sˈoːɹd wˈɜːkt æz ɐn ɐdmˈɪnɪstɹˌeɪɾɪv sˈɛkɹətɹi wɪððɪ ˌoʊvɚsˈiːz sˈɜːvɪs bjˈʊɹɹoʊ nˈaʊ ɔːstɹˈeɪliən vˌɑːləntˈɪɹz ˌɪntɚnˈæʃənəl ʌntˈɪl nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd nˈaɪnti wˈʌn, wˌɛn ʃiː dʒˈɔɪnd ðə ɹˈɛfjuːdʒˌiː stˈʌdiz pɹˈoʊɡɹæm æɾ ˈɑːksfɚd jˌuːnɪvˈɜːsᵻɾi ɪn ˈɪŋɡlənd æz ɐsˈɪstənt tə ðə dɪvˈɛləpmənt koʊˈɔːɹdᵻnˌeɪɾɚ.
Sword worked as an administrative secretary with the Overseas Service Bureau (now Australian Volunteers International) until 1991, when she joined the Refugee Studies Program at Oxford University in England as assistant to the development coordinator.