Switch career — Dental assistant turned fish seller in wet market
Standing at just 1.51m tall, with her hair tied up in a high ponytail, Cik Neo Hui Qin is not your typical fishmonger.
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Former dental assistant Cik Neo Hui Qin became a fishmonger in 2024 and runs a stall in Tiong Bahru Market, Singapore.
THE STRAITS TIMES PICTURE BY SAMUEL RUBY |
After graduating from ITE in 2012, she worked as a dental assistant for 10 years but left the job in 2023 after her beloved boss, a dentist, passed away.
Cik Neo, now 32, knew that she could not work for anyone else, and so she began to look for a job that both excited her and pushed her out of her comfort zone.
She liked the idea of becoming a fishmonger as she had helped out at her friend’s fish stall in Hougang during the Covid-19 pandemic and enjoyed the experience.
“Why not try the market, try being a fishmonger? Everything is hands-on, and I am good with hands-on,” said Cik Neo.
With lots of moral support from her husband, family and friends, she took the plunge and opened a stall in Singapore Tiong Bahru Market in April 2024.
Her husband, who used to be in the navy, also became a fishmonger in November 2025 and runs a stall in Kovan Market.
At first, Cik Neo sold only prawns.
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Cik Neo Hui Qin (left) with a customer at her stall at Tiong Bahru Market on 27 January.
THE STRAITS TIMES PICTURE BY SAMUEL RUBY |
“I wanted to have the confidence to sell”, before expanding to fish and other seafood, she said.
A typical workday begins with her waking up at around 1am, driving from her home in Bukit Panjang to Jurong Fishery Port to select the freshest fish and seafood on offer, and setting up her stall by 5am.
“The hardest part of my job is waking up,” she said.
The hours are demanding and the work is physical – but she is not complaining. Cik Neo’s day typically ends around noon to 1pm.
“Being a fishmonger actually gives me a better work-life balance,” she said, as she gets to spend more time with her parents when she is done for the day.
Wet market popular figure
Today, she has established herself as a popular figure in Tiong Bahru Market, known for her meticulous arrangement of fish on display at the stall – from grouper and snapper to pomfret and milk fish.
“Hui Qin is a nice and humble person who is always willing to help and learn. She may be small in size but her determination to succeed in a new industry, especially the fish business, is inspiring,” said Encik Gary Teo, a fishmonger at the market.
After two years on the job, Cik Neo has no regrets about her career change.
“I think I’ll do this forever, because I love this job,” she said.
“What surprised me is that I can do quite a lot by myself. I thought I needed help, or I thought I couldn’t do it alone, but I can do everything on my own.”
Adapted from the article written by Ong Swee Lin for the Singapore-based The Straits Times, updated yesterday, Monday 24 February 2026.
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| Adapted by Fauzi Kadir Chief Editor
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