you get lots of good shots!
Suzanne Hutton, artist and founder of rednile Projects Ltd.

Support yourself The most pressing concern when you finish an undergraduate degree is how will I support myself and sustain my practice? Following a period of hard-up studenthood it is tempting to rush into full- or part-time employment outside of the arts sector – but this may have a detrimental affect on your career momentum.

Before finishing your degree identify local arts organisations that engage with work you are interested in – not just the most famous ones! Contact them and organise internships or occasional work which help you gain supplementary skills.

If you’re thinking about taking a Masters degree at some stage, have a think about when you can afford both the time and the money. Make sure you use the time in between to work with a range of organisations and agencies to help build your knowledge, skills, and increase your employability.
Matt Roberts, artist and founder of Matt Roberts Arts

Use the facilities Before you leave college make sure you use your university's facilities to make sure that all your work is scanned or photographed and put onto digital format so that you can apply for exhibition opportunities. It is important to get your work seen by as many people as possible before it becomes too old.
Amanda J Kennington, artist

Show your face Get yourself on mailing lists for galleries in your area and get in the habit of going to their previews Ñ you'll get the chance to meet other artists, and the gallery owner/curator is more likely to consider your work for exhibition if you've built up a relationship with their gallery and become a familiar face.
Steve Wright, artist

Document well Make sure you get good documentation of your degree show especially if you work in installation. Consider using a professional photographer to get really strong visuals for promoting your work and applying for opportunities.
Gillian Nicol, a-n Editor

Get legal Register with the Inland Revenue as self-employed if you want to be able to accept offers of freelance work. It’s worth doing even if you have a steady job, if you also want to be able to gain money and experience by writing, teaching, leading workshops etc. www.hmrc.gov.uk/selfemployed/
Steve Wright, artist

Find a reviewer Sourcing a writer to review your show can be a problem because you need to get someone who isn't directly involved in the exhibition. Think about using the Interface Reviewers Index to find a writer whose work you like, or one who has reviewed shows in your area before. A top tip for approaching possible reviewers is to offer to pay some travel expenses. Remember, if they are not being paid to write the review, anything you can do to encourage them to get out of bed, on to a train and into your show is usually much appreciated. It might be that you can tempt them by offering to give them a guided tour of the show, followed by some lunch or even just a coffee.
Rosemary Shirley, artist and Interface Online Editor

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First published: a-n.co.uk May 2008