“Tell me about yourself” is often the first and one of the most common questions you are faced with in every flight attendant interview.
It is also one of the most dreaded.
How do you answer it to give the best impression of your personality and achievements?
Do you go through your entire resume?
How do you talk without sounding like you are ‘full of yourself?’
In fact, how do you actually start the answer to this, one of the most important questions in your interview?
There are so many ways to approach this, but some are far better than others.
That’s why today I’ll explain to you how to answer the dreaded “Tell me about yourself,” question in a flight attendant interview and let the recruiters know how perfectly suited you are for the position!
Why Do Interviewers Ask You This Question?
- The main purpose of this question is to get to know you and determine if you are the right person for the job.
- With this question, they push you to talk about your experiences, professional achievements, previous roles, or even your personal life.
Basically, they are asking you to pitch your product to them – your skills and experience -, which makes this a sales process.
Answer this key question well and you are more than halfway to convincing the recruiters that you are the one for the job. - But another important aspect of this question is that of testing your communication skills.
- In a very short time, you have to pass on important information in a clear, concise, and pleasant way. This, after all, is a key part of a flight attendant’s role. Not only when it comes to dealing with the passengers, but to be able to work effectively with the other crew members who are part of your team.
- How you are able to communicate is important to work effectively with the other members of the crew and interact with passengers.
How to Answer “Tell Me About Yourself” Interview Question
Think about why you want the job and describe what motivated you to apply in the first place.
This is important; the people in our industry are passionate and committed and if you show anything less than this in your answer, you might as well start heading for the door.
Okay, show passion and a sense of values, that is the emotional side of your answer.
But you also need to be factual.
You need to be clear about your skills, achievements, and what makes you unique.
This is a sales pitch, remember, so don’t be shy.
Be proud of your achievements and show that.
I don’t mean rave about how you are the best thing since sliced bread, but use your self-knowledge to give a good answer.
Not only will it help you know what you should say or not, but a clear understanding of your skill set and its value will give you security and confidence as you talk.
Okay, let’s drill down a little bit and talk about how to structure your reply. 🤓
1) Start with a power statement
Present yourself: who you are, what you do, how, focus on 2 or 3 strengths and abilities, and what makes you an ideal candidate for this position.
“I believe that I’m a great fit for this position because, along with my passion for the aviation industry, I bring these skill sets that will be an asset to the company . . . . . . . . . .
Power statements can sound like you are boasting, but turn that around – you are selling, not showing off.
2) Briefly explain your career journey, starting with your last position towards the first
But not your entire work history, just the experiences that are relevant to the position, or the achievements and skills that you have been developing that may be interesting for the job. Try to keep the information clear, concise, and relevant to the interview.
If you don’t have experience, highlight your education or internships and highlight the transferable skills you’ve acquired.
Transferable skills can actually highlight your flexibility to learn and adapt.
“I spent three years in a high-pressure hospitality outlet dealing with all manner of situations that demanded courtesy, understanding, and ability to find solutions.”
3) Tailor your response to the company
Please, please (I know I say this all the time), research the company that you are applying to.
Find out their values, needs, and outlook.
If you have studied the job offer well, you will have noticed that it reveals a lot of information about what they are looking for.
So always tailor the “tell me about yourself” answer and focus on the experience and skills that are relevant to the role and that you can support with examples.
Your employer is looking to buy a certain product, so you must sell that to them.
4) Then finish by going back to the emotional content of your reply
Tell the interviewer why you are interested in the job, showing your enthusiasm for the position, and tell them what you can bring to the role as a person and as an employee.
Personally, a technique I think is quite good is to go back to your opening power statement and repeat it again in a slightly different way.
“I said at the beginning that I have a passion for aviation and that I have skill sets that will be an asset to your company. I’d like to finish by totally standing by my opening remarks and re-affirming my commitment and my desire to do the very best that I can, for the company and for myself”
5) Thank them for the opportunity to put your case and for taking the time to listen to you
And don’t forget that the interviewer will watch you leave in much the same critical manner they did when you walked in.
Key Points To Remember When Answering “Tell Me About Yourself”
❌ Don’t read off your resume.
Your goal is to connect with the interviewer as if you were having a conversation with a colleague. Provide something valuable with your answer, that’s the sales pitch again.
Talk about your skills, experience, and strengths in a manner that is information-rich, friendly, and confident.
✅ Tailor your response to the company requirements.
Well before the interview, go through the job description, research the company, and tell your story in a way that shows what you bring to the table because you are armed with that knowledge
❌ Don’t be too personal and don’t bring up sensitive topics like religious opinions, political opinions, etc. in your response. There is absolutely no place in the interview for such things.
✅ Practice your answer before the interview to feel confident, but make sure it doesn’t sound too rehearsed. Speak with enthusiasm.
Practice in front of a mirror to see what your body language is like, video yourself speaking, and get a friend, two friends, or three friends to play the part of the interviewer. Then get one of them to get someone you don’t know to be the interviewer.
Remember, this is practice, not rehearsal.
You don’t need to use the same words over and over like it is on a script, you need to practice your main points so that they come easily and confidently
✅ Make sure you include in your answer all the positive qualities that can serve you for the role, examples of how you have used them in the past, why are you interested in the role, company, or industry, and anything from your career history that makes you stand out from other applicants.
✅ Keep it under 3 minutes. There’s no need to overwhelm the interviewer with too many unnecessary details.
Tell Me About Yourself Sample Answers
Need some inspiration?
Here are 2 sample answers that will show you how to answer, “tell me about yourself” in a flight attendant interview.
Sample answer 1:
Hi. My name is Emma Donahue and can I start by saying that during my research into the company in preparation for my job application, I found that I share the same values, attitudes, and standards that you display in your material?
In terms of relevant experience, I graduated 3 months ago from Hospitality Management at Hunter College New York. This summer has been spent in Pireo, Greece, working closely with a team of passionate and committed volunteers helping with refugee housing for a local no-profit organisation.
Although I have no hands-on experience, in the Pireo refugee situation I was part of a highly focused team that needed excellent skills in communication, decision making, and problem-solving. I played my part well and with total commitment, calling on my strengths of flexibility and adaptability to make myself an asset to the team.
I believe I could do the same for your company. As I said at the beginning, I share your values and standards and am sure that I will be a good fit as an employee working for a thoroughly professional employer.
Sample answer 2:
Okay, so let’s look at the example and approach the interview in a different way. This time, I don’t think Olivia has taken the right approach to the ‘tell me about yourself question.’
In red, you’ll find the better version of the answer.
I’m Olivia, a multicultural and open-minded language teacher who is half French and half Spanish.
Hi, my name is Olivia. When I was looking at the information about your company and its staff, I was struck by how my upbringing and language skills (I speak 4 languages) can be an asset to you.
I spent my early childhood in France where I learned to speak French from my dad and his family, and Spanish from my mum. Raised between France, the US, and Asia, I went to high school in Singapore where I learned to speak Mandarin.
Olivia should keep the paragraph above because it is information-rich and very, very interesting.
I’ve been working in the same school for the last 5 years and I realized I got bored easily with a job that is just from 9 am to 5 pm and the same thing every day. I do like to teach and the school community, but I would rather prefer the fast pace and never knowing where you will go, so I believe becoming a flight attendant is a good career for me.
I have been steadily and conscientiously working at the same school for the last 5 years. Don’t get me wrong, I love teaching and the school community, but it is time for a challenge for me, a change of direction. As I said at the start of my answer, I feel that my language and interpersonal skills would be a good fit for the flight attendant’s position and also a very rewarding challenge for me.
As you can see, it’s not just what you say that matters, it’s how you say it.
Summary on How to Answer Tell Me About Yourself in a Flight Attendant Interview
The best way to answer “tell me about yourself” is to explain how well you’re suited for the flight attendant job.
First, review the job description, research the company, and highlight your abilities, strengths, and whatever makes you unique.
Next, explain why working for this specific company appeals to you, showcasing a bit of your personality.
And last and most importantly, be yourself.
The most up-to-date research by psychologists on the subject of interviewing reveals that, while knowledge and experience count heavily, the most important factor is whether the person being interviewed is likeable.
Be calm, confident, value your own worth and – above all – be likeable.
