I have seen it happen hundreds of times.
A girl walks into the interview room. She is well dressed. Her bun is neat. Her smile is genuine. She has prepared for weeks. The recruiter looks up and says the two most simple words in the English language:
“Introduce yourself.”
And she says:
“Myself Priya Sharma. I am belonging to Nagpur. My father is doing business since 15 years. I am having interest in aviation from childhood. Kindly give me one chance.”
The recruiter writes something on the sheet. The interview is effectively over. Priya doesn’t know it yet, but she will get a polite “we’ll let you know” and never hear back.
This happens every single day at IndiGo, Air India, Akasa and SpiceJet walk-in drives across India. And the painful truth is — it is completely avoidable.
Why “Myself Priya” is Such a Big Problem
In Hindi, we say “Mera naam Priya hai” — literally translated as “Myself Priya.” It feels natural because we are directly converting our mother tongue into English.
But in English grammar, “Myself” is a reflexive pronoun. It is used in sentences like “I hurt myself” or “I did it myself.” It is never used to introduce who you are.
When a recruiter — who interviews 200 candidates in a single day — hears “Myself Priya,” they immediately know two things:
- This candidate thinks in Hindi and translates to English
- Their spoken English is weak at a fundamental level
Airlines need cabin crew who can communicate clearly with passengers from across the world. A candidate who cannot introduce herself correctly in English raises a serious question — how will she handle a German passenger, a nervous first-time flyer, or a medical emergency announcement?
The rejection is not about being mean. It is about a professional standard that airlines cannot compromise on.
The 5 Mistakes Hidden in That One Introduction
Look at Priya’s introduction again carefully:
“Myself Priya Sharma. I am belonging to Nagpur. My father is doing business since 15 years. I am having interest in aviation from childhood. Kindly give me one chance.”
Every single sentence has an error:
| What Priya Said | What She Should Have Said | The Mistake |
|---|---|---|
| Myself Priya Sharma | My name is Priya Sharma | Wrong use of reflexive pronoun |
| I am belonging to Nagpur | I am from Nagpur | Wrong continuous tense |
| My father is doing business since 15 years | My father has been running a business for 15 years | Wrong tense entirely |
| I am having interest in aviation | I have always been passionate about aviation | Wrong tense + weak word choice |
| Kindly give me one chance | I am confident I can contribute to your team | Sounds desperate, not confident |
Five errors in five sentences. Each one is a direct translation from Hindi. Each one signals the same problem to the recruiter.
What a Good Introduction Actually Sounds Like
Here is what Priya’s introduction should have been:
“Good morning. My name is Priya Sharma and I am from Nagpur. I have completed my 12th standard and I am currently pursuing my graduation. I have always been passionate about customer service and aviation, and I genuinely enjoy helping people. I believe I have the right attitude and the willingness to learn that a cabin crew role requires. I would love the opportunity to be part of your team.”
Read it again. Notice:
- Clean, simple English — not trying to impress with big words
- Natural, not robotic
- Confident without being arrogant
- No desperate phrases like “kindly give me one chance”
- Every sentence is grammatically correct
This introduction takes 30 seconds. It creates a completely different first impression.
Why This Mistake is So Common Among Indian Aspirants
This is not about intelligence. Many of the brightest girls I have trained came from Hindi-medium schools in cities like Nagpur, Aurangabad, Jalgaon, and Solapur. Their grammar knowledge was strong — but their spoken English had never been corrected because nobody around them spoke English either.
The problem is called mother tongue influence — when the grammar rules of your first language silently control how you speak your second language.
It is not a character flaw. It is simply a habit that was never corrected.
The good news: it can be fixed. Completely. In 6 to 8 weeks of the right training.
I have seen girls who could barely form a sentence in English go on to clear IndiGo and Air India interviews. Not because they became fluent overnight — but because they learnt to speak simply, correctly, and confidently.
Airlines do not expect you to speak like a British newsreader. They expect you to be clear, natural, and professional. That is a much more achievable standard than most aspirants realise.
The 3 Other English Mistakes That Kill Cabin Crew Interviews
“Myself Priya” is the most common, but it is not alone. Here are three others I see regularly:
1. “I am having two brothers” Correct: “I have two brothers.” The verb “have” for possession never uses the continuous tense in English. You don’t “am having” something. You simply “have” it.
2. “I am good in English” Correct: “I am good at English.” In English, you are good at a skill, not good in a skill. This is a preposition error that comes directly from Hindi — “mujhe English mein achha lagta hai.”
3. “I will cope up with the pressure” Correct: “I will cope with the pressure.” “Cope” does not need “up.” This is called a redundant phrasal verb error — adding a preposition that doesn’t belong there.
Each of these mistakes on its own might be forgiven. All of them together in one interview — you will not clear the first round.
What You Should Do Right Now
If you are preparing for a cabin crew or ground staff interview, do this today:
Step 1: Record yourself giving a 60-second introduction on your phone. Listen back. Count how many of the mistakes above you make.
Step 2: Rewrite your introduction using simple, correct sentences. No big words. No translations from Hindi. Just clear, natural English.
Step 3: Practice it 20 times — not to memorise it word for word, but to make it feel natural when you speak.
Step 4: Get feedback from someone who actually knows what recruiters look for — not just a friend or family member who will say “acha hai.”
A Final Word
Aviation is one of the most exciting careers a young person in India can choose today. IndiGo alone operates 350+ aircraft. Air India is expanding rapidly under Tata. Akasa is growing. The jobs are there.
But the competition is fierce. At every walk-in drive, 200 girls compete for 5 to 10 positions. The recruiters decide within the first 60 seconds whether you are worth investing more time in.
Your introduction is not just a formality. It is your first and most important impression.
Don’t let “Myself Priya” be the reason your dream gets rejected in 30 seconds.
Alpha Novaa Aviation Academy trains cabin crew and ground staff aspirants in Dombivli, Maharashtra. Our students have been placed with IndiGo, Air India, and leading airport operators across India.
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