Playing detective
As she was growing up, Chia Siew Joo was “enthralled by dramas and movies featuring white-collar crime busters”. So when it was time to make a decision about her future job, she naturally gravitated towards a crime-fighting career, having been inspired by the many heroes and heroines in her favourite movies and drama serials. “When I saw an opening for a Commercial Affairs Officer in the papers, I jumped at the chance to fulfil my dream,” she says. She joined the Commercial Affairs Department (CAD) in 2004, after graduating from University College London with an honours degree in Economics and Statistics.
Currently, the 28-year-old is a Team Leader in the department’s Corporate Fraud Branch, where she manages a team of three investigation officers and their cases. In the event of bigger investigations, officers from other teams would be roped in under her supervision.
Siew Joo likens investigation work to solving jigsaw puzzles, except that her team not only has to assemble the disjointed pieces, but also find the missing ones. To excel in her work, she points out that the ability to grasp the crux of issues quickly and execute investigations swiftly is paramount, as many fraud cases are wide in scope and complex in nature. As team effort is also an important element in the success of their work, Siew Joo needs to keep her team members constantly motivated. “Our officers want meaningful and challenging work. Therefore we give them ownership of cases, so that they will feel responsible for the outcomes,” she elaborates.
Looking back at her career, Siew Joo shares that one of her most memorable experiences involves the first court conviction of a case that she handled. “I felt elated at the successful prosecution of the accused person, although I could not help feeling sorry for his family. For many accused persons, the greatest pain comes not from the loss of their freedom but from the pain they bring to their families,” she shares.
Since then, her passion for her work has deepened and she has received several awards in recognition of her contributions to the investigation of various cases and for her devotion to duty. After five years in CAD, Siew Joo is as excited about her work as ever. “I’m happy that I don’t have an ordinary, boring, run-of-the-mill job,” she enthuses. “If you want an extraordinary job, join us!”
(Article reproduced with courtesy from JobsCentral Community)