Alumni Profile: Elizabeth Ambrose
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Degree:
Arts/Law 1998 What does your work involve? |
What does a standard day at the office entail for you?
I spend the majority of my time at my computer, surrounded
by my various dictionaries. There is actually quite a bit of research
involved in translating, especially in specialized or technical translation.
Accuracy is really important, so you have to be sure you have the correct
translation for words that might take on a special meaning in a given
context. It’s pretty solitary work, although I do get to consult
with other translators, native French speakers and the authors of the
work I translate, in order to clarify ambiguities.
What’s the most difficult decision you have had to make
in your career?
I think it’s always really difficult to make the decision to move
on from one job to another. My first job was at the Australian Embassy
in Paris, and I agonised over leaving that job! It was a great place
to work, but ultimately I had to move on because I felt that there was
so much else out there for me to learn and experience. When you’re
on a good thing, it’s hard to take the risk and to believe that
there might be something even better. But I think it’s a risk
worth taking, and one that makes you grow and evolve as a person.
What is the most enjoyable aspect of your job?
The great thing about my job is that every time I translate a document
I learn something new. I’ve translated material on such a range
of diverse topics, and so I’ve really been able to expand my horizons.
I also love the fact that I can make information available to a whole
group of readers who wouldn’t normally be able to access it because
it’s in a foreign language. In this way I feel like I’m
building bridges between people, and that’s really satisfying.
What inspires you about your job/life?
In my current job I get my inspiration from my belief that the Court
is a really worthwhile institution that has the potential to bring justice
to a lot of people who have suffered the miseries of armed conflict.
It is very fulfilling to be working towards a cause that I believe so
strongly in.
What is the most stressful/difficult aspect of your job?
Deadlines!! In all of my jobs this has been something that stresses
me, but it is also something that gets my adrenalin going and pushes
me to perform. There’s nothing like a bit of pressure to get your
brain working in top gear!!
What have been the most significant moments of your life, post-study?
As soon as I left Melbourne University I went to live in Canada, in
Montreal. It was pretty scary going out into the unknown like that,
but it was such a great experience and one that changed my life. I also
lived in Istanbul for a short period. It is a city that I feel really
attached to – it’s a huge, seething metropolis with such
a rich history, at the gateway between East and West.
What are your career highlights?
Working at the Embassy was definitely a fantastic experience and I feel
really lucky that I got that chance to live in Paris and work with some
really talented individuals. Getting my current job at the International
Criminal Court was also brilliant, because it has allowed me to combine
my legal and translation backgrounds with my interest in international
justice. I could hardly believe it when I got the job!
What are your strongest memories of life in Melbourne while
you were studying at the University of Melbourne?
I studied at Melbourne in the mid 1990s and have great memories of my
time there. I specifically remember the student rallies, and the theatre
scene, which I was involved in during my last couple of years of studies.
I also remember (if not a little hazily!) the stream of 21st parties
and all the people that were around at that time in my circle of friends.
What do you like to do in your spare time?
Everything that I can’t do when I’m at work! Like a lot
of people, I struggle with being cooped up in an office for so many
hours a day. So when I’m not working I like to just hang about
in my jeans and spend as much time as possible outdoors. I’m very
conscious about making an effort to strike the right balance between
work and personal life, so I dedicate a lot of my time to friends and
family and to my own personal interests.
Do you have any advice about life after study to pass onto
current students?
My biggest difficulty when I was at university was figuring out what
kind of job I wanted to do. I studied Arts/Law at Melbourne, but by
about 3rd year I already knew that I didn’t want to be a lawyer.
It was really frustrating because I didn’t even know what other
kinds of jobs existed, or what options were available to me. My advice
to current students would be to talk to as many people as possible to
get ideas about all the different opportunities that exist.
