Your college should be able to advise you how to look for work that is suitable for your experience and skills.

'The Dancers' Survival Guide', published by Dance UK, has some useful advice on presenting yourself (including writing your CV) and finding work. (See Publications page).

If you want to work in musical theatre and commercial dance you will find auditions and other jobs in The Stage newspaper (published every Thurday), and through Equity's job information service (for Equity members). Ballet companies sometimes advertise in The Stage too. You might also want to find an Agent by looking in a directory called 'Contacts' (ask at your library), The Stage newspaper, or by contacting Equity.

If you work in independent dance The Place Dance Services has an auditions and jobs noticeboard based near the box office in The Place Theatre (17 Dukes Road, London, WC1 - nearest underground Euston or Kings Cross) which is updated weekly.

Dance UK publishes an information sheet on insurance, and we run low-cost insurance schemes which our members can buy into.

See details of Dance UK's insurance schemes on our services pages, or our information sheet on insurance under the publication pages.

The Independent Theatre Council (ITC) and Equity both advise on rates of pay and contracts.

Dance UK has a number of publications containing basic advice on contracts. See the publications pages.

You can also get free advice from the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (ACAS) on 020 7396 5100.

Your first point of contact for information and advice should be your Regional Arts Board if you live in England or your Arts Council if you are based in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland.

If you want to consider seeking funding from Charitable Trusts, your local library should have copies of the Directory of Grantmaking Trusts and / or the Arts Funding Guide in its reference section.

Your local authority may also have small project funds available for local work. Contact your Arts Development Officer.

The Place Dance Services publishes a factsheet on raising money from trusts if you are a choreographer or dance company but not yet a charitable organisation. They can also advise on other aspects of making and showing your work. See under The Place on our links pages. Their telephone number is 020 7383 3524. (The factsheet is free to their members.)

Dance UK's information sheet 'to PAYE or not to PAYE' advises on whether you might need an accountant. There is also a section on how to manage your finances in 'The Dancers' Survival Guide'. See the publications pages.

To find an accountant, ask colleagues for their recommendations. You can also look in your yellow pages and ring around a few to compare their services and costs in order to find the best deal.