Charmaine Tan, 27, compliance specialist, Merck

A CLEANER environment attracted Ms Tan to the pharmaceutical industry.

With a chemical engineering background, she knew she could have joined a petrochemical engineering company, but it also meant more 'dirty work'.

'The petrochemical companies pay well, but pharma offers a cleaner environment. From what I hear, in petrochem you need to climb up and down a lot, and it can be quite hot and smelly too.'

That's why she thinks the pharmaceutical industry is more suitable for women.

Ms Tan's first job was with a Japanese electronics firm. But she left for Merck and has not looked back since.

She said that in a bigger company, there are also more opportunities for her to learn in different departments, and just to be able to see how a large global firm is managed and organised is a bonus.

'Here, every person has a very defined role. The mindset and practices are totally different from my previous firm,' she said.

And the knowledge that what she does contributes to something meaningful makes it an added boost.

'What we're making is for human consumption, and not just anyone, but often to help people who are sick,' she said.

This article was first published in The Straits Times.