Julie debuted in telemovie, The Promise as a girl with intellectual disability in 2009. She was also the first runner-up in The New Paper's New Face 2009.
She went on to be starred in television episodes, including The Illusionist, No Limits and New Beginnings.
In 2013, Julie starred in movies Judgment Day and That Girl in Pinafore. She became the host for A Date with K-pop Stars, which debuted on Channel U on February 21, 2014, where she travelled to South Korea and spent time with idols including Dal Shabet, Hwang Kwanghee of ZE:A, Yewon and Baby J of Jewelry, Teen Top, Rainbow, A-Jax and former H.O.T. member Moon Hee-Joon.
In 2013, Julie Tan also got her first individual lead role starring in 96°C Café pairing up with Desmond Tan. In the same year, she also starred in Gonna Make It, pairing up with Xu Bin. In 2015, Julie Tan starred in The Dream Makers II as Jeanette Aw's sister and the main villain of the drama, pairing up with Zhang Zhenhuan. It was her breakthrough role and she won her first acting award starring as Dong Zihuai in the drama.