[3] Pan was known as somewhat of a child prodigy in his youth and was known throughout their village in Gong County, Henan for his keen mind and talent.
In late 266, around age 19, Pan moved to the imperial capital at Luoyang and served as an assistant in the Ministry of Works.
In the early 270s, Pan worked as an aide to Jia Chong, a high-ranking official under Emperor Wu of Jin.
Pan came out of retirement around 282 to serve as magistrate of Meng county (modern Mengzhou) north of the Yellow River from Luoyang.
Around 295, Pan returned to the capital for a final time to serve under official Jia Mi (Chinese: 賈謐).