Don't say you want to travel the world: Former cabin crew gives tips on how to ace Singapore Airlines interview

When applying for a new job, tips and tricks on how to ace the interview are always welcome.

Tanisha, a former Singapore Airlines (SIA) cabin crew member, took to TikTok on Nov 10 to do just that.

The 24-year-old explained in her video that questions on how to pass the SIA cabin crew interview were the most frequent ones she got on the platform.

The interview is split into three rounds, she said, with the first round being a group interview of 10 "with about two to three interviewers".

"The things that I think they look at are your posture, the way you talk and present yourself, as well as good eye contact," she explained.

"Ensure that you are sitting or standing straight. When it's your turn to speak, remember to greet, so say good morning and look at everyone including the fellow interviewees."

At this point, they would ask you to introduce yourself by saying your name and previous job.

Don't say other things, including why you want to join SIA because that's outside the question and will come later, Tanisha explained.

Next up is a debate round.

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You will be split up into two teams of three, though Tanisha did not mention whether this meant that some interviewees would already be out of contention at this point.

"They will give about one minute for each group to discuss. Personally, I think that this one minute is the time they are actually looking at you instead of when you are speaking after that," she said.

Her tip was not to be the first one to start talking, as she felt that "they don't want a leader, they want a team player".

"They want someone who can listen to instructions and follow, right?"

So interviewees should wait for someone else in their group to start talking first and look to be listening intently — giving them eye contact, nodding and smiling — before providing their input.

The interviewers don't want a debate from you as much as to hear you speak and see if you're a team player, Tanisha posited.

The final round is the "management round" where individual interviewees will sit with the interviewers and be asked more personal questions like why they want to join SIA.

"So the answer that you should never say is that 'I want to travel the world'," Tanisha said, doing an X with her hands. "I think that's the mistake that some have made."

SIA hires you to add value to the company, and travelling the world is one's own dream and doesn't do the former, she added, so interviewees should instead talk about service or being a team player.

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"You can even bring your past experiences to share with them," she added. "If you have any questions about being a crew member, you can ask them."

Just make sure you don't "seem clueless" but instead that you've "done your research but you wanna find out more".

Many netizens found the tips helpful, with one calling the advice "insightful".

Another joked: "Imagine if everyone took the 'don't talk first' tip, then nobody would talk."

"Girl, I thought of this too," Tanisha replied with sobbing and cry-laughing emojis.

A naysayer, however, commented: "Best advice: Be pretty" and Tanisha politely shut them down.

"Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. These crew members went through a lot of tough training," she wrote.

"And I hope you'll be able to show them some support and love instead!"

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drimac@asiaone.com

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