Let’s put an end to cliché answers
Flat-packed answers don’t inspire anyone. Recruiters have sat through every beige, generic spiel in the book. But truth and reality have the power to jolt recruiters out of rote listening and lift their heads.
Saying “I love to travel and am fascinated by cultures and airplanes” isn’t exactly riveting.
But the same goes for a model answer packed with nothing more than heartless phrases:
“I love working with people and want to work in a fast paced environment. I believe that becoming cabin crew will allow me to combine my passion for customer service with my love of travel. I enjoy working in a team and have strong interpersonal skills”.
These are throw-away phrases. You can mix and match those all day long and they will never have heart or soul because they say absolutely nothing about the individual.
Such answers signal immaturity, inexperience, or worse, delusion, and recruiters can smell that like a soiled nappy from five rows back because they know, passengers are not always lovely, they’re scallywags.
Worse still, do those answers really make you light up? I doubt it. But, thread in your actual dream, and suddenly your eyes sparkle, your hands move, your posture changes.
My dream began with Barbie
To demonstrate how just about anything can lead to an appropriate answer, let’s unbox a dream that begins with Barbie.
“You know, my dream actually started at six years old. I was disappointed when I got Malibu Barbie for Christmas instead of a flight attendant Barbie. Something about the uniform fascinated me.
Where other Barbies wore beachwear and ballgowns, attended parties and groomed their fingernails, flight attendant Barbie wasn’t passive. She commanded a cabin. She controlled the doors. She kept people safe. That uniform wasn’t just fabric — it was a symbol of safety, security, and service.
As the youngest child in my family — the baby — this resonated with me because I was always trying to prove I was capable, that I could step up and take responsibility.
My childhood fixation turned into a long-term goal during high school career week, when I first learned what the role really entailed.
Suddenly, I could see the connection between the role and my own instincts: the urge to reassure, to take control when things wobble, to shoulder responsibility even when no one expects it of me.
From then on, every role I chose became a rehearsal for the cabin. I sought out situations that tested composure, sharpened communication, and demanded reliability.
I may always be the baby in my family, but I’m usually the one saving others from kitchen fires, smoothing over conflicts, or shouldering troubles.”
Lean into self-awareness
Do you see the difference? Do you see the soul? I just riffed that and it’s not perfect, but do you see how much we learn about the individual?
Recruiters already expect many candidates will arrive with a superficial understanding of the role, and they’re used to people hiding it. What they don’t expect is someone who raises their hand and says, “Yes, guilty, I was totally superficial and selfish for the longest time, and here’s how I finally grew up.”
The interview isn’t about presenting perfection. It isn’t about proving you can memorise model phrases. It’s about showing who you are at your core, that you can grow, and are trainable.
If your inspiration story starts with a uniform, the love of a destination, or the quest for glamour, don’t shy away from the unflattering bits. Own up to a little fantasy. Those are opportunities to show self-awareness and have a little fun. Just be sure to pivot into a learning point.
Here’s a formula: I thought this, but then I learnt this, and now I know this.
That’s maturity. That’s cabin crew material.
And if you can’t find a “then I changed” moment? Then you’ve got homework. Add it to your task list. Start building the other side of your story today.
Don’t walk into your interview sounding like a cheat sheet. In the The Cabin Crew Interview Made Easy, you’ll learn how to turn any experience into compelling, airline-relevant stories.
