Xu Shufen, 28, quality assurance specialist, Lonza Biologics

WORKING with medicine was Ms Xu's dream. And when she could not be a doctor, she decided to specialise in pharmaceuticals instead at NUS.

In 2004, she had applied for various jobs with pharma companies without success. But she still had that itch to work in the sector.

After a stint with a chip-making firm, she landed a plum stint to join an overseas training programme with Lonza in its US facility in Portsmouth, New Hampshire.

She now works in the exact replica of the plant in Tuas as a quality assurance specialist to make sure that every batch of chemicals is produced to the right standard - one of the most important jobs in the manufacturing process.

'In the pharmaceutical industry, if you're not documenting anything, then you're not doing anything,' she noted.

But aside from the heavy paperwork, she is glad to be in the pharma industry. 'It gives me more security being in the health-care sector, especially after seeing my friends being retrenched or having to take paycuts... Some have even expressed interest in joining me and I always encourage them to apply,' she said.

This article was first published in The Straits Times.