Q I am about to graduate with a degree in Art History, and am considering the offer of an unpaid internship. If I accept this offer, what should I be doing during my internship to give me the best possible chance of gaining paid employment at the end of it?

A First, congratulations on your internship offer and on being proactive about your career. There are, of course, no guarantees, but in my experience (at an artist-run gallery, national charity and national magazine), unpaid internships often operate as a kind of extended job interview or ‘trial shift’, leading to paid opportunities on the spot, or elsewhere. Before your first day, spend time writing down your long-term career aspirations and your short-term goals for this internship. Be very specific. Internship goals might include things such as “help to write a funding proposal” or “make three new contacts in publishing”. Getting this clear now will up your motivation and give you a focus. The arts and heritage sector is highly competitive; demonstrate your commitment from day one. Discuss your written goals with your supervisor, or with an interested member of staff, then ask for monthly performance feedback. Dress the part. Smart, weatherproof or stylish clothes (depending on the work environment) visually reveal that you are ready to go pro. Get the simple things right: be on time, don’t rush off at the end of the day, pitch in with any assigned task, ask questions and offer to assist other departments. Creativity and initiative will help you to get hired or, at least, acquire sparkling references. Arts sector employers desire organised self-starters, so propose a new project to prove your abilities. You might develop a gallery blog, translate copy into Chinese, or run educational workshops. If you can afford it, undertake diversity, web design or language training. If this is outside your budget, impress your internship supervisor by asking if you may join staff training schemes. Finally, polish up your interpersonal skills. Treat everyone with respect, speak up when appropriate and when socialising with work colleagues drink responsibly – this will be noticed.