Hsu entered the factory in 1945 and attended a year of training classes, where he learned the techniques of glassblowing. When his year was up, instead of going to work in the factory, he gained the notice of a professor from what was to become National Taiwan University who was working as an advisor at the factory. The professor picked Hsu to go to the university with him as an assistant technician.
民國卅四年，許玉釧進玻璃工廠附設的訓練班，學習如何在高溫下把玻璃熔解、重新塑型；受訓滿一年要正式工作時，當年玻璃廠的顧問、也是台灣帝國大學（台灣大學前身）化學系助教泰山次郎，在全班十位學員中，挑中許玉釧到台大當助理技術員。