outside politics, lee worked as a business development executive at clapper (s) pte ltd (2000–2003), a financial consultant for american international assurance (2003–2005), a broker with cimb-gk securities (2005–2006), a recruitment manager for prudential assurance (2006–2008) and a senior trainer at great eastern life assurance (2008–2013). lee resigned from her job as a financial trainer to serve as a full-time mp following her victory in the punggol east by-election.