If you're a photography student, getting experience of working in the industry before graduation makes you more employable and is a vital first step to a professional career. Work placements, freelance assignments and developing personal projects are all great ways to get your name and work known by potential employers.
When Canon Ambassador and documentary and editorial photographer Nanna Navntoft was a student, she spent 18 months on placement at Danish newspaper Politiken and was amazed to see how many email pitches the editor received every day. "That taught me how important it is for students to do a strong, eye-catching pitch when trying to sell freelance photo stories," she says. "Working at Politiken was very important and I wouldn't have been the same photographer without it. I learned a lot from my editor, Thomas Borberg, as well as all the different photographers who worked on the newspaper."
As well as internships and professional placements, Nanna says that for editorial work it's good to keep developing your own personal projects and getting them seen by picture editors. "I'd advise going to as many portfolio reviews as possible, applying for any available grants and taking part in competitions."