Bénard Audrey
TranslationISIT’s Intercultural Management master’s degree enabled Bénard Audrey to access various positions : freelance translator, digital project manager in China, flight attendant for a Chinese airline.
Before ISIT ?
I graduated from highschool with a diploma in literature with a specialization in English , and started a preparatory course in the island of La Reunion. I joined ISIT after two years, which is one of my most treasured experiences.
Why did you choose ISIT ?
I had the opportunity to study English, Spanish and Chinese in high school. I have always kept this passion for learning languages, and knew I wanted to work internationally as soon as I graduated from high school. Teaching was not something I wanted to pursue, as I wanted my languages to be a springboard into marketing jobs.
At ISIT, I felt like I was able to keep improving my languages by practicing translation, while opening up to new prospects in the business world. The internships and apprenticeships I completed as part of the Intercultural Management master’s degree enhanced my credibility when applying abroad.
What are the benefits of your ISIT education?
- The thirst for learning and the open-mindedness of the school : I learned to be curious about everything. Our education covers a broad array of topics, ranging from technical translation to intercultural management, and including geopolitics and accounting. All this knowledge proved to be extremely useful, not only for my missions but also in terms of interpersonal relations. The dynamism and open-mindedness taught at ISIT are greatly appreciated by our partners and colleagues.
- The international dimension: over the course of my training, I felt like I had already stepped foot abroad. Our teachers prepared us for interculturality and working abroad. I still remember our interculturality classes and use what I learned in many situations on a daily basis.
- Flexibility and adaptability : the pace of the classes is intense and we had many projects to complete. This, along with the diversity of the projects and topics we learned about, made us skillful and responsive. We also adapt more easily to foreign environments. Having good marketing and communication knowledge on top of solid language skills makes ISIT students very valuable for job positions abroad.
After ISIT ?
I followed quite a typical path after ISIT, since I didn’t not start a “career” within a company.
- I worked as a freelance translator in both English and Spanish on Reunion Island. But I quickly wished to go abroad, and I tried my luck in China. I was curious about this country, which seems very attractive to foreigners. As I had not been able to continue learning Chinese during my studies, I wanted to start learning it again, this time at the source. I worked for 8 months in a trading company in Shanghai. I was in charge of project management and creating the new company website, and worked in both English and French.
- I recently did a complete professional U-turn when I was recruited by a Chinese airline as flight attendant. I am currently being trained within the company, and am thrilled about embarking on this new adventure.
What do you retain from all of this ?
ISIT enables us to make spontaneous career choices all the way through. We are truly able to blend in with any environment, and the ISIT education allows us to get back on our feet and explore jobs we would never have considered.
What do you do now ?
Since 2018, Bénard Audrey has returned to her initial passion for translation , and is now both freelance translator and translator for Sublime Subtitling.