Twenty years ago, when she was just 13, Shirley Hoon was already inspired by the men and women in blue. Naturally, she joined the National Police Cadet Corps in secondary school, immediately finding a sense of belonging. As she grew older, that dream to protect the nation continued to grow, and she realised her calling when she joined the Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA) as an ICA Sergeant after graduating from polytechnic.

Learn more about how Inspector Shirley Hoon safeguards the borders of Singapore in this video.

She shares more about her work at ICA, where she has been able to successfully entwine her passion and career. Recently promoted to the rank of Inspector at just age 33, Shirley now heads a team at Changi Airport Terminal 3, striving to maintain effective border management processes there.

Q: What led you to pursue a career with ICA?

I knew from a young age that I wanted a career that contributes to the safety and security of Singapore. The September 11 attacks in 2001 heightened my appreciation for the hard work of frontline officers who work tirelessly to keep our borders safe. Besides that, watching documentaries on Australia's Border Control and Hong Kong dramas on immigration further fuelled my passion for such work.

After graduating from polytechnic in 2010, I found out about a job opening on the Careers@Gov portal. Today, I get to fulfil my long-held dream to be a guardian of our borders. At ICA, I get to contribute to the safety and security of my country and community. 

Q: How has your career developed since you joined ICA?

I joined as an ICA Sergeant in 2010 and started my career as a Primary Screening Officer (PSO) at Tuas Checkpoint. As a PSO, my duties included handling immigration and border security-related responsibilities, such as evaluating the eligibility of incoming travellers and inspecting goods to ensure that all consignments entering Singapore were legitimate.

In 2015, I was designated as a Deputy Team Leader and one of my duties involved the referral of cases to other agencies raised by my team.  

It was in 2022 where I was assessed on my suitability to be a Team Leader (TL), by being tasked to take on job roles of an Inspector. To aid in my leadership journey, I prepared myself for the role through the ICA Team Leader Preparatory Course. And more recently, I have been promoted to the Inspector rank.

Q: What does your job entail?

One of my roles as a TL is to supervise the immigration operations at Changi Airport. With so many people passing through our borders, I have to be alert and exercise proper judgement swiftly. This is challenging but it brings me great satisfaction as I am able to use what I have learnt from training, and also leverage on the experience I have garnered over the years, to assess and suss out any potential immigration and security threats posed to Singapore.

Q: What are some unique cases you have handled?

Every day, we come across different cases, and each case may warrant a different course of action.
 
There have also been cases of travellers who present themselves as being ‘offloaded’ from a flight, claiming that it is due to a change of plans or urgent family reasons. As much as we want to give them the benefit of doubt, we cannot ignore the fact that there can be individuals who will abuse the system. 

Some enter the transit area hoping to send off celebrities or family members, or to claim GST refund. Once, a “traveller” seeking to be offloaded was found to be carrying two watches amounting to over $40,000. Apparently the “traveller” had entered the transit area to claim the GST relief. As such, he was arrested under the Infrastructure Protection Act for misusing his boarding pass.

The above might just be a simple case of someone wanting to claim GST relief, but this may not be the same reason for every other case encountered. There may be cases where the “traveller” seeking to be offloaded may actually be acting as a courier of fake passports for transmigrant travellers, who may be people banned from entry. Hence, it is important for us to exercise proper judgement and assessment.

Q: What are some misconceptions that people have about what you do?

The first question that comes to people’s mind when I tell them that I am from ICA is whether all we do is stamp passports. In fact, we have stopped stamping passports since last year, and automated clearance will soon become the norm for all travellers. 

This will help to ensure not only a more seamless operation on our end, but also a more pleasant clearance process for people entering and departing Singapore.

Also, the job roles of ICA officers are being transformed. As ICA moves away from manual clearance, we are being upskilled to perform profiling, assessment, and investigative work – all beyond immigration counter duties.

Q: What do you enjoy most about your job?

As an ICA officer for over a decade, the most enjoyable aspect of my job is the sense of fulfilment in knowing I can contribute to the safety and security of my country and loved ones, by preventing threats from entering through our borders. This is something that I value deeply. I also appreciate the opportunities that my job provides me, to meet and interact with individuals from various parts of the world and diverse backgrounds.

My job is far from mundane – no two days are the same!

Q: What are some of the key skills required to be successful in your job?

Having strong self-awareness is crucial in becoming a more effective leader. Being a good communicator and team player are also important. We can be quick to judge or jump to conclusions, so it's crucial to listen to officers and consider different perspectives when making assessments.

Also, as first responders to security incidents at the checkpoint, we need to have good decision-making skills, and the ability to quickly adapt and effectively handle the situations.

Q: What is a key message that you’d like readers to take away from your story? 

Throughout my years in ICA, I have been grateful to receive immense support from my bosses and colleagues, who have taught me the importance of active listening and empathy in effective communication. 

I have learned from my experience that perseverance is key to success. Trust in yourself, and don't be afraid to take on new opportunities for personal and professional growth.

Visit this website to find out more about the career opportunities in ICA.